Vince McMahon Gives First Comment Regarding WWE's Releases During Coronavirus Pandemic

WWE released their financial report for the first quarter of the 2020 fiscal year on Thursday just [...]

By Connor Casey

WWE released their financial report for the first quarter of the 2020 fiscal year on Thursday just ahead of their earnings conference call. Included in the report was a direct quote from Vince McMahon, who commented on the company's decision to release more than 30 active wrestlers and either fire or furlough dozens of backstage producers, office staff, announcers, referees, coaches and various on-screen talent.

"Our first quarter financial performance was strong and largely unimpacted by the COVID-19 outbreak," McMahon said. "Now we are in the midst of unprecedented times, which require us to be especially nimble, creative and efficient in order to ensure the ling-term value of WWE. We are taking precautions to protect the health and safety of our performers and staff as we produce content in new ways, engage fans with a much-needed diversion and operate effectively in this evolving environment."

You can see WWE's revenue for the first quarter below.

Here's a full list of every wrestler who has been released:

  • Rusev
  • Drake Maverick
  • Karl Anderson
  • Luke Gallows
  • EC3
  • Curt Hawkins
  • Heath Slater
  • Eric Young
  • Lio Rush
  • Aiden English
  • Sarah Logan
  • Erick Rowan
  • Primo
  • Epico
  • Mike Kanellis
  • Maria Kanellis
  • Zack Ryder
  • No Way Jose
  • Deonna Purrazzo
  • Aleksandar Jaksic
  • MJ Jenkins
  • Dan Matha
  • Alyssa Marino
  • Taynara Conti
  • Nick Comoroto
  • Cezar Bononi
  • Tino Sabbatelli
  • Kassius Ohno (Reportedly)
  • Mohamed Fahim
  • Marcos Gomes
  • Faisal Kurdi
  • Hussain Aldagal
  • Yifeng (Rocky)

And here's the full list of every backstage producer/referee/writer who have either been released or furloughed:

  • Kurt Angle
  • Shane Helms
  • Lance Storm
  • Billy Kidman
  • Mike Rotunda
  • Dave (Fit) Finlay
  • Pat Buck
  • Sarah Stock
  • Shawn Daivari
  • Scott Armstrong
  • Mike Chioda (Referee)
  • Andrea Listenberger (Writer)
  • Chris Guy (Performance Center Trainer)
  • Serena Deeb (Performance Center Trainer)
  • Kendo Kashin (Performance Center Trainer)
  • Jerry Soto (Spanish Announcer)
  • Josiah Williamson (Interviewer)
  • Jon Quasto (Announcer)

"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 wrote in a press release on April 15 hours before the releases were announced. "The decision to furlough versus permanently reduce headcount reflects the fact that the Company currently believes the furlough will be temporary in nature. The Company's reductions of employee compensation and headcount result in an estimated monthly savings of $4 million along with cash flow improvement of $140 million primarily from the deferral in spending on the Company's new headquarters."

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