WWE announced this afternoon that they had released Colin Delaney.  Other long-timers recently released include ref Nick Patrick, Nunzio, Steven Richards as well as newer to WWE faces such as Domino, Cherry and Chris Harris.  Such is life.  It was very exciting to turn on the TV and see Colin on ECW each week.  Honestly, in the eight months since he started, he only missed a handful of shows.  He even made a few appearances on both Smackdown (losing to Kozlov, teaming with Batista) and RAW (being killed by Umaga, getting beat up by JBL).  Each week, when Colin would face a monster superstar like Kane, Mark Henry, Great Khali, Viscera and even BIG SHOW, I couldn't believe it.  These were guys we'd joked about while watching PPVs - now Colin was wrestling them on national television.

I kept a blog detailing his progress at http://colin-delaney-tracker.blogspot.com

ECW - 8/12/08 - Tommy Dreamer vs Colin Delaney
ECW - 8/2/08 - Colin Delaney tries to interfere during Dreamer/Estrada
ECW - 7/29/08 - Colin Delaney vs Matt Hardy
ECW - 7/22/08 - Colin Delaney vs Tommy Dreamer
PPV - 7/20/08 - Great American Bash - Colin Delaney turns heel during Henry/Dreamer
ECW - 7/15/08 - Mark Henry attacks Colin Delaney backstage
ECW - 7/8/08 - Tommy Dreamer w/ Colin Delaney vs Mark Henry
ECW - 7/1/08 - Colin Delaney vs Mark Henry
RAW - 6/23/08 - Umaga kills Tommy Dreamer & Colin Delaney
ECW - 6/10/08 - Colin Delaney vs Armando Estrada
Smackdown - 6/9/08 - Batista, Colin Delaney, Nunzio and Funaki vs Edge, Hawkins, Ryder and Chavo Guerrero
ECW - 6/3/08 - Colin Delaney vs Armando Estrada
ECW - 5/27/08 - Colin Delaney Interview w/ Lena
ECW - 5/20/08 - Colin Delaney & Kelly Kelly vs Mike Knox & Layla
ECW - 5/13/08 - Colin Delaney vs Mike Knox
ECW - 5/6/08 - Colin Delaney vs Armando Estrada
Smackdown - 5/2/08 - Colin Delaney vs Vladimir Kozlov
ECW - 4/15/08 - Colin Delaney vs Mike Knox
ECW - 4/8/08 - Colin Delaney vs Tommy Dreamer
ECW - 4/1/08 - Big Show vs Colin Delaney
ECW - 3/25/08 - Tommy Dreamer challenges Chavo Guerrero
ECW - 3/18/08 - Colin Delaney vs Chavo Guerrero
RAW - 3/17/08 - Colin Delaney vs JBL
ECW - 3/12/08 - EXTREME RULES: Colin Delaney & Tommy Dreamer vs Miz & Morrison
ECW - 3/5/08 - Colin Delaney & Tommy Dreamer vs Miz & Morrison
ECW - 2/26/08 - Colin Delaney & Tommy Dreamer vs Miz & Morrison
ECW - 2/19/08 - Colin Delaney vs Miz
ECW - 2/12/08 - Tommy Dreamer (w/ Colin Delaney) vs John Morrison
ECW - 2/5/08 - Tommy Dreamer (w/ Colin Delaney) vs Miz (w/ Morrison)
ECW - 1/29/08 - Colin Delaney vs Miz & Morrison
ECW - 1/22/08 - Colin Delaney vs Great Khali
ECW - 1/15/08 - Colin Delaney vs Kane
ECW - 1/8/08 - Colin Delaney vs Mark Henry
ECW - 1/1/08 - Colin Delaney vs Big Daddy V
ECW - 12/18/07 - Colin Delaney vs Shelton Benjamin 

My top five matches for him?
#1 ECW - 12/18/07 - Colin Delaney vs Shelton Benjamin (his debut!)
#2 ECW - 3/12/08 - EXTREME RULES: Colin Delaney & Tommy Dreamer vs Miz & Morrison (best match in WWE)
#3 Smackdown - 6/9/08 - Batista, Colin Delaney, Nunzio and Funaki vs Edge, Hawkins, Ryder and Chavo Guerrero (Funaki & Delaney together!)
#4 ECW - 4/1/08 - Big Show vs Colin Delaney (Big Show just destroyed him - it was wonderful)
#5 ECW - 3/18/08 - Colin Delaney vs Chavo Guerrero (main event ECW) 

Obviously his work with Estrada & Dreamer really were the main crux of his programs.  But for me, when Colin was in the main event on ECW, that was the day that I really remember being so astonished.  Hopefully, he'll make some nice money back on the independent scene and I know he never got a big head about this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

He won at least four matches and was on a single house show (up in New Hamsphire, a few weeks ago I believe)
6.10.08: Colin Delaney def. Armando Estrada
6.6.08: Delaney/Funaki/Nunzio/Batista def. Edge/Ryders/Hawkins/Guerrero
5.20.08: Kelly Kelly & Delaney def. Mike Knox & Layla
5.6.08: Colin Delaney def. Armando Estrada (100th ECW episode; wins contract) 

ROCK on Mr Delaney.  Woo!  You got to work with Shelton, Henry, Kane, Khali, Miz, Morrison, Dreamer, Knox, Chavo, Matt Hardy, Kelly Kelly, Layla, Big Show, Kane, Kozlov, Estrada, Tazz, Nunzio, Funaki, Atlas, JBL, Batista, Edge, Hawkins, Ryder, Striker and Umaga. Not bad for a guy who got called in as a last-second job dude when they wanted someone small and impressed Vince enough to get a contract because they liked how you sold.