Within the last week, the WWE bade farewell to two wrestlers, but it's not for the usual reasons. Instead, it came down to putting priorities in order.

Sonny Siaki hadn't been called up since signing with WWE several months back. Instead, he'd been with first Deep South Wrestling, and more recently Florida Championship Wrestling. However, he issued a statement earlier this week saying that his departure was more because of taking care of matters at home with his family, and that he was putting wrestling aside. Sounded to me like Siaki had asked for and had been given his release, with the door left open for him to re-up at a future point.

Marcus Cor Von hadn't been seen since June. The word was that Cor Von, aka Monty Brown, was also dealing with some personal family issues. The Alpha Male, in effect, had given way, as Brown was helping his sister raise her kids. Neither Brown nor the WWE could set a timetable for his return, so, because this is after all a business, WWE decided that they needed to move forward, and released Brown from his contract earlier this week. Again, the door appears to be left open for him to return (preferably under his own name) down the road.

In Brown's case, however, there is a downside. His departure, coupled with the suspension of former champion John Morrison, leaves ECW with 12 wrestlers on their roster. In truth, with only one hour a week, the roster's more manageable. Compare it, then, to TNA, who keep adding talent, but don't have enough room to showcase them all until Impact expands to 2 hours in 2 weeks. Recognizing this, Vince McMahon is in no hurry to call anyone from OVW or FCW to fill the vacant roster space. He doesn't have to.

Right now, our prayers are with Brown & Siaki and their families, as both men are putting their careers aside, proving once and for all that wrestlers are people, too.

Of course, try telling that to Phil Mushnick or any other media gadfly with an axe to grind. They've closed their eyes & ears to anything that paints wrestlers in a more positive light, choosing instead to prove Eric Bischoff right in suggesting that controversy does create cash (newspaper sales). You won't see too much about Siaki and/or Brown in the papers because of this. And that's the saddest part about it all.