WWE cuts five wrestlers in four days, Jeff Hardy shows a mean streak, lame duck Ring of Honor pay-per-view event

Monday, November 10 – 4:51 P.M. (CT)

-I was surprised and disappointed to see the news that WWE has released Elijah Burke. I've never understood why he was sent home in the first place. I realize his primary backer on the WWE creative team is no longer with the company, but he was very good on the mic and he showed good potential in the ring.

Of the five wrestlers released by WWE since Friday, Burke and Paul London stand out as the two performers who could step in and help TNA immediately. London would be a great pick to help get the horrible X Division back on track. Unfortunately, though, I think the problem with the X Division is more of a creative issue than a talent issue, but London is a dynamic talent who stood out in his previous run with TNA.

I was also surprised to see Kenny Dykstra get the axe. Granted, WWE hasn't been going out of their way to push him, but he's a young and talented performer who has a bright future ahead of him.

The release of Chuck Palumbo was hardly a surprise given that he hasn't appeared on television since he was drafted to the WWE Raw brand. I enjoyed his biker gimmick and I thought he and Jamie Noble had a fun feud together on Smackdown. TNA writer Vince Russo was always high on Palumbo in WCW, so it will be interesting to see whether he lands in TNA.

-It was nice to see WWE go out of their way to give Jeff Hardy an edge on Friday's show. After losing twice on pay-per-view to Triple H and dropping a television match to Vladimir Kozlov, Hardy needed something to grab the attention of viewers. He did just that on Friday when he attacked Kozlov and Undertaker with a chair, and then told Vickie Guerrero that he wants a match with Taker on this week's Smackdown.

-Am I the only one having a hard time getting excited about the Ring of Honor "Driven" pay-per-view that debuts Friday night? I'm sure the wrestling will be excellent and I've enjoyed every ROH PPV release thus far, but it feels like a lame duck pay-per-view from a storyline standpoint given that the booking change took place after this show was taped.

This only adds to my belief that ROH must find a way to develop a faster turnaround time on their pay-per-view events. There would be so much more interest in this pay-per-view if the show had been taped over the weekend when Adam Pearce officially debuted as booker.

At some point, I'd love to see ROH switch to a live-to-tape format so their pay-per-view events seem more relevant. Again, the in-ring performances are always strong and the shows are more than worth the $9.95 to $14.95 price tag, but I think the company could generate a lot more interest from casual fans if they could find a way to get the shows on the air sooner.

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