Smark Out Moment

While the beginning of the year brings about the ONE TO WATCH for 2015 where we discuss which WWE wrestlers are going to have the best year, the counterbalance to that is the FUTURE ENDEAVORS FORECAST.

In this segment, we discuss some of the people that we think will unfortunately not be on the roster come 2016 for one reason or another. Perhaps they will retire or be forced to take a leave of absence due to injuries. Maybe they will quit because of some kind of a dispute. Then again, most of them will probably just be flat out fired. Whatever the case may be, let's look at some potential options that will be wished the best of luck in their future endeavors this year.

Stay tuned to the list of releases from 2015 to see how the predictions turn out!



*NOTE #1: This isn't to say that we're necessarily wishing these releases upon the men and women that we mention. That might be the case for some, but generally speaking, this is about predicting what WWE will do more so than picking and choosing what we would like to see happen.

*NOTE #2: I'd be picking more people from the NXT side of things if I knew who they were, as I think this year is going to have less releases than in 2014 and most of them will come from developmental. At least, that's as far as the more confident predictions that I have, instead of just tossing out some main roster names that could possibly go but aren't really looking too too bad as of late.

5. David Otunga

Otunga has a great look to him, he's obviously intelligent considering his Harvard background, and he has a famous wife, but he hasn't been seen in such a long time that it's pretty obvious WWE doesn't have big plans for him. It's kind of a wonder why he hasn't been released already at this point. Is he being groomed to just serve on the legal department and nothing else? One way or another, I can't imagine Otunga still being around in 2016 as an in-ring competitor and I honestly don't think we'll be seeing him as a manager or anything else of the sort, either. He'll be behind the scenes full time, if anything.

4. The Bunny and the Rosebuds of the Exotic Express

I wouldn't be surprised to see Adam Rose himself go at some point this year, but at the very least, he's going to be dropping his posse. They don't serve much of a purpose for a heel that shouldn't be liked (or a babyface that nobody does like despite being told that we should). That means The Bunny has to go, because that character's not going to stick around once the gimmick is gone. Then again, who would have thought Hornswoggle would still be here after all these years?

3. Devin Taylor

WWE goes through non-wrestling Divas like fat people go through plates at a buffet. It seems as though there is a six month shelf life where if they haven't proven themselves to be worthwhile in some fashion, they're doomed. Devin Taylor is a beautiful girl and she's far from being awful at her job as a backstage interviewer, but she's nothing special that they can't find in a hundred other 20-something models.

2. Marcus Louis

I have a feeling Marcus Louis will find himself having been chewed up and spit out after not only being shaved bald, but breaking up with Sylvester Lefort. When a tag team that isn't at the top of their game breaks up and the two individuals don't continue to be featured on a regular basis, it never ends well. Marcus has probably reached a point where WWE feels he won't advance much in his career and just isn't someone that they would like to invest much time and money into.

1. Justin Gabriel

When WWE send Tyson Kidd down to NXT, it seemed like a massive demotion, but he was able to gather his bearings and make the most of it. Not only did he work with the talent and boost them to a new level, but he was also able to up his own game. Now, he's wrestling more regularly on the main roster than he was at the beginning of 2014. They seem to have replaced him on NXT with Curtis Axel, so he may be doing the same in 2015. However, Justin Gabriel's been hanging down in NXT for quite some time and nothing is catching on. He's not advancing his mic skills, he doesn't have a new gimmick or even any new character traits for the fans to love or hate, and his in-ring work is the same as it ever was (not that it was bad before). Gabriel has been mostly booked as a jobber for over a year and that's a sign that he may find himself being on the list of post-WrestleMania releases this year when WWE is in "spring cleaning" mode.