Where Do They Go Now? Examining Where Kairi Sane, New Day & More Will End Up

Hello folx! I am back from a week off, well, last Monday off. My wife had her birthday/4th of July get-together last Saturday, and I was wiped after doing all the cooking, baking, and socializing!

90 days go by so quickly. And that means everyone who was cut post-WrestleMania is now free to sign wherever they want. Which can be a pretty interesting time for fans. We get to tune into promotions like AEW, TNA, MLW, and NJPW, wondering if/when a wrestler will show up and how they will be used. It’s the only bright spot of talent getting cut; they get to go elsewhere and find fresh feuds and matchups. Whether their goal is to make their way back to the WWE or to thrive away from it. They will all be doing their best to carve out a spot in their new home promotions.

Coming as no shock, I’m sure, I love to speculate and predict what may happen in wrestling. I like to think that, after watching and participating in the business for close to 40 years, I have some knowledge and foresight in how things might go. And I also love hearing all of your thoughts on it as well. Well, that is as long as you can express your thoughts without insulting other people for their opinions. Like I say every week in the Great Eight, don’t be a dick. With that disclaimer out of the way, let’s examine where the recently cut wrestler could show up soon, and I look forward to seeing your predictions as well!

The Wyatt Sicks

We will cover the group as a whole here, as we already know what Nikki Cross is doing, and I doubt Bo Dallas is going to do much.

Nikki Cross: Now going by Nikki Storm, recently bought PROGRESS and DEFY wrestling. She will be running them with her husband, Big Damo. Running two independent promotions in two countries and working on a PhD will probably be taking up most of her time for now.

Bo Dallas: Dallas has a ranch, and I expect him to do what he was doing before coming back. Running the ranch and living his life.

Dexter Lumis & Joe Gacy: Both men have had some independent bookings, but I think their biggest value is staying together as a team. I enjoyed what I saw of them together. And it will be a way to stay relevant while they rebuild. I think they would fit well with TNA. Throwing them into a feud with The Righteous or Hardys would be a decent program for them. And Lumis can rekindle things with Indie Hartwell.

Aleister Black & Xelina

Black either did or did not burn a bridge with AEW; it’s never been quite clear. But even if he didn’t, I don’t think that is the right place for him. Andrade has come back and been booked better than he was before. I don’t think the same happens for Black. Black needs to be in a place where he can be a big fish in a small pond.

Somewhere that will allow him to show what he is actually capable of. So, my vote has to be TNA again. TNA has recently cut a bunch of talent, and Black will fill a spot at the top of the men’s division, and Xelina can boost the anemic Knockouts division. Hell, throw The Righteous in with Black and let them run wild. Black can let his creativity flow, and it’s not like TNA isn’t opposed to weird story elements (just look at everything Rosemary has done).

Kairi Sane

Sane was let go because she had already expressed a desire to go back to Japan. This tells me she isn’t showing up in AEW (regularly) anytime soon. She could show up through their connections to Stardom, but she isn’t going to be a mainstay. I think Sane does sign on with Stardom and provides a boost of star power that can get more international eyes on their product.

There is also a chance she just hangs them up for now. She has her own business, and maybe she just wants to focus on that which, more power to her if that is what she decides to do. We will just miss seeing her wrestle, but her own fulfillment and happiness matter most.

The New Day

I think it’s pretty set that we will see The New Day in AEW soon. They have ties to Kenny Omega (through Woods) and are highly respected by everyone there. I’d be more surprised if they didn’t show up there than if they did. It also opens the door to so many matches. The Young Bucks, FTR, Copeland & Cage, The Hurt Syndicate, Bang Bang Gang, The Dogs, Brodido, The Outrunners, Jurassic Express, PROTOKADA, Top Flight, and The Rascalz.

That’s a might impressive list of teams for The New Day to work with. And while Kingston is closer to the end of his career, it will be fun to see him mix it up with some new teams before he hangs them up.

Santos Escobar

What a wasted opportunity. Escobar has a great look, good charisma, and is a great in-ring talent. And yet, the WWE wasted him for years. He almost let his contract expire, and then the WWE put up a lot of money to keep him. Only to let him go while he was injured. Of course, I think it’s that a lot of money thing that was his downfall. The big thing about this round of cuts was TKO wanting to save money. And any high-paying contracts were going to be on the chopping block.

But the WWE/AAA’s loss is the wrestling world’s gain. Now a free agent, I think Escobar is going to make use of the CMLL/AEW relationship. He would make a perfect foil to Andrade, Bandido, Omega, MJF, and many others. He can play face or heel and is more than capable of being a top guy. And with the partnership, he can be the top guy in CMLL as well, working against Mistico and other top names.

Motor City Machine Guns

The other big team to be released was the veteran MCMGs. I am a long-time MCMG fan, going back to before they were even together. I was excited to see them show up in the WWE, and disappointed with their booking. Another casualty of cost-cutting. They got signed when the WWE was giving out high-end contracts and were probably being paid more than TKO thought they were worth. Not to mention, TKO doesn’t seem to understand the need for veteran voices in the lower card.

And again, this is a boon for the rest of the industry. I’m thinking MCMG end up in AEW, they won’t be pushed as hard as New Day. But they will be another team bringing fresh matches and feuds to the card. And they will be able to move into behind the scenes rolls, like they planned to do in the WWE.

Apollo Crews

Crews lasted longer than any of us thought he would. He never had the booking behind him and struggled to find a place in the WWE. He is a good in-ring talent, and while his mic work never quite got there, he is a good hand to have. I could see him popping up in TNA, where he would be able to show off his in-ring work without needing to worry about promos as much.

Let him do his thing in the X Division, and if he catches on, he can move up the card from there. He could also pop up in NJPW for the Best of the Super Juniors, which could earn him a spot on the roster. Japan’s focus on in-ring work over promos would help make him a bigger deal there.

Zoey Stark

Stark is like Crews, in that she is a good in-ring worker, has a good look, but never connected with her promos. So, I will say the same thing: TNA is probably her best bet. They need more women, and she could easily be positioned at the top of the card.

She may need a manager, but with her look and in-ring skills, she can be a star for them. And it’s a very small pond in TNA right now, so there is no reason she can’t shine there.

Alba Fyre

I thought being paired with Chelsea Green would save Fyre. But if they didn’t plan on using her for anything else, then I’m not surprised she was cut. Fyra is a huge get for whoever picks her up. I’ve already talked about TNA needing more women. And I think she would do amazing there. I think she is more likely to show up in AEW/ROH.

Isla Dawn is already there, and whether we see an Unholy Alliance reunion (they need more teams) or Fyre going her own way, Fyre will kick ass in AEW. And with their connection to Stardom and CMLL, we could see her show up in several places, proving she was wasted in the WWE.

Andre Chase

Now going by The Professor Andre Chance, I think Chance is most likely to show up in MLW. While I could see him in ROH or working backstage or as a manager in AEW. I think MLW is his best bet if he wants to keep wrestling.

I could also see him show up in the NWA, but MLW is a good place for him. He doesn’t have the size to get big pushes in the bigger promotions, and MLW is always willing to go with whatever is connecting. Will he ever be a big name? Probably not, but he is a solid hand, and that’s something every promotion needs.

Tonga Loa & J.C. Mateo

I put these together because I don’t see Loa having any value on his own. The guy just isn’t that good. Cobb, on the other hand, is a good pickup for any promotion right now. He is a big guy who can go and is probably looking to prove he was wasted.

I want Cobb in TNA; there isn’t room in AEW (especially with the names I’ve predicted going there). And if TNA got behind Cobb, he could be huge for them. Loa can come along as his backup and work in tag matches.

But Cobb as TNA World Champion is something I want to see. Let him run roughshod over the roster. And then when your next big face finally beats him, he will get a huge pop for slaying the monster. It’s really simple booking, and Cobb is the guy to build it around.

Sheamus

While his 90 days aren’t up yet, I figured I’d throw him on this as well. His release surprised me, because I think we all figured he’d be in the WWE for life, or would be retiring soon. But after rejecting a pay cut, he is about to be a free agent.

The only time Sheamus wasn’t in the WWE was in his early days. So, there is a lot out there for him to do. And the time for him to do it isn’t very long. At 48 and with a history of spine issues, Sheamus is closer to retirement than anyone else on this list. In fact, he was originally going to have to retire about 10 years ago due to Spinal Stenosis.

So, for Sheamus, I am predicting a short run in a few places before retirement. And that retirement is going to most likely occur in the WWE. And include a Hall of Fame induction and maybe a job as a strength and conditioning coach in NXT.

But where will he show up for his short pre-retirement run? AEW could offer a few fun matches. Namely against MJF, Briscoe, Finlay, White, and Omega. I could also see a few matches in NJPW, not the G1, but matches with Kojima, Shingo, Ishii, and Boltin Oleg would be fun to see.