“My Heart is F***ing Breaking”- Former WWE Employee Heartbroken over WWE Digital Layoffs

Earlier this year we saw WWE clean house and release of a ton of talent. We saw rookies from NXT released and even industry veterans like Mickie James and Samoa Joe out of the company. In May 2021, WWE has also laid off a bunch of employees from Stanford, Connecticut.

Big changes at WWE Headquarters in Stanford, Connecticut

WWE has made deep cuts in their Digital divisions and WWE Studios. Information about the firings is coming out slowly, but the situation is dire. Many superstars and former employees have taken to Twitter to air their grievances. One of those people is former backstage correspondent and honorary Undisputed Era member Cathy Kelley.

Cathy worked for WWE from 2016 to 2020 and was a panelist and a backstage correspondent. According to her tweet, she’s heartbroken over the releases and she’s witnessing a lot of friends losing their jobs. She also feels their roles are undervalued and they don’t get enough credit for raking in a lot of money.

According to Deadline, a conversation with WWE President and Chief Revenue Officer Nick Khan revealed the cuts are deep, and the distinct divisions (features, TV and digital/social media) are being consolidated into a single division.

According to PWInsider, Jay Rosenstock, WWE’s Executive Vice President of International is also out of a job. Nick Khan himself will assume Rosenstock’s duties, in what looks like a genuine show of power.

Wrestlers and referees also released

Along with employees at WWE Headquarters, wrestlers and referees are also losing their jobs. Most recently, we saw Velveteen Dream, referee Drake Wuertz, Imperium member Alexander Wolfe, member of UFC’s Four Horsewomen Jessamyn Duke and WWE’s first Indian female superstar Kavita Devi.

These followed the releases at the beginning of April, which were much more shocking. The likes of Samoa Joe, Chelsea Green, Mickie James, Bo Dallas and Tucker were all out of jobs after WrestleMania 37, and companies like AEW and TNA are waiting to swoop down and clinch some talent.

As for the changes at Headquarters, WWE hasn’t confirmed whether they’re even done laying people off. It looks like we could see more people lose their jobs in the coming weeks, ahead of the WWE’s big live tour and the return of fans to arenas.

Read more: WATCH: When Vince McMahon Officially Ended the Monday Night Wars