Truths & Lies: WWE Releases, Lio Rush, Impact, More

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Backstory

This felt like a good time to bring back my beloved Truths & Lies deal. My next column will be the awesome reader feedback edition. If you have a question or comment, NOW is the time to let your voice be heard! No cuss words or insults is the only rule. I reply to comments just once a month, so make it good…

Truths & Lies

TRUTH: The Emma WWE release was a surprise. – First, let me just state that I originally had this listed as a LIE. Why you ask? Well, she had two different stints in NXT, a rarity. She already got fired a few years ago. Depending on who you believe, it was either due to shoplifting or a misunderstanding at a store. Either way, it was a bad look. Then there were the MULTIPLE gimmick changes. You can only do that so man times before either getting booted or finding one that fits. None ever did. Recently, Emma hosted a failed Emmalina gimmick that apparently was pegged to be a big hit…and then recently came two straight losses to Asuka. Even if she did put up a fight, what else was left? Certainly not the RAW Womens Championship! Failed at gimmick changes. Failed at a self check out. Failed in title matches on Raw. Failed at beating the newcomer too. Harsh but all true.

Here is why I decided to go with TRUTH: Emma was very talented in every facet of the game and always thought of highly behind the scenes. I know many will use the tired “Blame creative!” excuse, but it is pretty shocking how her time in NXT was perceived versus her time in WWE. Like night and day. Not everything will look in front of a large crowd. We know that. Some things are just better kept as a niche and underground. I wonder if Emma fit that criteria. We may never know. Hey, she was brought back before, right? Third time may be the charm. Emma will have bookings lined up in a early and be just fine. Don’t worry.

LIE: The Darren Young and Summer Rae WWE releases were a surprise. – Summer Rae was well prepared for this moment and had been planning on life after WWE for months now. It was no secret that she was NOT returning to the squared circle. Like Eva Marie, most had her as a breakout star in Hollywood sooner rather than later. That is why it is no big deal that she was let go. The girl is a STAR and will be highly successful. Just like Eva, she will land on her feet and be begged to come back to WWE in a year. If only TMZ never reported on that Lana and Rusev engagement?

As for Darren Young, eh. I actually LOVED the Bob Backlund pairing and thought he had a shot at big things after the WWE Draft. It seemed like 2016 was make or break though. Unfortunately, yet another injury set him back. Again. That was all she wrote for the former Nexus member after another extended layoff. The WWE Wellness suspension past never helps either. Charity work and PR work was his calling in the meantime. Long live the TRUE ONE MAN BAND BABY! I know many thought Young was bulletproof since coming out as gay, but that is just the usual silly talk online. Absolutely nothing changed in his standing once the news hit. Everybody backstage (except the public) already knew anyways, so it isn’t like The PrimeTime Players won the tag belts the next week or anything. It is unfair to both Darren and WWE to assume anything changed from August 2013 and onward. I wish him the best.

TRUTH: WWE posting yet another record breaking financial quarter is GOOD news. – Oh, you mean the company isn’t failing and going bankrupt? I don’t know. The people on Twitter told me Vince McMahon was out of touch and driving his business into the ground throughout 2017. Pretty sure the faceless anonymous avatars know the real facts.

Or not. WWE being successful is GOOD for all of us. It means we get to keep their network at ten bucks a month. It means they can keep signing great talent, delivering awesome moments and best of all – having NXT Takeover live specials! That is what’s most important in all of this, let’s be real. Yes, cost cutting to pyro, talent, and the WWE Network may be a downer, but welcome to professional wrestling! Guys and gals will be fired, there will be things trimmed down in presentation from time and time, and yes, shows get cancelled. That is the way of the world. Hasn’t changed in decade and won’t change in the future.

LIE: Total Nonstop Action Global Force Wrestling (NWA?) Impact Wrestling On Pop cutting talent is the same WWE. – Um, no. WWE just posted record breaking financial number and have a stock market value at $2.01 BILLION (at last check). They are doing more than fine and will likely beat those number in 2018 based on projections. Impact is not in the same boat. They are not even in the same ocean. Their talent departures are due to more Jeff Jarrett drama, the usual backstage nonsense (GFW copyright) and predictable run before walk moves (Canada and network aspirations). That is why talent are being released or simply walking away. More surviving without ever thriving. Then, now, forever.

TRUTH: Lio Rush was wrong to tweet a joke about Emma being released. – I will play devil’s advocate here for a second. When Eva Marie left WWE, wrestling fans and personalities alike all rejoiced and made their ‘witty’ one liners. Don’t deny it. You all know it is true. Same with anybody that is disliked on the internet. They get canned, and people laugh and mock them. When a favorite (like Emma) gets fired, people lash out and suddenly get all sensitive to the issue. Again, it is the truth and can only be seen as a mild defense to what Lio Rush did. Now for how I really feel.

Bad timing. Really bad timing. If something else had made the joke, it may have been perceived in a light humored kind of way. Seriously, Emma was well liked by MANY, and Lio Rush JUST showed up to NXT. The dude already had a bit of a reputation. This is the last thing he needs. Even if he is 22 years old, the ‘young and stupid’ logic only goes so far. He is in the same company as Emma. I could understand if the two had a history or were in competing companies, but that wasn’t the case here. Emma played a large role in NXT and set the stage for guys/gals like Mr. Rush to being hired in the first place. The talent in and out of WWE were correct in rushing to defend Emma. However, I do believe he learned his lesson and after another day or two, we can move on. Pretty sure the point has been made. Hope he makes better decisions going forward. Far too much potential to throw it all away for silly retweets.

LIE: I have found a podcast co-host for my debut show. – Nope, not yet. There are a few people I have in mind, but I will let it play out for another few weeks before picking a direction. The offer is open and out there. Just send me a DM on Twitter or email me. I am not hard to reach. Two months left in 2017 ladies and gentlemen. Let’s do this!

Doing my first podcast is on my 2017 list of things to do. Anybody interested? DM me. #WWEhttps://t.co/PVwqtms6MV

— Justin Watry (@JustinWatry) October 13, 2017

NRW: The Match

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Story behind NRW: https://noahwatry.tv/2017/07/09/the-lessons-of-backyard-wrestling/

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