B/R Pro-Wrestling News

Umaga Release Update

As many of you know, Umaga (Eddie Fatu) was released by World Wrestling Entertainment just weeks ago. As a matter of fact, he was released shortly after the test results for the Wellness Policy were revealed Monday after the Extreme Rules PPV, which he failed.

This was his second failure of the Wellness Policy and because of that the WWE was going to make him go to rehab. When he refused, he was released. This was not a decision the WWE wanted to make.

They wanted to keep him on the roster, because they knew he was one of a kind for his size. The fact was, he refused rehab and that meant the WWE had no choice but to let him go.

This happened with Jeff Hardy a few years back. He failed a drug test, and the WWE wanted him to get help, to go to rehab. Hardy refused, and because of that, Jim Ross, who was the main guy in charge of talent relations, had to let him go.

They begged him to reconsider before the release, but because he didn't want to go, the release was enforced. Same with Umaga.

The story going around now is that Umaga quit and was not fired, but I beg to differ. He said that because of the WWE wanting him to go to rehab, he quit. He also said he was unhappy there to begin with and this was the last straw.

I have to wonder why Umaga was in the middle of contract negotiations before his release then, because he seemed to be pretty happy if he wanted to stay with the company.

TNA has expressed interest in getting him back on the roster, he was there for a short while around the time he was released from the WWE. He left TNA because the WWE had expressed interest in signing him back.

So even though he left TNA for the "better" company in WWE, I am sure TNA won't take too much offense seeing, as they are foaming at the mouth to see an Umaga/Samoa Joe feud.

TNA has also expressed interest in signing former WWE Superstar Ken Kennedy, real name Ken Anderson. Anderson has expressed interest in signing with them, too, so I am sure both parties will figure out something in the near future.

Both Fatu's and Anderson's 90-day no compete clauses expire around the middle of September, which could help to set up some nice rivalries for TNA's Wrestlemania in Bound for Glory.

TNA could really use the two, but I believe they still have a lot of work to do to compete with the WWE.



WWE Releases

Now more than ever, the WWE is trying to get rid of people they really don't need. Both Candice Michelle and Sim Snuka were released yesterday by the WWE.

Snuka was last on TV at Wrestlemania as the cameraman during the Taker dive on Shawn Michaels, which was botched. We hadn't heard from him since, and because the WWE had no real need to keep him on the roster, they let him go.

A lot of people seemed surprised to see Candice Michelle released; I certainly was not. She has not done anything on TV in some time, if she has, it has just been a few backstage spots.

The WWE was planning on turning her heel and having younger talent go over on her, something they did with Victoria.