So, I was just scrolling through my usual stuff online the other day, wasn’t really looking for anything specific. You know how it is. Then bam, I started seeing mentions pop up about WWE letting people go again. This was early May, I think.
My first thought was, “Ah crap, here we go again.” It feels like this happens every few months now, doesn’t it? So, I put my phone down for a bit, then picked it up again and started digging around properly. Not looking at just one place, but checking a few different spots people usually talk about wrestling news. Trying to get a clearer picture of who got the chop this time.
It took a little while for the names to really filter through. Seems like it was mostly folks from NXT this round, maybe a couple I vaguely recognized but hadn’t seen on the main shows much, if at all. Honestly, it’s getting harder to keep track these days. So many people coming and going.
My Gut Reaction
It’s always a bit of a downer when this happens. You see these performers grinding away, especially in NXT, trying to make it. Some of them you might have seen on indie shows before they even got signed. You kind of root for them, you know?
- It’s a reminder that it’s a tough business, really tough.
- You feel bad for the individuals, hoping they land on their feet.
- Part of you gets a bit cynical about the whole machine.
It just felt… predictable, maybe? That’s the sad part. It wasn’t a huge shock, more like a sigh and thinking, “Okay, who was it this time?”
This whole situation actually got me thinking about something else entirely, something from way back. Reminds me of this job I had years ago, completely unrelated field, working in a warehouse. Wasn’t glamorous, but it paid the bills. Every year, around the same time, management would walk around with envelopes. Everyone knew what it meant. People would get tense, avoid eye contact. Didn’t matter if you worked hard or not, sometimes your number was just up. They called it ‘restructuring’ or ‘streamlining’. Sounds familiar, right?
I remember seeing good people let go there too, folks who’d been there for ages, knew their stuff inside out. One day they’re part of the team, the next they’re clearing out their locker. Management would give some corporate speak about ‘future directions’ or whatever. It felt cold then, and seeing these wrestling releases, even though it’s entertainment and a totally different world, it brings back that same feeling. That feeling of people just being numbers on a spreadsheet sometimes.
So yeah, the May 2024 WWE releases happened. I read about it, confirmed who was involved, and felt that usual mix of disappointment for the talent and a bit of weariness about the cycle. It’s part of the business, I get it. But it still stinks to see people’s dreams get put on hold like that. Just makes you hope they find success wherever they go next.
