WWE releases long list of talents, office staff

MANILA, Philippines – On the heels of its highly acclaimed hosting of WrestleMania 36 amid the global health crisis earlier this month, World Wrestling Entertainment ((WWE) made headlines during the wee hours of Thursday, April 16, with its massive layoff of on-air personalities and office employees.

Facing the economic impact of the ongoing pandemic, WWE took a drastic step toward “short-term cost reductions and cash flow improvement” that included cutting many notable members of its roster.

Among the individuals who received the pink slip was Kurt Angle, a multiple-time world champion and a Hall of Famer who retired at WrestleMania 35 last year and had been working backstage as a producer. 

Joining Angle in the long list of released performers were Rusev, Drake Maverick, Zack Ryder, Curt Hawkins, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, Heath Slater, Eric Young, Rowan, Sarah Logan, No Way Jose, Mike Kanellis, Maria Kanellis, EC3, Aiden English, Lio Rush, Primo and Epico. 

In addition, the sports-entertainment promotion decided to let go of several prominent employees, including Mike Chioda who was the longest-tenured referee in WWE history and had been with the company for more than 30 years. 

Aside from Chioda, WWE also released a handful of producers such as Lance Storm, Fit Finlay, Shane Helms, Billy Kidman, Mike Rotunda, Pat Buck, Shawn Daivari, Scott Armstrong and Sarah Stock. 

It likewise affected WWE’s developmental territory NXT as Deonna Purrazzo and Aleksandar Jaksic got their marching papers. 

Maverick, whose real name is James Michael Curtin, broke his silence in an emotional video that he posted on Twitter. 

“It’s affecting people’s lives. It’s affecting people’s jobs. It’s affecting the way people make a living,” he expressed with tears. 

My immediate thoughts.@WWE @WWENXT #WWE #NXT @TripleH @ShawnMichaels #Cruiserweight pic.twitter.com/Afw58V7eo1

— Drake Maverick (@WWEMaverick) April 15, 2020

The English professional wrestler revealed that he would still be seen competing in NXT’s cruiserweight tournament to determine the division’s interim champion, but most likely, it would be his last appearance on WWE television.

“I’m very fortunate that WWE is still allowing me to compete in the NXT cruiserweight title tournament, but it’s very likely that those will be the last matches that I ever have. There’s a lot of people I’m not going to get a chance to say goodbye to that I really love and I really care about,” Maverick stated. 

“It’s not about a title anymore. It’s about my life. It’s about the fate of my family, paying my bills,” he added.

WWE released a statement regarding budget cuts that the organization had to make in response to the worldwide outbreak, detailing reduction in executive and board member compensation, decrease in operating overheads, and cutting talent expenses. 

“Given the uncertainty of the situation, the company also identified headcount reductions and made the decision to furlough a portion of its workforce effective immediately,” WWE said in the statement, adding that it believes that the furlough will be temporary. – Rappler.com