As ECW’s end date approached, wrestlers began to express fear about impending roster cuts. With limited opportunities for the ECW talent to integrate into the RAW and SmackDown! rosters, some talent naturally appeared to be in jeopardy.
Those fears transformed into reality Friday as WWE confirmed that two former ECW stars were dropped.
According to WWE.com, Gregory “Shane/Hurricane” Helms and Paul Burchill have been released.
Helms and current World Champion Chris Jericho recently made headlines for a public intoxication arrest after a “play fight” in a taxi cab. While it is not clear that the arrest played any role whatsoever in his release (especially since Jericho’s standing is fine), it likely did not help matters for a talent already believed to be on the fringe.
Paul Burchill never seemed to get going in his latest stint on television, and WWE ultimately decided to “future endeavor” the wrestler.
