At some point, WWE would do what it normally does every year, purge its rosters of wrestlers who aren’t performing up to expectations.
Above everything else, professional wrestling is a business. When wrestlers don't fulfil the needs of the company and perform in a way that is not beneficial, Vince McMahon and his cronies will make the necessary changes so that WWE can continue to function as a well-oiled machine.
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Because of the brand split, there is a chance that pink slips may be fewer than they have been in the past.
That does not take away from the fact that there are some performers, both men and women, who just aren't cutting it in the ring or on the mic. Whether WWE decides to work with that talent to enhance what is wrong with the character or possibly sends them down to NXT remains to be seen.
These five wrestlers are all in jeopardy of losing their spot on the WWE roster in 2017:
#1 Paige
If there is a wrestler on WWE's roster that is more maligned right now, please tell me who that is. Now that she is on her second suspension for violating the wellness policy, you can almost see the writing on the wall.
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Such a great talent wasted at the present time. I suspect that when she comes back in December, she will be buried by booking until the company figures out what to do with her. Paige will more than likely go to TNA or back home to join her mother's promotion in the UK.
#2 Bob Backlund
The former world champion has been brought along to promote Darren Young in a gimmick that is ending. What the company has in store for one of the greatest scientific wrestlers of the 1970s is yet to be determined.
Because there isn’t a place for him, and the gimmick all but failed, Backlund should be one of the first wrestlers in 2017 to be handed a pink slip. Unless there is some miracle, and Young becomes a contender in the mid card, the move to remove Backlund from WWE's roster is possibly the surest thing to happen next year.
#3 James Ellsworth
Fifteen minutes of fame can only last so long. WWE has done a great job in writing the underdog story. The only problem is what happens now to everybody's favourite jobber? I love the idea of WWE recreating squash matches, and the notion that superstars need enhancement talent.
The downside is Ellsworth, who is the perfect foil for AJ Styles, can't do anything else. The likelihood of him challenging anybody else is slim to none. Once Styles starts to concentrate on the Royal Rumble in 2017, James Ellsworth will be an afterthought on WWE's roster.
#4 Darren Young
Just like Backlund, there really isn't anywhere for Young to go. He would be much better served to move onto another promotion, like TNA, or maybe taking a shot at NJPW. Young has a great look, and really could be a contender in the mid card if he was booked properly.
The gimmick with Backlund was solid at first, but as you all know, that only lasts so long. I would have liked to have seen him in the tag team division with Zack Ryder, but that didn't happen.
#5 Mick Foley
We've seen this before. We will see this again. The connection between Foley and Stephanie McMahon can't last. There are still many questions about the angle with how Seth Rollins and Triple H factor into everything.
I suspect that next year will be one of those situations where Foley becomes part of another change in terms of authority. It’s more than likely that it will be a Kayfabe storyline, but expect the former WWE world champion to get the axe at some point.
If that does happen, my hope is that the company finds another on-air position for him because he is gold for the Raw brand.
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