 |
| What a weird situation Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Gulak had been featured more on main roster television in the last couple of months in prominent stories with Daniel Bryan, who is as close to a godfather wrestler as you can get in that company right now without being The Guy. Then again, The Guy right now, Roman Reigns, is apparently in the doghouse for not wanting to expose his newborn twins to COVID-19 and make them test dummies for the effects of the disease on babies. No one is safe in WWE unless they're blood related to Vince McMahon, and even then, well, just ask Shane how warm his father is to him. Wrestling reporters started doing some digging. Sean Ross Sapp, who has a good track record for being a guy on the outside looking in, said it was an erroneous move, just like he said Kassius Ohno's move to the Alumni section was. Much like in the way Ohno's release was NOT a mistake, well, he was wrong here too.
Both Ryan Satin and Pro Wrestling Insider soon reported after that Gulak was indeed gone from the company. Satin's Pro Wrestling Sheet initially reported he was released, but PWI went further into detail saying that his contract had expired. More specifically, Gulak didn't sign what WWE put in front of him, and there wasn't a better counteroffer. I don't have any inside information on Gulak's contract information, but I also haven't heard any real news about him signing any extensions between the Cruiserweight Classic and right now. The 205 Live roster was always rumored to be paid on paltry deals, even compared to the NXT roster. Reading between the lines, Gulak probably wanted a raise from his contract due to the fact he was being featured more on Smackdown in big boy storylines. WWE with its newfound willingness to liquidate its roster probably gave him big puppy dog eyes and said "Well gee golly Mr. Gulak, we'd love to give you more money, but this nasty virus has really affected our ability to make money" despite the fact WWE has more money on hand than companies continuing to pay wrestlers despite running no shows with no contracts to collect upon.
So, what does this mean? Gulak is free to work wherever he wants, which referring back to every other release since The Revival, is a mixed blessing given the fact that if WWE isn't hiring, why would anyone else? My guess is if Chikara taped new material for Action Arcade Wrestling, he might be have some options, but it feels like the only companies doing anything right now are the major televised ones, some lucha companies, and a few Japanese promotions. I doubt he's leaving the country to get bookings at this point, so he, like every other wrestler not working for WWE or AEW (and even some who are), is on the bench, probably scheming to open a PW Tees shop. Of course, PWI also noted that Gulak really didn't want to leave WWE, and that there was always a chance he'd come back. My guess is that if he did go back, it wouldn't be until McMahon stopped using COVID-19 as an excuse to pinch pennies and maybe give him the raise he deserves.
As for right now, Gulak is another victim of capitalism using a pandemic as cover to be as craven as inhumanly possible. Whenever this blows over, someone's getting a fantastic wrestler who understands really everything about what makes a wrestler, even if it's in this weird, post-ironic way that might make the olds recoil a bit. Whether it's the PowerPoint shtick or Gulak for a Better Combat Zone or even the carny-themed tag team he had with his disgraced sex creep brother, I think saying he would thrive in a wrestling company that focuses more on wrestling is only telling part of the story. WWE hasn't been a company that has excelled in anything for a long time. As it stands right now, Gulak is without a home, and wrestling on the whole is at a loss.
