WWE Released: Paul Burchill

The Ripper ripped out of his WWE contract

On November 17, 2009, Paul Burchill challenged and lost to The Hurricane in a Mask versus Career match. Who would have known that the stipulation would have contoured to real life? However, in this case, both men were released from their WWE contracts.

Paul Burchill, along with his on-screen sister, Katie-Lea, were drafted from RAW to ECW at the start of 2009. In what should have been a fresh start for the siblings turned into a string of loses ranging from their debut to Paul's release. But let us not forget his victory over Tommy Dreamer, because Burchill may have been a jobber, but he'd be damned if he lost to WWE's resident jobber, Tommy Dreamer.

During his earlier years in the WWE, Paul Burchill teamed with William Regal in an impressive onslaught on the tag team division, however, never winning the tag team titles. And for those that may not recall, Paul Burchill claimed that his family heritage traced back to the pirate Blackbeard; thus the birth of The Pirate, Paul Burchill. His final appearance as The Pirate resurfaced on SmackDown in July 2007, during Edge's World Championship Mardi Gras party, though he was not acknowledged.

I can't say that I didn't see this coming, but Paul Burchill was highly underrated and should have been placed on SmackDown after the demise of ECW. Honestly, if Paul was going head to head with The Hurricane, he should have resorted to his alter-ego, The Pirate, Paul Burchill

WWE has come to terms on the release of WWE Superstar Paul Burchill as of today February 26, 2010. We wish Paul Burchill the best in all future endeavors.

Ohio Valley Wrestling Career Highlight: OVW Heavyweight Championship (4 times); OVW Southern Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Stu Sanders