WWE talent Mike Kanellis recently talked with the Smarks & Stripes podcast about not getting his release from the company. The way he parsed things together about his utilization on the roster pointed to an issue some fans have had with the company’s flagship brands for years now.
A Shaky 2017-2018 Season For Mike Kanellis
Prior to taking the ring name “Mike Kanellis,” he was making moves on the indies as Mike Bennett. In the late 2000s and earlier part of this decade, he showed up a number of cards and was viewed as a rising star. I always figured he would’ve gone further during his stay in Ring of Honor and had a feeling that he would pop up in Impact Wrestling at some point.
What I didn’t expect was him being picked up by WWE in 2017. There he was with wife and WWE alum, Maria Kanellis—right on PPV. Either WWE felt he was flagship brand ready out the gate or they figured “He’s got Maria with him so we can’t just run him through NXT first.” Whatever WWE’s thoughts, Kanellis was taken out of rotation quickly due to rehab and Maria’s pregnancy.
Unless you’re established and at the upper reaches of the roster, you’re not just going to return with the best momentum. Or rather, creative isn’t going to put the most effort into getting you back in the rotation. Throughout 2018, he was pretty much lost in the shuffle. He had landed on 205 Live but that’s 205 Live. Kanellis was active but as a viewer, I had this sense of “This guy shouldn’t really be here.”
Requesting His Release
In January 2019, news dropped Mike Kanellis requested his and Maria’s release. Maria denied that this happened and Kanellis continued wrestling on 205 Live. It was awhile after his call up to RAW that he requested their release.
As you know, they’re involved in a...dreadful paternity storyline. Honestly, WWE could save on TV time and just put Mike, Maria, and everyone involved on Maury. Or have a Gene Snitsky paternity segment where he runs the DNA test for them.
In speaking with Smarks & Strikes, Kanellis went into WWE not granting his release. He discussed his rehab period and how he felt he wasn’t being used. So far, he’s achieved two reigns(?) with the prestigious WWE 24/7 Championship.
It all comes down to him feeling he’s in the best shape and best state of mind in years. As a result, he should be out there putting on the best matches of his career but WWE isn’t utilizing him. He feels like he’s wasting time again.
The flagship rosters are bloated and there’s a lot of top tier talent and draws on both. With NXT being elevated to a TV brand, it could be seen as a way to stem the bleeding of people wanting releases. The thing is, few people are being moved to NXT. This is cemented by some native NXT talent not wanting to be called up with the news of people wanting their release.
Seriously, they’ve got a good thing down there. Why increase your chances of being lost in the shuffle?
WWE Trying Hard Not to Release Anyone
Kanellis makes sure to point out that WWE treated him and his family very well but this was where things weren’t working out. When things don’t move on releases, people tend to go public with it—as is the case with NXT talent Oney Lorcan last month. Triple H recently said that it’s all about how people ask for their releases.
He feels that the two sides should talk it out but if the talent is committed to bouncing on WWE, there’s little to talk about. What is WWE going to tell them to make it better or calm things down if their booking hasn’t used them well to begin with? The company has plans in motion. Unless there’s an injury, WWE isn’t going to just change things to sate disgruntled talent.
Of course, there are emergency releases such as when talent becomes a little too hot to hold. As for Mike Kanellis, he understands that WWE isn’t trying to release anyone when they have a national competitor who won’t hesitate to scoop them up. It makes you wonder where’s the upside for talent. They want to wrestle, they love it, and they want to put on great matches.
However, there’s a battle going now. That means they’re unlikely to be released and WWE doesn’t really have to cater to their desires since they’re on multi-year contracts. Some could be waiting for the end of year releases like lottery numbers, hoping that they’re one of those who will be future endeavored.
