The word going around WWE is that Mr. Kennedy was released after Vince McMahon spoke to multiple top wrestlers regarding his in-ring work following the botched backdrop he hit on Randy Orton during last week's Raw 10-man tag match. More than one person took the opportunity to speak out against Kennedy during the conversations with Vince.

"People blow spots at house shows and TV every week," a well-placed source noted. "There's blowing spots and then there's reckless and green." One example given was that while Rob Van Dam is known for catching opponents with the occasional potato shots, no one feared working with him. "A black eye maybe," said the source, "but no one worried about suffering an actual injury."

Powell's POV: Obviously, Kennedy's suspension and reputation for being injury prone factored into the decision. One source was quick to point out that while people will attribute the firing to Orton's power within the company since he was outspoken regarding Manu not being a good fit in Legacy, he approached Kennedy a short time after the match and spoke to him directly rather than take his complaints directly to Vince.

I still question the decision if only because Kennedy was in the prime of his career and still could have emerged as a player for WWE. If there was genuine concern from some of his peers regarding his in-ring work, then it's obviously more understandable. Still, it was the guy's first television match back from a long injury layoff, so I'm surprised he wasn't given more leeway. As I've said before, I think he'll be a great addition to the TNA roster once his 90-day noncompete clause expires, assuming that's where he's headed.

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