As reported earlier, World Wrestling Entertainment released SmackDown wrestler Ryan Braddock sometime within the last few days. He had been employed to WWE for just over three years.
Sans a few appearances on SmackDown last year, Braddock spent the majority of his tenure in the company in developmental.
Braddock, who wrestled previously on the independent circuit as Jay Bradley, signed a developmental contract with WWE in December 2005. Shortly thereafter, he debuted in Deep South Wrestling as “The Monster of the Midway” Bradley Jay. During his time in DSW, he won the Deep South Heavyweight Championship on three occasions. When WWE ended their relationship with Deep South Wrestling, he was sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling to continue his development.
On May 16, 2007, he debuted in Ohio Valley Wrestling under the name Jay Bradley, defeating former OVW Heavyweight Champion, Chet the Jett. He defeated Paul Burchill and Idol Stevens in a three-way match to win the OVW Heavyweight Championship on June 1, 2007 at OVW’s first Summer Sizzler Series event at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville to become the first man to hold both the OVW and DSW heavyweight titles. On June 15, 2007, at Ohio Valley Wrestling’s third Super Summer Sizzler Series event of the year at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, he defeated Idol Stevens to retain the OVW title. He would lose the title to Paul Burchill on June 27, 2007.
Meanwhile, he also wrestled dark matches for both the Raw and SmackDown brands in hopes of getting called up to the main roster. Occasionally, he made appearances on Heat as well.
Braddock would get his call-up to the main roster in August 2008, but only did enhancement work and wasn’t given any semblance of a push. Although, he did actually garner a win on television.
On the September 19, 2008 edition of SmackDown, Braddock competed in a one fall match-up with Festus, who was accompanied by Jesse. Braddock won the match as a result of a disqualification, after Jesse and Festus wrapped him in bubble wrap and duct tape. This was the unspoken “moving to MyNetworkTV” storyline during the final days of Smackdown on The CW. Unfortunately for Braddock, this was his final television appearance in WWE.
Following his disappearance, Braddock returned to Florida Championship Wrestling to work on his persona. He cut his hair, grew sideburns, got a makeover and introduced some sort of “Elvis” gimmick. He worked a few WWE live events under the persona, but it failed to click with the audience and was soon dropped.
Most recently, Braddock had been working a gimmick in Florida Championship Wrestling where he would sit at ringside and enter notes on wrestlers into his laptop during their matches.
WWE appears to be in the midst of another cost-cutting initiative. Braddock is the eight name to depart from the organization within the past three weeks, following Scotty Goldman, Manu, Freddie Prinze, Jr. (creative team writer), John Carle (creative team writer), Afa Anoa’i, Sr. (on company payroll), The Boogeyman, and developmental wrestler Kaleb O’Neal.
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