— WWE has parted ways with a total of twenty wrestlers so far this year. Although, only three main roster wrestlers (Trevor Murdoch, Balls Mahoney & Dave Taylor) have been let go at WWE’s discretion. Here is the list:
Main WWE Roster Departures
Ashley Massaro
Balls Mahoney
Bobby Lashley
Dave Taylor
Torrie Wilson
Trevor Murdoch
WWE Developmental Departures
Ace Steel
Al Snow (former developmental trainer in OVW)
Antoni Polaski (former ECW wrestler Amish Roadkill)
Chet The Jet (following a WWE Wellness Program violation)
Chris Gray
Derrick Neikirk (following a WWE Wellness Program violation)
Germán Figueroa (former TNA wrestler Apolo)
G-Rilla
Kassidy James
Mike Mondo (following a DUI arrest two weeks earlier)
Ryan Bishop (former football player that got cut one month into his wrestling training)
Shawn Osborne
Silas Young
Tommy Taylor
* Former SmackDown backstage announcer Anastacia Rose was left off the list as it is unclear if she was let go in late December or early January (news broke out of her departure in early January, although it was at least a few days old by then). Reportedly, Lena Yada was originally brought in to replace her on SmackDown (she only did one show before being moved to ECW), and her debut took place at the December 30, 2007 taping, so it would appear that WWE made the decision to replace Rose with Yada over the holidays. Rose’s last WWE appearance took place at Armageddon on December 16.
— The Charleston Gazette has an interview with former WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix. She reveals how a coloring contest changed her life. When Beth was 11 years old, she won a contest, landing tickets to a WWE show. “My parents didn’t have any money,” Phoenix said. “It was probably the only way we could have gone. I was in heaven. And it really changed what I wanted to do with my life. I just fell in love with it.” She talks about breaking her jaw in a match (with Victoria in June 2006). “I got a titanium plate and nine screws.” The article features photos and a video interview with Phoenix. {Article Link}
— SmackDown wrestler Gregory Helms turns 34 years old today.
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