And so begins WWE’s infamous roster spring cleaning period. According to WWE.com, Simon Gotch is the first Superstar to fall victim to post-WrestleMania cuts:
WWE has come to terms on a mutually agreed upon release with Simon Gotch as of today, April 5, 2017. WWE wishes Gotch the best in all his future endeavors.
Gotch was signed to a developmental contract back in 2013. Like most NXT stars, he could be spotted on a regular basis dressed as an organ-grinder’s fanciest monkey in Adam Rose’s Rosebuds. Gotch came into his own as an olde-time strongman in one half of the NXT cult tag team favourites The Vaudevillains. The throwback team also featured Aiden English – former wrestling dramatist and famous person – holding it down for all of us on Team Unseasonably Pale.
The two were constants in the NXT Tag Title scene, and became champions at Takeover: Brooklyn in August of 2015. The Vaudevillains made their main roster debut on SmackDown in April 2016, and remained on the Tuesday night show after the brand split. Gotch was able to compete at WrestleMania before his release as one of the competitors in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.
While it’s sad to see him go, all props to WWE if they keep resurrecting him in different forms like Doctor Who. You can have that one for free, McMahon.
