It’s been a busy week for the NXT brand in WWE. On Tuesday, we saw their latest faction debut in The Diamond Mine. Led by Roderick Strong of Undisputed Era fame, the group also contains Hideki Suzuki, Tyler Rust & Malcolm Bivens. That alone is a strong group, but it was set to have two more members in its ranks as well.
Arturo Ruas & Marina Shafir Were Set To Be Part Of Diamond Mine
Many fans expected to see Arturo Ruas in the group, given that he was seen in the hype videos for the faction. His absence made sense when he was released, but a report from Fightful Select indicates that Ruas was originally planned to be a part of the group. This plan, which has been in the works for months ahead of their debut, changed a few days ahead of their debut to not include Ruas.
Another scrapped member would have helped to round the faction gender wise. Former MMA fighter turned professional wrestler Marina Shafir was set to be part of the group. Given that her husband Roderick Strong is the leader, this makes sense. NXT factions will generally include a female member, with Undisputed Era and Legado Del Fantasma being exceptions. Shafir was also part of the recent releases.
WWE Hasn’t Cared About Plans During Recent Releases
Lately, WWE has been going scorched earth with their releases. Names have been cut left and right, with little care for what they’re up to in the company. This was best seen with Aleister Black, who was released just as his new Dark Father character was getting started, and had a T-Shirt up for pre-order.
Ruas & Shafir had plans, and that still couldn’t save them from being released. Braun Strowman was one of their biggest stars, and that didn’t save him from being released. The only person who could save themselves from being saved was Samoa Joe, who was released and brought back into a new character and role in NXT.
WWE is going through a restructuring stage with Nick Khan generally taking the heat for the cuts. This might not even be the end, despite WWE having cut a third of their roster this year already.
Who else do you think could be at risk of being released from WWE? What could you have seen Arturo Ruas & Marina Shafir accomplishing in Diamond Mine?
Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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