Spring 2008 WWE Future Endeavors Thread

[Enigma]

Looks like WWE 2008 spring cleaning has begun.

 

-- Dave Taylor

-- Balls Mahoney

-- Michael Thompson (developmental talent)

-- Torrie Wilson

[LivingLegendGaryColeman]

I think, knowing past history that this will warrant its own thread, so I am hope I am not stepping on anyone's toes or repeating stuff.

 

WWE post-Wrestlemania Spring Cleaning has officially started. While some developmental talents have been cut, there have been two main roster talents released so far:

 

Dave Taylor

Balls Mahoney

 

Taylor was barely ever on, so not a huge surprise, although I wonder if they severed the ties with his training contract too. I didn't see anything too clear.

 

Balls was really getting over in the Kelly Kelly storyline, it was dropped, he was on Smackdown jobbing to Big Daddy V a couple months back and his two year WWE run ended.

 

For sources, I saw this stuff on Rajah, but I think it is on WWE.com too.

[LivingLegendGaryColeman]

As mine finalized, I noticed someone else started one while I was doing so, as well as comments in the Random Thoughts. I guess this should get closed, sorry.

[Thanks for the Fish]

I'm surprised Balls lasted as long as he did in all honesty. I'm surprised Taylor wasn't paired with Regal in a lackey role now that Lord Steven is King William...

[Enigma]

Add Torrie Wilson to the list.

[The Niggardly King]

She'll be Robert Roode's girlfriend/manager in three months

[Enigma]

She'll be Robert Roode's girlfriend/manager in three months

I doubt it. In her myspace posts, she sounds really tired of wrestling and really enthusiastic about her store in Texas. Although she might be attracted to the one day a week thing.

[The Niggardly King]

oh, I thought she still lived in Florida? If she does, I'm telling you... TNA bound in no more than 6 months.

[RedJed]

Yeah, Torrie will be in TNA in due time I'm sure, especially if they don't make her actually work any (or at least not alot) of matches as I think she won't be able to anyway with the back injury that's been nagging her.

 

Is she still with Kidman? If so, I could see them both coming in as a package deal and she would just manage him.

[AlaskanHero]

Is she still with Kidman? If so, I could see them both coming in as a package deal and she would just manage him.

I think they got divorced some two or three years ago. It was shortly after Kidman got released. Either way, they haven't been together for a while, she dates Nick Nemeth now I think?

[Dandy]

Nick Mitchell, actually.

[Perfxion]

She has a good(but very fucking expensive)clothing store near by and I doubt she will ever go back to wrestling again. Maybe a quick spot next time they are in Houston for tongue in cheek angle. But she will not go to any promotion again.

[haVoc]

Keep Torrie away from TNA. They have a nice womens division and don't need her there. Plus, Angelina Love and Velvet Sky smoke her in every department.

[CBright7831]

Not as big of a list as previous years (so far).

 

I remember the Matt Hardy/Molly Holly double release had at least 10 pages or more for their releases.

[ChrisMWaters]

You know who I'm surprised is still on the roster: Funaki.

 

I have a bad feeling he may be chopped soon...like Scotty was last year or the year before (don't remember which)

[Silence]

You know who I'm surprised is still on the roster: Funaki.

 

I have a bad feeling he may be chopped soon...like Scotty was last year or the year before (don't remember which)

 

It's only a matter of time before Val Venis or Stevie gets "future endeavors" too.

[The Truthiness]

You know who I'm surprised is still on the roster: Funaki.

 

I have a bad feeling he may be chopped soon...like Scotty was last year or the year before (don't remember which)

 

Some say he was HBK's mule, so that might be a reason. I also think he's good friends with Stone Cold.

 

I don't see guys like Venis and Richards getting fired either.

[Dobbs 3K]

Guys like Funaki and Venis are still around because they don't mind jobbing a lot and are good at making others look like gold in the ring.

[Enigma]

Well, Funaki is specifically around because he's a good friend of Shawn Michaels. Venis and Richards are Vince favorites.

[Dips]

This is the first I've ever read about Funaki being good friends with HBK. Any story behind this?

[Enigma]

This is the first I've ever read about Funaki being good friends with HBK. Any story behind this?

Funaki and Shawn are neighbors in San Antonio. Funaki also helped out with his wrestling school in 1999-2000.

[dubq]

Venis, Richards & Funkai are all great guys to have around. They have no issues putting guys over, and making them look good, they don't complain about pushes or titles, and are just there to enjoy the business and make a good living. I don't expect to see any of them gone for a long, long time unless they're caught hawking merch out of their vans or something.

[Silence]

What made me think that Venis & Richards might get released is that there aren't many ECW Originals around like there were two years ago (kind of makes me think that ECW will lose everything that was identified with the original eventually), and Scotty 2 Hotty was with the company for a long time before being released last year.

 

I guess Nunzio is more likely though.

[luke-o]

Nunzio is still with the company?

[King Kamala]

The more I think about it I realize Val Venis is to The Attitude Era what Tito Santana was to the Hulkamania era. Both good, solid workers who were in the IC title scene for their first few years in the company before descending into almost complete jobberdom for the majority of their run. Yet they managed to outlast 90% of their contemporaries because they are good company guys.

 

I knew Scotty 2 Hotty was done for when they didn't even bother bringing him up for a house show I went to in Portland in June '06 (Fifteen minutes away from where he was born and raised) and nobody cared that he wasn't on the card.

[AlaskanHero]

I see Val as a modern Brooklyn Brawler of sorts. Not spectacular, but undoubtedly solid and an awesome barometer of talent. If you can't look competent in the ring with Val then you're not ready for TV/to be pushed. No, Val will be a guy who'll be on the roster forever, then finally retire and immediately become a Road Agent/Producer.

[AntiLeaf33]

I see Val as a modern Brooklyn Brawler of sorts. Not spectacular, but undoubtedly solid and an awesome barometer of talent. If you can't look competent in the ring with Val then you're not ready for TV/to be pushed. No, Val will be a guy who'll be on the roster forever, then finally retire and immediately become a Road Agent/Producer.

 

Very true. I saw Val wrestle Dan Rodimer at a house show las year and Rodimer look absolutely horrible. In a 7-8 minute match Rodimer must have done 3 or 4 one minute bear hugs spots. A few weeks later Rodimer was sent packing

[FroGG_NeaL]

I think Val, Dreamer, Stevie and Funaki will be the next generation Hayes, Rhodes, Steamboat and Anderson type agent/trainers.

 

 

Not that the 4 younger guys are on the same level, just that they will be employed forever.

[Black Lushus]

not that they couldn't be friends or anything, but that HBK/Funaki friendship just seems really odd to me. Oh well, no big deal, I have friends that others are surprised I have so whatever...

[Wally Balls]

I haven't heard of Funaki being friends with HBK either, but I did hear that he was great friends with Austin after he moved to Texas following Austin's encouragement.

 

No matter, being good friends with either one can only bring positve things to your career. He should be around until he decides to retire.