Supershow Casualties: WWE Stars That Will Probably Disappear

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past several days, or spending way too much time partying with RVD, then you've probably heard that the WWE, for the foreseeable future, has decided to merge the rosters on Raw and SmackDown into one "supershow". 

Now, I have been an ardent supporter of this move for the past several years, as it's my firm belief that, due to the retirement or abdication of key main-eventers (like Batista, Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels), and the fact that main eventers like The Undertaker, Kane, The Big Show and Rey Mysterio continue to break down due to the wear on their bodies in the twilight of their careers, the WWE just doesn't have a strong enough roster to warrant having two shows with separate rosters. 

That fact, I believe, was playing out in the declining ratings, along with tepid and insipid booking on the part of the WWE creative team playing a role, as well. 

I believe that all the best talent needs to be on one roster. 

I also believe that having less television time for stars will light a fire under wrestlers to get what TV time is available to them, under the mighty shovels of dirt John Cena and Randy Orton will be throwing on them. 

Wrestlers who have been complacent before will start speaking up to the Creative Team about booking ideas, perhaps.  Wrestlers who might have coasted through matches may start giving 100 percent effort.  Talents who may just have been handed a script and coasted through it, may now suggest revisions and put more emotion in to it. Overall, making the shows a better product. 

Whether this is true or not will play itself out over time.  

However, for those opposed to the Brand Extension finally coming to an end, there is one point over which all their fears hover: More Cena and Orton, less mid-card talent getting to shine.

And that is absolutely correct. 

There will be blood in this war the WWE wages with stagnant ratings. 

My opinion on it is—The WWE needs to right the sinking ship now, before it's too late.  And that is far more important than John Morrison getting face time.  A 1.9 in the ratings for SmackDown is a far more pressing issue to address than making sure that Ted Dibiase shows his face.

For the time being, there will be disappearing acts.

This article is going to take a look at those men and women who are going to be disappearing off your television screen.  

But not to worry, if these projections are correct, you probably won't be missing much.

Santino Marella

I can't say that Santino Marella will be the biggest casualty of the Brand Extension collapse, because he's just the biggest casualty of the WWE, period.

Before the brand extension ended, Santino was last seen for all of 30 seconds, being mauled by The Miz and R. Truth, to prove some kind of point.  That they were going to do things to get noticed?  Probably not the best place to start handing out beat-downs. 

Try Triple H and then get back to us.

Santino has been humiliated, debased, embarrassed, emasculated and ruined as a credible competitor in so many ways, for so long, that the WWE deciding to lop his head off first as a sacrifice to the Brand Extension's end, would just be another day at the office.

Possibly, the fact that Santino got injured in a car wreck may work out to be the best thing that has happened to him. 

If the shoulder separation he suffered is significant, and costs him several months, he can be away while everything levels out, and then be brought back in as a sympathy story.  Perhaps they can build on that and rebuild some credibility for Santino.

I doubt that will happen.

But, more due to this car accident, you won't be seeing Santino around for a while.  But, it has guaranteed, one way or another, that he will get some TV time upon his return.  He'll probably be buried and then sent off of TV anyway, but at least he'll get some time.

It's a real shame.  I've said it over and over again—this man has the most charisma the WWE has seen since The Rock.  He is an absolute treasure, and yet they make a fool out of a man who could make them a mountain of money as a main-event star, if only they would book him seriously. 

It's the most egregious waste of talent the WWE has ever produced, since Muhammad Hassan, and I mean that. 

Ted Dibiase

Ted is a difficult read as far as his overall career trajectory is concerned. 

At times he shows flashes of brilliance, like his conflict with Randy Orton during the Legacy period.

At other times he shows steady flows of the mundane, like his run with Maryse by his side as the "Million Dollar Champion."

Without a doubt, I believe that Ted Dibiase Jr. belongs in the WWE, and has a future.

But for right now, things are looking very bleak. 

The WWE has seen what the minority saw when judging Cody Rhodes and Dibiase: That Rhodes was the man to put their money on, not Ted.

He's been given a stellar run on SmackDown and has been rewarded with the Intercontinental Championship.

Rhodes is not the kind of guy you give the title to with the angle of "I'm going to restore it" and then hotshot the reign over to the lesser wrestler in Ted Dibiase Jr.

Ted is going to come out on the wrong end of the future feud with Cody Rhodes.

And this is a bad time to be coming out on the wrong end of anything with the Brand Extension done. 

When Ted loses to Cody, where will he go?

Without an immediate contingency plan, Ted will fall off of television fast and off of the radar for a long time.

And will the WWE come up with a contingency plan for a guy who they invested a great deal of effort into getting over with Maryse, Virgil, Goldust, The Million Dollar Belt and a new gimmick, but still couldn't get him to connect with the fans as a heel?

They had to put him underneath Rhodes as a subservient just to get him any kind of respect.  In the end, Dibiase needed Rhodes for attention. 

When Rhodes walks away from this, what will the WWE really do with DiBiase?

A stable is possible. 

Unless that happens fast, you can say goodbye to Dibiase for as long as there isn't enough time for him because of the Brand Extension coming to an end. 

Ezekiel Jackson

Proof that intelligence doesn't equal charisma, articulation doesn't equal mic skills and strength does not equal the ability to wrestle—Ezekiel Jackson's excursion as a convivial powerhouse with the Intercontinental Championship around his waist was a pure dud. 

Robotic in the ring and hesitant on the mic, with a horrible finisher ripped right from one of the worst in-ring and microphone performers in WCW history (That's Lex Luger's Torture Rack, if you're too young to remember.) Ezekiel nosedived just as hard as everyone else did who was vexed by the stain of the Corre.

(Except for the fools who booked it, that is. It would be great if there were backstage repercussions for trite booking, like there is for the careers of the men it ruins.) 

The WWE pulled the plug on his title run only a few weeks ago when Cody Rhodes defeated him to claim it.

That loss could not have come at a worse time for Big Zeke, considering that the Brand Extension is now over. 

As Intercontinental Champion they would have been forced to give him time.  But no longer is that the case.  Now that automatic time goes to Cody Rhodes.  (And even HE didn't get to appear on the last Raw or SmackDown.)

What chance does Ezekiel Jackson stand when he can't talk well and he can't wrestle?

None.

So expect Jackson to be given a few throwaway appearances, especially since he already lost his rematch for the title the week before the Brand Extension ended.  

Then, poof, gone. 

They'll probably throw him on Superstars a few times, but really, the best medicine for Big Zeke?

Go back down to FCW, work on more of your ring skills and get acclimated with your size.  I would say drop some muscle and pick up some speed, so you can have more impact in the ring.  Work on your ring skills, and wait for your next opportunity.

I think Jackson has the potential to be something if he gets his nerves under control in interviews and hones his in-ring abilities.  I don't think he should be future endeavored.  If he is, I expect him to turn into the next Matt Morgan, if he doesn't quit. 

And I'm sure the WWE wishes they had Matt Morgan right now. 

Heath Slater

It's not often that I will say this about a wrestler who isn't the Great Khali.  Even the most abominably detestable grappler has at least one trait that stands out.

Take Mark Henry for example. He can't wrestle and he can't cut a good promo. But, at least he looks like he'll tear your throat out through your chest if you say it to his face.

But, looking at Heath Slater?

I see dead people.

He's got absolutely nothing going for him from my perspective.  He looks like Julianne Moore cheated on her husband with the fitness trainer from Arkansas.  His matches are completely forgettable, as is anything he says on the mic in that "Slingblade" southern drawl of his.  His gimmick is stupid, though that's not his fault.  But, he can do anything, and he won't stand out.  

He didn't stand out in front at all, either in the Nexus where he was completely obscured by every other member, even Darren Young and Mike Tarver—just because Darren Young looked like John Cena and Tarver had a great microphone voice and presence.

He was the lowest guy on the totem pole in the Corre, behind Barrett, Big Zeke and Gabriel.  

He's the guy that Cena says looks like the chick from Wendy's, and that's it.  

And this is how little people care about him: he doesn't even look like the chick from Wendy's.  John Cena picked the wrong childhood icon out. 

He meant to say Pippi Longstocking.  Because the Wendy's girl doesn't look like anyone, because she's poorly drawn.  Pippi Longstocking is a real person (sort of) and that's what Heath Slater looks like.

But do you think anyone cares about the difference?

NO.

Because the vast majority of the wrestling world cares nothing about Pippi Longstocking, The Wendy's Girl or Heath Slater. 

You won't even notice when he's gone.

Bet you haven't even noticed he's been gone for three weeks, already. 

And even though the sentence I just wrote was incorrect, because Heath Slater was on SmackDown three weeks ago, when he lost to Sin Cara, I'm going to keep it as is.  Why? To prove my point. I legitimately forgot that he was even there.

Heath Slater is the guy that will get put in an article here on Bleacher Report titled: "20 guys the WWE misused and wrongly released." 

And the comments will say: "I agree with most of this list, except for Heath Slater, I don't think he belongs here." 

Heath is that guy. 

David Otunga and Michael McGillicutty

These two were already toast before the Brand Extension collapsed.  Much like Ezekiel Jackson, they lost the one thing that somewhat assured they would get at least the most minimum amount of television time as possible—the WWE Tag Team titles. 

Well, the same thing that happened to Big Zeke happened to them and, just before the big crunch, they lost the big pennies. 

Which leads me to believe that the WWE deciding to end the Brand Extension was not a knee-jerk reaction to the 2.9 and 1.7 ratings of Raw and SmackDown.

Much like Denzel Washington said in Training Day, when Ethan Hawke asked him if he had been planning all day to set him up: "All day? I've been planning this all week, son."  

The WWE took the titles off of Christian, CM Punk, Ezekiel, Otunga and McGillicutty and put the belts around Orton, Alberto Del Rio, Rhodes, Kofi and Bourne, before they pulled the trigger on this.  Taking the belts off of the guys they don't really want them on, and putting it on the guys they do.  (And while we mostly all love CM Punk here, the WWE really wants ADR to be the Champ as they head into Mexico.)

I guess Dolph Ziggler can breathe a sigh of relief.

But while Punk and Christian aren't going anywhere, simply because they're not the champions, Otunga and McGillicutty are goners.

The only slight hope they have is that the WWE appears to be starting some kind of feud between them and Jerry Lawler. 

But, the WWE has played the Lawler card one too many times, and no one cares about Otunga or McGillicutty.  This feud will fly away into the wind, unless Jerry Lawler's sudden heeling at the booth means that he's going to take these two under his wings.

He did indicate on Raw that he tried to give them some advice and they didn't listen.  He did start his verbal brutality on them from out of nowhere, like he suddenly cared.  This could be leading to some sort of mid-card heel alliance. And by Jerry being a participant, it will guarantee them face time, as he's an announcer and their leader/manager/coach, possibly.

But, this is speculation.  Even that might not work out.

But it's the only hope the "Bland leading the Bland" have to stay on TV.

Hey, it may be the only hope David Otunga has to stay in the WWE, period. 

The Usos

Have you noticed something missing from the "Heating up" tag team division in the WWE? 

Tag teams.

And outside of the guys who I just discussed, the only other guys who ever appear on Raw or SmackDown, are these two. 

Now, I won't bury the Usos—I like the Usos.  I think they have talent, I think they have a good look and, although they generally get the mime treatment, I think they can actually talk on the mic when allowed. I just wonder why all the Samoans in the WWE sound like they're from the hood, except for the only one that was actually half-black?

I mean, The Usos, Rikishi, Samoa Joe and even Yokozuna (God rest his soul) spoke like they were from the streets. 

That's probably going to be construed as racist, so I should probably take this time to mention that I am a mixed-minority that grew up in a "rough environment".  And you know it's rough when the very first night you move in, the cops are beating on your door because someone ran through your backyard trying to get away from them.  Good times. Good times. 

Anyway, back to the Usos. 

Even though the Usos are skilled, the WWE has mismanaged and abandoned them for so long that there is no point in even bringing them anywhere near Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne (Who will never be referred to as "Air Boom" by me. Ever.) 

The crowd doesn't care about them, and not in a "Heath Slater" way.  These two have something to offer, it's just that the crowd has been conditioned to die on command when they come out. 

So, unfortunately, that means that the best the Usos are going to get, is to get beaten once or twice, probably on SmackDown by "Paradise Air", (which is what I have arbitrarily have decided to call Kofi and Bourne), and then sent off of television.

Fortunately for The Usos, the WWE has made so much noise about heating up the division, that they will probably bring them back after a while.  Hopefully they will repackage them, and keep them gone long enough so that they will feel fresh upon their return, and have a chance to compete with a division that will probably be fully built within six or seven months. 

So, even though the Usos are gone for now (or soon to be), fans of tag team wrestling can rejoice that their spots are probably going to be given to the Kings of Wrestling, or maybe even Beer Money if their contracts in TNA are up soon.  I am personally crossing my fingers for the Briscoe Brothers from ROH.

And then, after no one remembers them?  They come back as just "J-N-J" or some corny name like that and get to compete in a fully rebuilt roster. 

At least, that's what I speculate what will happen. 

Half of the Divas Division

The Divas that I am referring to are the following:

A.J. Lee, Kaitlyn, Alicia Fox, Tamina and Rosa Mendes.

Or, the "Diva's you hardly see, already."  I'm not sure about Gail Kim, either what is going on with her is a shoot and she's gone, or it's a work-shoot like CM Punk, and she'll remain on TV in some sort of angle.   

While it looked like the WWE was finally going to make a move towards heating up the Diva's division, the reality is that it's going to be significantly more difficult to do that with male wrestlers jockeying for time and position in the midst of the Supershow experiment. 

The Divas historically only get one segment per show.  And since that is the case, only the top players are going to get any time.  And that's going to be Kelly Kelly, Eve, Natalya, Beth Phoenix, The Bella Twins and, when they return from injury, Maryse and Layla. 

Unless the WWE is planning some kind of faction war, where the more seasoned Divas like Natalya, Beth and Tamina go up against "The Barbies" of the WWE, there isn't going to be significant time for the secondary players in the division. 

While there may have been plans in the works up coverage of the Diva's, I doubt that they'll get any extra coverage with both rosters merged, now. 

Some, like Rosa Mendes and Tamina, might even be released. 

Hornswoggle

You don't see much of him anymore outside of NXT—and that's good. 

I hate him.  I think that if John Cena is the first representation of all that is wrong with the WWE right now, Hornswoggle is the second representation. 

But, when his role on NXT wraps up, if there were still a Brand Extension, the chances of him coming up from NXT when he's done being Titus's pro would be pretty high.

I hope that they don't value him high enough to give him a credible wrestler's spot, like a Daniel Bryan, Wade Barrett, R. Truth or Cody Rhodes, so this miniature fool can come out and spit gibberish and run between the legs of the Divas. 

I don't need to give an analysis on this junk bucket.

I just wish Randy Orton would punt him in the head, or Mark Henry would slide his body in between a chair and jump on him so he would go away.

By the way...

He still brings more to the table than Heath Slater. 

He's short and kid friendly. Have a Hornswoggle segment and a Heath Slater segment on the same show and I bet more people will remember what Hornswoggle did a month later than Slater.

Slater still has nothing.