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WWE Releases Five More NXT Wrestlers, Raising Count to 43 Laid Off

Another five wrestlers have been released from WWE today, bringing the total count of wrestlers and backstage talent released up to 43. The newly released names are Nick Ogarelli, Taynara Conti, Mars Wang, Cezar Bononi, and Tino Sabbatelli. Ogarelli revealed the news himself on Twitter, writing, "It took a few days to post this but despite what happened I can still say I'm very thankful. This past year with the WWE has been a great time. I'd like to thank the coaches at the performance center for all the experience, knowledge and outlook I've gained and will continue to use throughout my career. I'd like to not say this as a goodbye as much as a see you later. Stay strong and stay safe world." PWInsider reported the other four names.

Someone Had to Make the Sacrifice so WWE Could Get Paid

Most of the released wrestlers will likely find work at some point, but very few will probably find it in the near future, as most live sporting events are shut down, for the time being, particularly affecting independent promotions. AEW, NJPW, and Impact Wrestling may sign some of the most desirable names to contracts just to lock them in, and some may even return to WWE when the pandemic is over. Unfortunately, they'll have to survive on their own until then so that WWE can pad its own profit margins and reward shareholders as they look to a year of record profits thanks to television deals and Saudi Arabian money.

The morning of the layoffs, WWE sent out a press release announcing they have $500 million in reserves to weather the crisis, while the combined monthly savings of all the laid-off workers amount to just $700,000. Just yesterday, WWE announced a dividend for shareholders that will pay out over $9 million in profits, money that could have kept every laid-off worker employed into 2021. Vince McMahon himself was entitled to $3.5 million of that dividend. The McMahon family has donated millions of dollars to the campaign of President Donald Trump, earning Vince a spot on a governmental task force for restarting the economy and Linda McMahon a spot on Trump's cabinet at first. Later, Linda McMahon took over a Trump SuperPac, and that SuperPac pledged to spend $18.5 million in Florida last week on the same day Florida granted WWE a special exemption to broadcast live wrestling events in the state. The hierarchy of who WWE cares about seems to go McMahon family members, stockholders, Republican politicians, and only after that wrestlers.

In addition to the wrestlers named above, Zack Ryder, Sarah Logan, Mike Chioda, Maria and Mike Kanellis, Primo, Epico, Rowan, Drake Maverick, Kurt Angle, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, Heath Slater, Curt Hawkins, EC3, Lio Rush, Scott Armstrong, Pat Buck, Aiden English, Sarah Stock, Shawn Davari, Billy Kidman, Eric Young, Lance Storm, Fit Finlay, Mike Rotunda, Rusev, Aiden English, Deonna Purrazzo, No Way Jose, Kendo Kashin, Serena Deeb, Chris Guy, MJ Jenkins, Josiah Wiliams, Jerry Soto, Aleksandar Jaksic, and Andrea Listenberger were all released by WWE in the last week.

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