I'm Just Sayin': A Dissenting View Of Serena's Release

Mr. Ashley MorrisAug 25, 2010

Serena’s release from the WWE is practically old news by now. While the initial reaction among the faithful Internet Wrestling Community was one of flabbergasted exasperation, the tremors have subsided and the fans have returned to their regular promotion-bashing commentary.

Needless to say, Serena’s release from the WWE was a little more than a wet fart during a funeral; very inappropriate, but far from keeping the show from going on.

Several Bleacher Report writers have weighed in on this quasi-controversial topic and all seem to come to the conclusion that most fans were upset, but not to the degree where it was necessary for John Cena to life-coach us through petition signings and sock-hop fundraisers to return her to the WWE.

Don’t get me wrong; Serena is talented, but apparently she’s no Bryan Danielso…er, Daniel Bryan.

However, as I sit in front of my computer and reflect on the little bit of speculation concerning the reasoning behind her release, my attention has been drawn more so to the commentary surrounding the release rather than Serena herself.

Seeing that we’re all intelligent men and women here on B/R, with the exception of a few bad eggs (ahem Quinn Gammon and Big Nasty), I would be remiss in not providing a reasonable explanation to why the WWE would commit such a heinous act against an outstanding female grappler on the verge of changing the Diva’s Division.

Besides, we all know that during this current cycle of lackluster feuds, sagging storylines, and geriatric palavering in pro wrestling, the most exciting things seem to be what happens behind the guerrilla position instead of in the ring.

That’s the delicious irony of being a pro wrestling fan. The real drama behind the curtains is more exciting than the fake drama writers are paid to create for the ring. I digress.

The speculation surrounding Serena’s release is that she was causing “behavioral problems” behind the scenes. For the sake of simplicity, the phrase “behavioral problems” will be referred to as the Mickie James Method for the duration of this article.

From this speculation, it is also rumored that Serena wasn’t living quite the kayfabe Straight Edge Society (SES) life when she prowled the mean city streets as Serena Deeb, professional wrestler.

In other words, Serena’s no drugs, no alcohol Straight Edge clean livin’ apparently did not extend beyond the front or back doors of an arena near you.

We can only assume that after intense nights of allowing CM Punk to lovingly caress her head, Serena took many hot showers, brushed her teeth, said a few little prayers to her SES bobble-head and ended the night with Jägerbombs and shots of Patron at the nearest pub.

Again, we can only assume that these things happened. At this point our assumptions rest on a somewhat sturdy foundation, as the Mickie James Method thrives on repeated offenses against the company.

It's even speculated that the

angle in which CM Punk "saves" Serena from falling completely off the wagon was a warning shot to Serena from the Titan Tower Powers that Be.

Whatever the case, the only concrete fact we have is that Serena no longer works for the WWE. That is a fact that we’ve slowly come to terms with even though our understanding of it is on par with the booking logic of the Divas Division.

Serena’s release comes at a terrible time for fans of the SES and her work. I personally feel that given the state of women’s wrestling in general, any reasoning for her release outside of her personally requesting that release is unforgivable.

I have no knowledge of her work prior to debut on the Smackdown roster, but it seems that most fans speak highly of her pro wrestling abilities. She’s attractive, she can wrestle and work the mic, so what’s not to like?

This question is especially vital given that the WWE currently books most Divas matches as three minutes of screaming botch fests that excites fans as much as a Vladimir Kozlov championship reign.

I must also mention the recent suspension of WWE Diva Tiffany, who was placed on indefinite leave after getting into an altercation with hubby Drew McIntyre at a hotel.

The WWE seems to have a penchant with releasing women wrestlers that can actually wrestle, but that’s another article for another day.

Add those things to the fans’ displeasure and the speculation for her release leaves us with a delicious recipe for a tasty WWE-bashing.

Given the situation, however, I’ll have to be the devil’s advocate and say that if there’s any truth to the speculation, the only entity that should be blamed for Serena’s release is Serena herself. This, of course, is speaking in terms of what we don’t know about her release.

Regarding what we do know, the conversation can extend to the Rapture as to what this means for Serena, the Divas Division, and the WWE’s general perception of women’s wrestling. In all of these instances, however, the future looks very grim.

Out of the many comments I’ve read concerning the release, here are two from Gerweck.net that stuck out to me and in part helped to shape this article. Keep in mind that these comments were made assuming that Serena’s release was related her not maintaining her WWE persona outside of the company.

The first is from JFlyswatter, who argued that,

“It’s hard to play Straight Edge when YOU’RE NOT STRAIGHT EDGE! CM Punk should know better…Get someone that isn’t just playing the part. You can’t make someone not drink and not have a good time.

WWE needs people that are actually living that lifestyle…Not just acting!”

The second is from Team Laycool, who stated that,

Wow the wwe is so strict. Anywho, if they let cryme tyme jeff hardy rey mysterio and all of those other druggies come back then serena should be back in no time.”

Both comments are interesting in the sense that they both place an unreasonable blame on the WWE for her release.

JFlyswatter's argument is that the WWE should find actual Straight Edge wrestlers to be in the company's SES. J also states that the WWE cannot force someone to "not drink and not have a good time."

This is also assuming that in order to have a "good time," one must drink. But that's secondary to the point here.

I disagree with JFlyswatter and say that the WWE can force you to maintain your in-ring persona outside of the ring. Serena's release is a prime and ironic example of this.

I've never seen a WWE contract, but I'm guessing they are so iron clad that there exists a clause that states a performer cannot do anything outside of the company that jeopardizes their in-ring character's persona.

The best example is the speculation that the Undertaker wasn't allowed to attend a recent UFC fight because his character was supposed to be comotose. I would've really liked to see the company try to explain that one to their PG fans.

I can also borrow an example from TNA to further support this point. When Ric Flair joined the company and became AJ Styles' mentor, AJ's first promo after the alliance involved him asking the Impact Zone crowd to gaze upon the gorgeous women that accompanied him in the ring.

A few rabble-rousers in the crowd began a "you are married' chant, as it was a well-known fact that real life AJ was not only a happily married father, but also a devout Christian.

Needless to say the company has severely downplayed AJ's Flair-esque references to loose women as the Nature Boy's protégé since then.

If those two instances don't prove my point well enough, then please turn your attention to teh infamous Madison Square Garden Incident involving Shawn Michaels, Paul "Triple H" Levesque, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and Sean Waltman. Enough said.

The bottom line is that when the WWE cuts a superstar a check for performing as a particular character, that superstar is receiving financial reimbursement for the work they've contractually agreed to perform for the company.

When you violate the terms of that contract, the WWE is well within its rights to take the necessary steps to correct the problem. The first offense may require a slap on the wrist, but repeated offenses usually call for severe disciplinary action.

If there is any truth to the speculation that Serena had one too many tough nights of boozing it up, then can you really blame the company for taking action against a superstar who is supposed to be Straight Edge?

As far as finding wrestlers that are actually living a Straight Edge lifestyle, I would guess that the WWE would be hard pressed to do so. The recent and untimely deaths of several superstars (Umaga and Lance Cade to name a few) can attest to the generalization that Straight Edge stars are hard to find.

In fact, the only other Straight Edge star I know of without doing a quick internet search is Matthew "M-Dogg 20" Capiccioni, and I found that out a year ago by doing an internet search.

Plus, the WWE did not force Serena to do the gimmick. They presented her with an option and she chose to take up the burden of portraying the character and maintaining her persona outside of the ring.

If Serena didn't agree with her character's direction or portrayal, then she could have easily turned down the offer to be moved up to the main roster under such a gimmick.

That decision would not have been without certain risks.

It was speculated that Kristal Marshall's 2007 release from the WWE was due to her unwillingness to portray a "Rated-R Superstar Edge," Lita-like character.

Nora "Molly Holly" Greenwald's departure from the WWE was also due to the direction of her character and women's wrestling in the company in general.

Simply put, if Serena couldn't maintain the character, she could've easily quit.

This is why I can't follow Team Laycool's idea that the "...WWE is so strict." These standards and practices have to be placed inside of the contracts that the wrestlers sign. If the WWE is that strict, then the contracts have that same level of strictness outlined in them.

If a wrestler feels that the WWE is "too strict" at any time before signing away their life on a WWE contract, they can always politely hand the contract back to Vince McMahon and walk out of the office.

Statements about Jeff Hardy, Rey Mysterio, and "other druggies" cannot be made in jest without looking at the entire situation. How many times was Jeff or Rey suspended for drug related violations of the company's wellness policy?

This whole situation boils down to personal accountability. If Serena truly violated the terms of her contract, or willingly and repeatedly risked compromising her in-ring persona through her actions outside of the ring, then we really can't harp on the business decision to release her.

No matter how we feel about the product, the WWE is a business and is in business to make moeny. They pay all of their contracted workers a particular amount of money to do a partiuclar job within the company to make more money for the company.

The moment someone oversteps the boundaries set by their contracts and relationships with influential people within the company is the same moment they expose their careers to a sniper's kill shot.

What makes the situation even more devastating is the fact that she was right on the verge of receiving a push.

In the end, this entire piece is based on speculation. The real issue is that the WWE has released another talented star and we're all mourning the loss of a superstar to be.

In closing, I will add one mroe thing about the situation.

IF (and that's a big if) TNA is committed to rebuilding their Knockouts Division and providing an exciting product for its fans, Serena would be the one former WWE superstar that I'd add to the roster after the end of that pesky ninety-day no compete clause.

Much like our hope for Serena's return to the WWE, only time will tell whether or not the wrestling gods will answer our cries for justice in this crazy sport we love so much.