Last night WWE revealed that they have released Steve Cutler from his contract with the company, and many were surprised and confused as to why. WWE’s official statement didn’t provide any clarity, as they issued a statement that said “WWE has come to terms on the release of Steve Cutler. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors.” Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline might have provided some additional details on the release, however, as Meltzer said Cutler is believed to be the first WWE wrestler to be fired after testing positive for COVID-19, though there’s more to it than just testing positive according to Meltzer.
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It was revealed in January via social media that Cutler and his girlfriend Deonna Purrazzo, who also happens to be the current Impact Wrestling Knockouts Champion, tested positive for COVID-19. According to Meltzer, that positive test stemmed from a New Year’s party that Cutler attended, and that revelation is what made McMahon so angry, described as being “livid” with the whole thing.
“The belief is that it had to do with his New Year’s Eve party that led to that and that McMahon had promised a few wrestlers like Reigns a safe environment when he returned and Cutler was around all the talent,” Meltzer said.
If all of that is true, it makes sense that McMahon would be livid, especially in regards to Reigns. Reigns took time away from WWE initially to avoid precisely that kind of scenario, and others can’t be too happy about it either.
Cutler also reacted to the news on social media, admitting that he was pretty shocked by the release. He is hopeful for the future and says the 90 day no-compete countdown starts now.
“Unfortunately, today I was released. It was shocking, to say the least. But, I am excited about the future and all the possibilities in front of me.
Thanks for your continued support. 90 days… the countdown begins”
Cutler had been part of Baron Corbin’s stable recently after the Forgotten Sons faction imploded thanks to comments made by Jaxson Ryker. Cutler had been a part of the team alongside Ryker and Wesley Blake in NXT, and they received a big push when they debuted on SmackDown, but that came to a halt after Ryker’s comments.
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