ALL PURPOSE CONTRACT STATUS/POTENTIAL DEPARTURES THREAD

[supersonic]

Observer scoops/speculation including a non-ROH talent to have this all in one place. LU SPOILERS.

It is theoretically possible that Puma could come back without a mask as Ricochet, and he’s far more effective without the mask. But the story from backstage was that Mann, 27, is going to accept the WWE offer rather than sign a new contract here. He was offered a lucrative deal to stay, which, with his other income from working indies and New Japan, would have made him higher paid than the vast majority working WWE, and without the road expenses. It’s not known what WWE offered to get him, but it was known they wanted him bad and were looking at raiding the promotion for anyone not under a long-term contract. I know of people looking at booking him on dates and he was taking them several months in advance and talking about having to wait to commit to bookings at the end of the year based on New Japan dates, which would indicate he’s staying there at least until the end of the year.

A lot of people have debated the decision, not knowing which way he’d go. He is friends with a lot of people in WWE, and lives in Orlando with girlfriend Tessa Blanchard and Apollo Crews. Blanchard, got a tryout here but hasn’t been used on television, and also has been used on NXT television as enhancement talent, but isn’t under contract there.

As things stand right now he will be going to WWE when he’s legally allowed. As noted before, the standard contracts for Lucha Underground performers don’t allow them to work for another television promotion until six months after the last episode they appear in airs. In theory, that would be the end of 2017, because the 6/26 show taped show was at last word scheduled to air sometime next summer. My gut is that he’ll be able to get out sooner than that just because it’s pretty much unfair to make him wait that long, plus in WWE, he won’t be going as a masked wrestler so it’s not a confusion in the marketplace issue. He will be taking indie dates and continue to work for New Japan until the time he is allowed to sign with WWE. But this also limits how much New Japan would want to invest in him, even with his talent.

Roderick Strong is finishing up with PWG shortly as well as having left ROH, so that’s a WWE future. If he was with TNA, he’s still be working PWG. Plus, the whole Austin Aries story about how he’s changed minds about who can get over in WWE was related to Roderick Strong who people were closed-minded about for years in WWE the same way they had been regarding Aries

The situation with Moose changed in the past week as well. WWE backed off on signing him at this moment due to a 2009 domestic violence allegation which led to him being suspended for a game when he was in the NFL. He was actually told not to worry by WWE with the idea it’s just a timing situation (given the recent situations with Adam Rose and Jerry Lawler) and not a closed door. He was originally expected to be part of their September NXT introduction class with guys like Tommy End and Big Damo and most likely Roderick Strong, who did finish up here over the weekend. Moose has had offers from Lucha Underground, TNA, which offered the most money of anyone ($100,000 per year) and the door is open to staying here as well. Those at ROH view his future here as something that has changed a few times and it may or may not change again. Right now they are going with the idea it could go either way. But the plans aren’t booked right now with him as a key part of things. The impression we have is it is most likely he will be elsewhere soon which rules out WWE as well. He was beaten a few times on TV and the PPV because he may be gone and was expected to be gone when the shows were first laid out. But the door is open for him to stay. The TNA offer was always the best one money-wise, but there is the feeling that if you go to TNA, you fall off the radar. Plus, nobody knows the future of TNA

WWE is aggressively scouting indies right now. The key thing they are looking for is people who they consider coachable. That’s the current key phrase. I guess that means athletic people who are good listeners. They are also going to be very strict when it comes to background checks. Prospective WWE talent should sure to clean out social media accounts of anything that could be embarrassing

They are also specifically targeting talent from Lucha Underground that can contractually leave

[supersonic]

http://www.voicesofwrestling.com/2016/0 ... mella-wwe/

Joe then delves into the seedy world of rumors and scoopz, as he takes a look at the in flux situation of several potential WWE signings. The list: Roderick Strong, Zack Sabre Jr, Johnny Gargano, Moose, and Ricochet. Finally, the curious case of Cody Rhodes’ release is broken down. Joe explains how there is way more beneath the surface than meets the eye.

Scoops time stamp 55:33

Moose:
WWE bound. The stalling has been the prior domestic violence incident. Talks way too much obviously.

Roderick Strong:
WWE bound. Had interest from TNA, but where’s the stability there?

Ricochet:
Lanza claims to have seen the offer and it was a “well into the six figures” guaranteed deal from “the network.” Compares the situation to Booker T.’s option in 2001, either sitting for the remainder of a huge AOL-TW contract, or betting on himself in WWF with a pay cut while much bigger WCW names stayed at home. Ultimately looks WWE bound which will be in 2017 as the new LU deal wasn’t signed.

Zack Sabre, Jr.:
3 completely different stories from 3 trusted sources fed to Lanza.
1. Sabre does NOT live in Orlando and isn’t “all that high” on signing with WWE.
2. Promoter tried booking Sabre but was told he isn’t taking anything after September 2016.
3. Sabre has heat with NXT management.

Johnny Gargano:
Three unrelated parties, two of them within minutes, told Lanza that Gargano is wrapping up his run on the indies in September 2016 and “has signed a full-time WWE contract.” WWN Live has a tentative Gargano farewell planned on 9/11/2016.

Cody Rhodes:
“Obvious” that his WWE release is a worked “soft release.” Initially told it’s an under-the-table deal orchestrated with Paul Levesque. Cody gets to leave for awhile, work with trendy indy stars, wash away the Stardust stink, and return with a workrate reputation from hardcore underground fans. Cody is apparently being paid by WWE instead of WWN Live to work Evolve! He’s also being paid by WWE during the rest of the “interim period.” Notice that Cody’s first indy date booked was with WWE-affiliated Evolve. Lanza has been “flat out told that Cody Rhodes has every intention of returning to WWE in the fall and doesn’t have any [indy] bookings beyond October [2016] right now.”

Until Cody works for NJPW, ROH, or TNA, Lanza doesn’t buy that he truly left WWE. Cody was supposedly told he can’t work for NJPW or ROH; TNA wasn’t mentioned on the no-no list but no way Cody goes there if’s still under WWE contract. Lanza believes the WWE legends contract story reported by PWInsider’s Mike Johnson was planted and is part of the work. Johnson is a co-opted member of the WWE media team who leaked the false story that Evolve would become a pure WWE farm system and that would thus force Chris Hero out. It is obvious that Paul Levesque leaks this to Johnson; listen to NXT’s conference calls to connect the dots. Also, it isn’t WWE’s MO to offer a Legends contract to a non-retired wrestler in his athletic prime. Cody’s anger over this is obviously false.

Cody is no stranger to being involved in works. A worked firing angle was used in the past to kick off the Stardust gimmick. He was booked to work PWS; owner Pat Buck told Voices of Wrestling that Cody’s match at the time was planned but then cancelled by WWE. Cody is currently charging very different rates with indy federations as well.

Cody is taking a brilliant but significant risk by doing this. There’s the very real chance he could fail to impress on the indies like Matt Hardy in 2005 and Curt Hawkins in 2014, causing his stock to drop even more than when this “soft release” started. But Cody is motivated and doesn’t wanna be defined by what had become an incredibly stale Stardust persona.

[JTCole]

Hopefully Cody actually delivers on having great indy matches.

[monster mafia]

fuck cody rhodes..a wwe bitch.,,my mind can change if he worsks roh and this is not a work

i wanna see zsj in roh but seems unlikely

[monster mafia]

sign again the real man

https://twitter.com/lastrealmanROH/stat ... 7056276481

[JigsawVs.Jason]

fuck cody rhodes..a wwe bitch.,,my mind can change if he worsks roh and this is not a work

i wanna see zsj in roh but seems unlikely

Exactly my thoughts, why waste time with Rhodes when there is an infintitely better wrestler available in ZSJ. But unfortunately, won't happen until Sabre decides to live in the US.

[Big Red Machine]

fuck cody rhodes..a wwe bitch.,,my mind can change if he worsks roh and this is not a work

i wanna see zsj in roh but seems unlikely

Exactly my thoughts, why waste time with Rhodes when there is an infintitely better wrestler available in ZSJ. But unfortunately, won't happen until Sabre decides to live in the US.

Isn't he already living in the US?

[AndyDiaz]

fuck cody rhodes..a wwe bitch.,,my mind can change if he worsks roh and this is not a work

i wanna see zsj in roh but seems unlikely

Exactly my thoughts, why waste time with Rhodes when there is an infintitely better wrestler available in ZSJ. But unfortunately, won't happen until Sabre decides to live in the US.

Isn't he already living in the US?

plus I think he's been working predominantly only EVOLVE and PWG in the U.S.

[JigsawVs.Jason]

fuck cody rhodes..a wwe bitch.,,my mind can change if he worsks roh and this is not a work

i wanna see zsj in roh but seems unlikely

Exactly my thoughts, why waste time with Rhodes when there is an infintitely better wrestler available in ZSJ. But unfortunately, won't happen until Sabre decides to live in the US.

Isn't he already living in the US?

If that's the case, ROH should try eerything in their power to book him, he's this generation's Bryan Danielson in my opinion.

[Burnside]

MLW reporting Moose has signed a multi-year deal with TNA.

[TYFDK]

BROTHER MOOSE

[Burnside]

What's Elk doing in the Impact Zone?!?

ELK!

(fist pump)

ELK!

(fist pump)

ELK!

[monster mafia]

.close the door for njpw too,maybe he can work evolve too.

GOOD BYE MOOSE,i really like you..but this move...

now sign gresham,kincaid,and some good people.

other thing...roh losing another talent..is time to refresh the roster.

[Wilson]

Golly.

TNA really knows how to contract those ROH darlings. Moose being offered, and in turn accepting, a six-figure contract is LOLTNA on both the company and even the talent himself; it's the most TNA thing possible/

[supersonic]

Not the only name TNA is targeting, and I'm not referring to Strong, Cole, Hathaway, the Bucks, ACH, Hanson, Omega, Okada, or any other ROH/NJPW name that reportedly has a contract ending by early next year.

[monster mafia]

best thing to moose and roh anyway...

now the thing is that roh have to lock all the talent possible...

[Burnside]

Hathaway finished up at the June shows, says Meltzer.

[monster mafia]

the people that left roh..the people that gabe book to evolve.

maybe is time to roh to make a strong move and sign some great talent and make a statement.

another question? is roh in bad shape...economically talking?

[Big Red Machine]

What's Elk doing in the Impact Zone?!?

ELK!

(fist pump)

ELK!

(fist pump)

ELK!

Please let this be what they call him.

[BurningHammer]

[quote="monster mafia"]the people that left roh..the people that gabe book to evolve.

maybe is time to roh to make a strong move and sign some great talent and make a statement.

another question? is roh in bad shape...economically talking?[/quote]

I doubt it, it's just ROH will have to work within a budget, so they just wont offer the figures that some wrestlers want especially someone like Moose. If you have a certain amount of budget it's not going towards Moose, where TNA like to piss away money thinking they are the big I am and sign Moose.

It's hilarious how some are reacting to this like it's a major crisis for ROH.

There are much better talents available to invest in and that can actually really work so hopefully we will see more of that.