KEY POINTS

  • Fellow pro-wrestlers comforted WWE stars after being released by the company
  • WWE also decreased its operating expenses to save more money
  • Executives and board members compensation will also be reduced

Several professional wrestlers went to social media to share words of encouragement to their fellow sports entertainers who were released by WWE. Both in-ring talents and internal employees were also affected by the budget reduction measure of the company.

According to the statement released by the company through BusinessWire, they arrived at the decision to cut some of their employees because of the pandemic's economic effects on the promotion.

“Due to COVID-19 and current government-mandated impacts on WWE and the media business generally, the Company went through an extensive evaluation of its operations over the past several weeks,” the announcement says.

WWE decided on cost-cutting measures that included reducing third-party staffing and consulting. They also relieved themselves from paying major talent expenses and gave pay cuts to board members and executives. Decreasing on operating costs and deferral on the construction of their new headquarters was also decided on.

Some of the talents that were released were Drake Maverick, Rusev, Heath Slater, No Way Jose, Zack Ryder, Mike and Maria Kanellis, Erick Rowan, Curt Hawkins, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson.

Former RAW General Manager Kurt Angle and Mike Chioda, who’s been with WWE since 1989 as a referee, were also not spared according to Wrestling News.

Past and current WWE wrestlers went to Twitter to express their feelings after hearing the news. Some relived their working experience with each other and gave comfort by replying to their tweets. Others shared their honest feelings when the reports came out.

The memo was released just barely two weeks after Wrestlemania 36. Initially planned to be held in Tampa, the annual wrestling show was done inside the WWE Performance Center in Orlando.

The pay-per-view event received praises from the fans, especially with the matches that were taped off-site namely the Boneyard Match between AJ Styles and The Undertaker and the Firefly Fun House Match between “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt and John Cena.

It also paved the way for the awarding of the first British WWE World Champion after Drew McIntyre pinned Brock Lesnar for the title.

On April 13, the WWE was declared as an “essential service” by the state of Florida and that enabled the company to continue with their live shows from their training facility in Orlando per CNN.

Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle's completed his WWE in-ring career with a fight against Baron Corbin at WrestleMania 35. Here, Angle poses while attending the 2017 Paris Games Week, at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre in Paris, Nov. 4, 2017. Getty Images/THOMAS SAMSON/AFP
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