Backstage Reaction To Latest WWE Releases Revealed

How surviving WWE personnel are reacting to the company's latest round of roster cuts.

by Andy H Murray
Tegan Nox
WWE

Fightful confirmed another round of WWE roster cuts on Thursday, with John Morrison, Tegan Nox, the entire Hit Row stable (Isaiah 'Swerve' Scott, Ashante 'Thee' Adonis, and Top Dolla), Drake Maverick, Shane Thorne, and Jaxson Ryker all reportedly released due to "budget cuts."

Mat Men's Andrew Zarian has since followed up with a series of tweets covering at least part of WWE's backstage reaction to the news.

Per one of Zarian's sources, people who work for the promotion were "blindsided" by the eight new releases. Zarian had been told last week that the company's previous round of roster cuts was to be the last this year - though this came with the expectation that releases would continue to be commonplace going forward.

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Acknowledging the level of talent let go by WWE in 2021, one source offered the following comment:-

These eight releases bring the total number of wrestlers cut by WWE in 2021 to 79. Most have been attributed to "budget" cuts, as a promotion that is currently more profitable than at any other point in its history looks to increase its margins at the expense of the wrestlers in question.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.