Predicting the Next WWE Releases
Photo courtesy of Getty Images
Last night WWE released eight wrestlers from their contracts. Exactly two weeks earlier, shortly after WWE touted better-than-expected performance on a quarterly earnings call, the company released 18 wrestlers. Those were just the latest of several rounds of roster cuts so far in 2021, with 80 wrestlers losing their job throughout the year. That comes on the heels of over 50 wrestlers being released last year, during the height of the pandemic. WWE executives cite “budget cuts,” despite the company seeing record profits since the start of 2020. Various factors have played into the releases; some unhappy wrestlers requested a release, others were cut as part of a larger movement within the company towards younger and more physically imposing wrestlers, while a few were justifiably let go in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations. Still, this is the longest sustained period of bloodletting in WWE’s recent history, and represents an about-face from the company’s recent attempts to hoard talent and keep them away from other promotions. Some wrestlers were let go less than a year after signing with the company; some were fired in the middle of storylines, or shortly after making their debut on the main roster. More than one set of romantic partners lost both their jobs, and some wrestlers were laid off within months or even weeks of relocating to the Orlando area by the company’s request. From the outside, there’s not much rhyme or reason to the releases; some of the company’s most popular stars were cut alongside relatively new wrestlers who seemed like can’t-miss superstars and fresh recruits who never even made it to TV. In short, it’s an incredibly turbulent time for the WWE roster, with WWE’s moves baffling both outside observers and, often, the wrestlers themselves.
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