WWE Releases and SmackDown Recap: A Tough Week in the Wrestling World

These are never easy videos—or blog posts—to make, but sometimes ignoring what's right in front of us feels even more out of touch. When WWE releases talent, especially right after WrestleMania, it’s always a gut punch. And if you’re a creator, skipping over it like nothing happened? That feels worse.

Post-WrestleMania Cuts: The Human Cost Behind the Headlines

So, yes, as has become tradition in the spring: WWE has cut talent. A pretty hefty list too. Shayna Baszler, Dakota Kai, Braun Strowman, Katana Chance, Kayden Carter, Gigi Dolin, Oro Mensah, Mark Coffey, Joe Coffey, Cora Jade, Riley Osborne—just to name a few. And let’s be clear: these aren’t flukes or filler. These are real people who reached the top of the industry. No one stumbles into WWE. If you make it to NXT or the main roster, it’s because you’ve got something that made someone in a suit sit up and take notice.

The releases sting. Not just because of the names, but because of the potential that still felt untapped. Shayna Baszler, for instance, was introduced as a killer when she debuted on the main roster—but WWE lost interest fast. Dakota Kai? A world-class talent who could be a top star in any promotion, anywhere in the world. And Braun? Sure, there’s chatter about injuries and knees giving out, but the man still gave it everything he had in those final feuds.

WWE is a business, sure. But that doesn’t mean these moves don’t suck. Losing your job—especially your dream job—hurts. It’s personal. And if you’re on the other side of that screen hoping someone else gets cut next? Maybe take a breath. These aren’t action figures. They’re people. Talented ones.

Hope Beyond the Pink Slip

There is a silver lining, though. Wrestlers like Dakota Kai or Shayna Baszler could flourish elsewhere. TNA, AEW, Japan, indies—it’s all on the table. This could be the opportunity to finally shine without being lost in the shuffle. WWE’s system is notoriously fickle: on TV one week, forgotten the next. You’re either a storyline priority or dangling over the creative abyss.

And Cora Jade? A ton of promise derailed by injury. It’s brutal when momentum gets crushed by something out of your control, but that doesn’t mean the road ends here.

The truth is, wrestling has a way of opening new doors. What feels like an ending can become a new beginning. Many of us—myself included—have been in that “what now?” spot. I lost my job and decided to go all-in on YouTube. And now here we are. That moment of fear turned into a new chapter. I hope it’s the same for all these incredibly talented people.

SmackDown Review: A Forgettable Show in a Heavy Week

With the real-life layoffs looming large, SmackDown felt off. Not just emotionally—but structurally. We’re only two weeks removed from WrestleMania and already it feels like a slump. Which sucks, because you’d expect the creative fire to still be burning.

That said, the U.S. Title scene got some love. LA Knight, Damian Priest, Solo Sikoa, Drew McIntyre—four guys tangled in a solid (if familiar) feud for the midcard strap. And while the promos between Knight and Priest had bite, the match was undercut by WWE’s overused interference finishes. A little chaos is fun. But if every match ends with a run-in, it starts to feel tired. WWE’s been overdoing this for years now.

Still, LA Knight continues to rise. Even in a loss, he oozes charisma. Jacob Fatu (Solo’s cousin) is another standout—dude’s been money since showing up. And Drew? He’s clearly in a holding pattern until Cody Rhodes returns (reportedly around May 19th), at which point we’ll probably get Cody vs. Drew. All fine. But none of it screams "must-see TV" right now.

Women's Division: Potential Buried Under Booking Patterns

The women’s tag scene? Nonexistent again. Liv Morgan’s off filming a movie (cool for her, but it leaves a void). Raquel’s still around, but there’s no real direction. The women’s U.S. Title got more screen time though, with Zelina Vega retaining against Piper Niven thanks to Chelsea Green shenanigans. These three? Low-key killing it. They’ve got chemistry, personality, and a fun angle brewing. Let them run with it.

The women's title picture is more crowded. Nia Jax, Tiffany Stratton, Naomi, and Jade Cargill are all vying for the spotlight—but again, it’s muddy. A tag match main evented the show, but it felt like filler. Jade pinning Nia Jax might’ve been a surprise, but it didn’t feel like a big moment.

And are we heading to a fatal four-way for the belt? It’s possible. But it also feels rushed. There’s a lot of talent, but not enough narrative glue holding it together.

Tag Teams, Lucha Tension, and a Miz Sighting

Pretty Deadly dropped a match to Fraxiom (and yeah, that’s their team name apparently). The finish was a bit botched—Elton Prince didn’t kick out, possibly due to a legit shot to the face. You hate to see it, but stuff happens. If this leads to a title match with the Street Profits, I’m game.

Lucha stuff? Santos Escobar and Rey Fenix are clearly headed toward a full-on implosion. Escobar is melting down while Andrade continues to agitate from the sidelines. Lucha Bros reunion incoming? Hopefully. Might be best to build that for SummerSlam though.

Meanwhile, The Miz vs. Aleister Black delivered a solid little match. Black looked strong. Miz did his usual selfless job. Now Black’s got Carmelo Hayes in his sights—another potentially dope match... that WWE might bungle with a non-finish. Fingers crossed they don’t.

Orton, Cena, and the Truth (Literally)

Randy Orton cut a promo on John Cena. Not groundbreaking, but fine. What stood out was R-Truth—who found Randy backstage and, in classic Truth fashion, told him to leave Cena alone. Jimmy Uso popped in to warn him, but Truth wouldn’t back down. Could he cost Randy the match at Backlash? Honestly? I hope so. It’s absurd, chaotic, and different. I’m in.

Final Thoughts: A Somber Week, A Flat Show

Look, this week was weird. Hard to get hyped about a scripted show when real-life layoffs are hitting. SmackDown wasn’t bad. But it wasn’t much of anything. That post-WrestleMania lull hit hard. You could feel the lack of Cody, Cena, and Roman. Even Drew was missing.

The creative spark feels like it’s waiting for something—maybe the draft, maybe Backlash. Either way, this wasn’t an essential episode.

But the human side of the week? That was essential. So to everyone released: We see you. We respect your work. And we’ll be rooting for what comes next.