Big news day yesterday
WWE Cleaning House - Several Talent Cuts Made Thursday
By Daniel Pena
source: PWInsider.com
After numerous cuts from the main roster and office in the past year, World Wrestling Entertainment has finally started cleaning house on developmental.
Among those let go Thursday include second generation wrestler Dakota "Maverick" Darsow (son of former WWE wrestler Barry "Demolition Smash" Darsow) and Lupe Santiago, both previously stationed in Tampa for Florida Championship Wrestling.
Darsow, 21, scored a developmental contract with WWE last December despite possessing very limited wrestling experience, having started earlier in the year. He debuted under his real name before changing his ring name to "Maverick Darsow" and then once again to "Barry Allen." Darsow holds a victory over ECW star David Hart Smith, which he achieved this past March.
Lupe Santiago, whose real name is Lupe Viscara, fit the prototypical "WWE look" to a T — tall, muscular and young. He begun training for a career in professional wrestling at the Ohio Valley Wrestling school in the spring of 2006 and debuted approximately a year later. For Viscara, it was in the nick of time as he nabbed a developmental contract a few months later, just before WWE severed their official affiliation with Ohio Valley Wrestling. The last other wrestler signed out of the wrestling academy was Andrew Vain, another muscular wrestler who seemingly disappeared last year.
Soon after, Viscara transferred to Florida Championship Wrestling, where he had been stationed ever since. It would appear that his development was coming along slowly as after two years under contract to the company, he still had yet to work a single match in front of a WWE audience, which should be a pretty good indication that he was nowhere near ready to join the main roster. His personality had also come into question as quite like Maryse, he has the tremendous language barrier to overcome, thus hindering his promo ability.
It is believed that several other talent cuts in developmental were made Thursday, but names have yet to be confirmed. Stay tuned.
WWE Releases Another Wrestler
By Daniel Pena
source: PWInsider.com
-- World Wrestling Entertainment has released developmental wrestler "Prime Cut" Jon Cutler, who had been under contract since last year.
WWE Cut Tied To Drug Policy Violation
By Daniel Pena
-- As reported earlier, World Wrestling Entertainment has parted ways with Dakota "Maverick" Darsow (son of former WWE wrestler Barry "Demolition Smash" Darsow), Lupe Santiago (tall, Hispanic bodybuilder looking wrestler) and "Prime Cut" Jon Cutler (Winnipeg native signed last year). All three individuals were informed of their termination from the company by WWE Executive Vice President of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis prior to last night's Florida Championship Wrestling television taping in Tampa.
In an update, the word is that one of the wrestlers was let go as a result of a Wellness Policy violation, reports The Sun. The wrestler in question was set to be suspended, but Laurinaitis decided to let him go altogether. Additional details are still being investigated.
Furthermore, more releases are expected to be confirmed, so stay tuned.
