Projecting Impact of WWE Releasing Damien Sandow, Wade Barrett, Others

The new era WWE has been trumpeting won't include Damien Sandow or Wade Barrett.

An upheaval of the roster has Sandow and Barrett poised for opportunities elsewhere, looking to experience new eras of their own. The narrative will quickly move from being what could have been to what will be.

WWE trimmed down its roster Friday, cutting a total of eight performers, as the company announced. In addition to Barrett and Sandow, WWE let go of Santino Marella, Alex Riley, Cameron, El Torito, Hornswoggle and Zeb Colter.

Many of the names on that list weren't surprising.

There had been rumblings about Barrett not renewing his contract. The Englishman confirmed those in his farewell statement to fans:

Cameron has barely been on TV of late. El Torito hasn't been featured in months, and with Primo and Epico leaving their bullfighter gimmicks behind, the high-flyer was no longer needed in that group. And as Paul Fontaine noted for the Wrestling Observer, Hornswoggle had been "virtually nonexistent on TV since a 30-day wellness violation on September 28 of last year."

Still, echoes will be felt from these moves. WWE altered its own landscape with these releases, but it also reshuffled the pro wrestling industry as a whole.

New Beginnings 

In the next few months, fans will see familiar faces in unfamiliar places. Independent promotions are sure to swoop in to try to book many of the talents WWE let go.

El Torito's silly gimmick and size makes it easy to forget just how stellar of a performer he is. He is certain to get a flood of calls in the coming days. The most probable move is a return to Mexico, where he starred as Mascarita Dorada.

In addition to the offers Riley will get as a wrestler, he will no doubt attract attention as a commentator.

His announcing work with NXT was excellent. His skill on the mic made it clear that he came from a family of broadcasters.

As for Hornswoggle, he's already set to appear for Global Force Wrestling: 

It is Barrett and Sandow, though, who will generate the most interest now that they are no longer with WWE. Each showed great potential at times. Each is charismatic and boasts a strong fanbase.

Sean Ross Sapp of Wrestling Inc. believes there is good money ahead for both men:

He is bound to be right. Not only do Sandow and Barrett have the cache of coming from WWE, but they also have seemingly not yet hit their ceilings.

That should have TNA intrigued.

The company has made a habit of taking on WWE castoffs and giving them new life. Ethan Carter III, Drew Galloway and Tyrus (formerly Brodus Clay) are among those to make that transition in recent years.  

Chances are Sandow joins them, a move that will allow him to reinvent himself. TNA's viewership is much lower than WWE's and their financial situation isn't exactly stable, but finally being able to get off the end of the bench will invigorate The Intellectual Savior of the Masses.

More Room to Work

Cutting Sandow and company is partly an indication that WWE is moving forward with this new era that it has talked so much about.

Moving away from Sandow, Hornswoggle and others is a part of what appears to be a transitional phase. WWE has done its best to present its product as fresh. That has included bringing in new talent like Apollo Crews and The Vaudevillains. It has meant elevating AJ Styles to the world title picture and having Sami Zayn step into the Intercontinental Championship mix.

And now these performers have less potential competition waiting in the wings.

Tyler Breeze doesn't have to worry about Sandow charging up behind him. Instead, he is left to focus on moving upward, passing the names of those above him on the totem pole.

Barrett being gone opens the door for someone to take his share of the spotlight. Per CageMatch.net, the former IC champion worked 74 televised matches last year. That's no great workload, but it means there are now additional opportunities for WWE's bevy of newcomers.

Crews, for one, is still in the process of connecting with the audience. He needs all the TV time he can get.

Calm After the Storm

Now that WWE's annual purge is done, the low-rung stars still on the roster can rest easy. The company has made a habit of spring cleaning, letting a number of wrestlers go at the same time. Then things settle.

For example, WWE cut Evan Bourne, Curt Hawkins and several others in June of 2014. The rest of the year didn't see that kind of roster change.

That means Adam Rose, Rosa Mendes, Fandango and David Otunga are all likely to stick around for the rest of 2016. 

That may not be true next year, but at least each of those Superstars has a chance to catch fire in the coming months. Should Rose start flourishing after his suspension is up or Fandango reignite his career as Goldust's partner, they will give themselves a much better chance of avoiding a pink slip in 2017.

They will have to remain on TV for that to happen, though.

WWE shoved Sandow, El Torito and Colter offscreen for much of the past year. Not surprisingly, their momentum dissipated. 

As much as it has to sting to have WWE reject them, at least now they have a shot at creating buzz rather than hanging around in catering.