"Who the hell is responsible?" - WWE veteran lashes out at the company after releases (Exclusive)

It has happened more frequently in recent years, but mass releases in WWE still unpleasantly shake up the wrestling community. Vince Russo had a strong response to the cuts and explained how WWE was paying a hefty price for having a problematic system.

Braun Strowman, Shayna Baszler, Dakota Kai, Cora Jade, and many other stars were abruptly released from their contracts, continuing a trend in WWE that began around the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nobody likes to see wrestlers lose their jobs, and more so, Vince Russo pointed out that World Wrestling Entertainment might suffer the most in this case.

During this week's episode of BroDown, Vince Russo broke down the company's model and how money was pumped into discovering and developing new talent in NXT.

There have been various examples, with Dakota Kai being one of them, of WWE investing years into an NXT prospect before releasing them after they've spent time on the main roster.

Russo shared his views:

"At the end of the day, guys, this is a business, and you guys have to understand something. Mac knows this. From the day somebody is put into NXT and they go through the NXT system, and then they go up to the WWE, guys, do you know how many millions of dollars they invest in the talent? Do you know how much money it is to start with somebody green with NXT and see them through the system?" [From 15:10 onwards]

Vince Russo felt that there were too many instances of wrestlers not being given the time and opportunity to reach their full potential before getting fired.

While WWE loses its investment every time a talent is released, Russo wanted someone from the promotion to take responsibility for the repeated failures in shaping developmental rookies into regular mainstays on RAW and SmackDown.

"So, what my point is, every time they cut a Dakota Sky [Kai], every time they cut a Shayna Baszler, bro, you're flushing money down the toilet. You've invested millions and millions of dollars and television time in these people, and then you're cutting them loose. Who the hell is responsible for that? How many misses until somebody is held responsible?" [15:53 - 17:00]

The wrestling industry, especially the independent scene, is thriving in 2025, and it could provide many released stars a chance to revitalize their careers.

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