Here’s who was laid off by WWE and how they responded on social media
A bunch of WWE wrestlers got the bad news they were fired on the same day their former employer received the good news that it could continue staging live TV shows in Florida.
The WWE announced Wednesday that it had come to terms on the release of wrestlers Kurt Angle, Drake Maverick, Curt Hawkins, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, Heath Slater, Eric Young, EC3, Aiden English, Lio Rush, Sarah Logan, Erick Rowan, Primo, Epico, Mike Kanellis, Maria Kanellis, Zack Ryder, No Way Jose and, in perhaps the biggest surprise on the list, Rusev. Also released was longtime referee Mike Chioda
“We wish them all the best in their future endeavors,” the company said in a statement.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis deemed Wednesday that World Wrestling Entertainment qualifies as an essential business and is permitted to continue broadcasting events — without spectators present — from a facility near Orlando while the state is under a stay-at-home order related to the coronavirus outbreak.
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The WWE announced a number of cost-cutting moves related to the COVID-19 pandemic on the same day. They include reducing the salaries of executives and board members, decreasing operating and other expenses, and deferring spending on the construction of the company’s new headquarters for at least six months.
Maverick, whose real name is James Curtin, posted an emotional video on social media just after he learned of the news.
“I’m like everybody else, probably didn’t take this as seriously as it is in the beginning, but it’s affecting people’s lives, it’s affecting people’s jobs, it’s affecting the way people make a living,” said Maverick, who indicated he’d be participating in one more WWE event. "... It’s not about a title anymore, it’s about my life, it’s about feeding my family, paying my bills.”
Some of the other unemployed wrestlers also responded on social media.
WWE wrestlers-turned-producers Lance Storm (real name Lance Evers), Fit Finlay (Dave Finlay Jr.) and Shane Helms (Gregory Helms) indicated on Twitter that they were among those who lost their jobs Wednesday as well.
Others in the wrestling community also took to Twitter to express their feelings on the matter.
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