WWE has released nearly 20 wrestlers, Performance Center trainees and referees in the past two months, reportedly due to budget cuts. According to PWInsider, those cuts made their way to WWE‘s corporate office on Tuesday. Mike Johnson reported, “We are told that the digital department has been extremely hard hit with Jaylar Donlan, WWE’s Executive Vice President, Advanced Media Group, among those departing today. Donlan had been with the company over eight years.”
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He then added that “there is a belief” certain divisions of the company will be combined in the near future. Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp then confirmed that.
There are a lot of people on the digital end who have been let go from WWE. The WWE Advanced Media Group department is merging with TV and many people were laid off. Some who work on https://t.co/XDVO5lgJk0 and Youtube were among them, as well as editorial and production.
— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) May 25, 2021
You can see the full list of released wrestlers released since April 15 below:
- Samoa Joe
- Peyton Royce
- Billie Kay
- Mickie James
- Chelsea Green
- Tucker
- Kalisto
- Wesley Blake
- Bo Dallas
- Mojo Rawley
- Alexander Wolfe
- Velveteen Dream
- Ezra Judge
- Skyler Story
- Vanessa Borne
- Jessamyn Duke
- Kavita Devi
- Drake Wuertz (referee)
- Jake Clemons (referee)
WWE confirmed shortly after the report broke that Monday Night Raw‘s play-by-play commentary Adnan Virk had left the company as well. Virk had signed a multi-year deal with the company but only worked seven episodes for the Red Brand.
Thanks to @WWE for a wonderful opportunity. The weekly travel along with my other jobs was a grind for me and my family. Am grateful to everyone with the company especially @WWEGraves and @ByronSaxton for being such fantastic teammates. https://t.co/lrP0fCAMXz
— Adnan Virk (@adnansvirk) May 25, 2021
Many of the wrestlers who were released have since released statements. That included Jessamyn Duke, who confirmed that despite no longer being a WWE wrestler she would continue to work for Xavier Woods’ UpUpDownDown YouTube page.
“My stream, my channel, all of that is the same,” Duke explained. “More importantly than that, I want all of you to know; UpUpDownDown is still my home. BRE Start is not going anywhere. Everyone can relax, sit back, and enjoy knowing that tomorrow [Friday] a brand new episode of BRE Start will be premiering. We still have BRE Fridays and have BRE content coming out of our ears. That’s not going anywhere.
“Basically, what I’ve been doing the last six months or so is exactly what I’m going to keep doing. I know I have an immense amount of support and it is overwhelming,” she added. “I appreciate you guys. UpUpDownDown is my home, they have my back, we are in this together, and we are family.”
