Quick Takes on WWE Releases, Adam Page's AEW Career-Defining Moment, More

WWE's talent purge continued Thursday night, when another 18 Superstars across Raw, SmackDown and NXT were released from their contracts. Although some were more surprising than others, the general theme among them is untapped potential.

That is especially true for Keith Lee and Karrion Kross, two former NXT champions who were being positioned as the futures of their respective shows at this time one year ago. They were riding high until main-roster booking halted their momentum, causing the company to no longer view them as priorities.

All Elite Wrestling would be foolish to make that same mistake with Adam Page, who has never been hotter. He is set to challenge Kenny Omega for the AEW World Championship on Saturday at Full Gear, and he has to walk out with the gold in his grasp.

Page's ascent over the past two years has been well-documented. Although he has thrived in chase mode, the time has come for him to get his due.

Quick Takes this week wrestles with AEW's biggest main event to date, the abysmal build for Survivor Series, Bianca Belair's latest loss to Becky Lynch and more.

Keith Lee, Karrion Kross Top WWE's Most Disappointing Recent Releases

WWE has been cutting talent every few months since April, and its most recent batch of releases featured two of the more baffling names yet in Keith Lee and Karrion Kross.

The two former NXT champions hadn't been featured on Raw a whole lot lately, but when they were, they were winning. That's what makes their departures so surprising; if they were seemingly being protected and potentially even primed for something bigger, why would WWE cut bait?

To put either of them in a position of prominence anytime soon would have been questionable, but that's merely because of how they were booked. Both recently underwent unnecessary gimmick changes that moved away from what worked for them in NXT.

It's never been as evident as it is right now that the previous incarnation of NXT is dead and buried. That isn't bad news for every NXT alumnus, but anyone who was considered to be one of Triple H's pet projects should be concerned for their future in the promotion if these recent releases are any indication.

B-Fab's departure was also disappointing in that it took WWE all of three weeks to hinder Hit Row. Franky Monet was barely afforded an opportunity, Mia Yim and Ember Moon could have been bigger than they were and Harry Smith never made it back to television.

The more promising prospects WWE lets go, the less incentive fans will have to care about the roster, knowing anyone can be gone at any time.

Miro Is the Best Possible Replacement for Jon Moxley at Full Gear

Tony Khan and the rest of AEW should be commended for their decision to be upfront about Jon Moxley's situation and address it outright ahead of his scheduled match with Orange Cassidy on the most recent Dynamite.

A last-minute audible was made for him to be replaced in the semifinals of the AEW World Championship Eliminator Tournament by Miro, who hadn't been seen on AEW programming since losing the AEW TNT Championship in September. The Redeemer made quick work of the beloved babyface to punch his ticket to the final at Full Gear.

Considering the circumstances, Miro was the best possible option to replace Moxley in such a spot. There didn't seem to be any obvious creative direction for him otherwise, so this turn of events not only gets him back on the show but also on the card for Full Gear in a high-stakes match.

Miro and Bryan Danielson tangled once before in WWE, and it was an excellent affair. Both guys have been having exceptional matches in AEW, and their upcoming contest should be no exception. The mystery regarding the outcome is appreciated as well.

Most importantly, Moxley is getting the help he needs and is putting his own health and happiness above all else. He's bound to be back better than he was before, so expect him to have a bone to pick with either Danielson or Miro upon his return.

The Battle for Brand Supremacy Has Never Meant Less Ahead of Survivor Series

Even if you have watched every episode of Raw and SmackDown since Crown Jewel in October, you may still be surprised to know that there is a pay-per-view coming up November 19. And it just so happens to be one of WWE's Big Four pay-per-views.

Survivor Series hasn't been remotely as important as it once was for some time. The battle for brand supremacy hasn't helped matters, with there being nothing at stake and no reason for fans to want to see either show reign supreme.

In years past, WWE has held qualifying matches to determine who will represent each brand in the tag team elimination matches at the event pitting SmackDown Superstars against Raw Superstars. This year, WWE instead went with the lazy approach of announcing all members of every team via Twitter on Saturday afternoon.

Champion vs. champion matches have been teased for the show in the promotional material, which would make sense based on what we have seen at recent installments. However, there hasn't been single mention of this on WWE TV, so if those matches do happen, they will feel thrown-together and not as special as they should be.

To state the obvious, Survivor Series has felt inconsequential in nearly a decade, and fans shouldn't be blamed for not being invested following this abysmal build.

Becky Lynch's Various Wins over Bianca Belair Can't Go Unavenged

WWE advertised a Raw Women's Championship match between Becky Lynch and Bianca Belair for Monday's edition of Raw, and it delivered.

The two have worked well together every time they have collided since SummerSlam, but no matter what, the result has been the same: Lynch retained her title. On the previous Raw, that trend continued, with Lynch resorting to underhand tactics to pick up the win.

Lynch turning heel is as questionable now as it was in August. She's a perfect fit for the role, but considering crowds haven't wanted to boo her, the experiment hasn't worked out as well as WWE likely intended.

The endgame of the angle from the get-go should have been for Belair to avenge her loss to Lynch and prove she is on Big Time Becks' level. That hasn't happened, raising the question of whether it's ever going to.

Lynch teased transitioning into a feud with Liv Morgan right afterward, but that doesn't necessarily mean Belair's title pursuit is over just yet. Ideally, she can be built back up in the coming months and go after the belt around WrestleMania season, but whether WWE will follow through with that remains to be seen.

No one else on the Raw roster makes as much sense to dethrone Lynch as Belair, so although that should be how the storyline culminates, WWE has a shoddy track record when it comes to paying off long-term stories.

Full Gear Must Be the Night Adam Page Is Finally Crowned AEW World Champion

Adam Page will get his long-awaited opportunity at the AEW World Championship at the Full Gear pay-per-view Saturday, and AEW will have committed booking malpractice if he doesn't emerge victorious.

AEW has spent two years preparing Page for this moment. While he's done his fair share of losing, he's also been built up well in 2021, having lost only once in singles competition.

Bigger than that is his long-running storyline with Kenny Omega, an Elite comrade turned foe following their loss of the AEW World Tag Team Championship at All Out 2020. It was at last year's installment of Full Gear when Omega beat Page to become the No. 1 contender to the title, so it's only fitting that Hangman avenges that defeat to become champion.

Omega deserves praises for the excellent matches he's had as champ over the past year. That said, the time has come for him to get his comeuppance and lose his coveted title to his former friend.

It's possible AEW books a swerve for the sake of it by having Omega win and prolong the program through Revolution, but the company needs to strike while the iron is hot. A title change is the only way Full Gear can end. And predictable as it may seem, it will make for a monumental moment.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.