WWE wrestlers offered emotional goodbyes over social media after the company unceremoniously fired them in response to coronavirus

Tyler LaulettaApr 17, 2020, 01:23 IST

Drake Maverick, Aiden English, and No Way Jose offered emotional goodbyes over social media after being released from their WWE contracts.@WWEMaverick / Twitter // @WWEDramaKing / Twitter

WWE fired dozens of performers and staff on Wednesday to cut costs in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Fans were frustrated with WWE's decision to let so many employees go, as the company had just been deemed an "essential business" by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Without the opportunity to say goodbye in the ring, many of the wrestlers who had been released, including Drake Maverick, Aiden English, and No Way Jose posted videos to social media offering a farewell to fans and discussing the difficult news.
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WWE announced severe cuts to its talent roster on Wednesday, releasing dozens of performers and producers from their contracts.

In a statement, WWE wrote that "the implementation of various short-term cost reductions and cash flow improvement actions including" was necessary due to the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Fans were livid with the company making such drastic cuts, in part because WWE had been declared an "essential business" by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis just days ahead of the announcement.

Among the talent let go were former WWE Champion Kurt Angle, former RAW Tag Team Champions Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows, former Intercontinental Champion Zack Ryder, and former U.S. Champion Rusev.

Given the sudden nature of their release, the fired wrestlers were unable to say goodbye to fans with a final match. Instead, many posted emotional videos on Twitter or Instagram, offering farewells to fans and coworkers.

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Former United States Champion Fit Finlay also offered his thanks.

Maria Kanellis said that while her second stint with WWE didn't end according to plan, it was still worth the journey.

Former 24/7 Champion Mike Kanellis spoke plainly about his release, saying the news "sucks" but thanking the fans and his coworkers at WWE.

Former Tag Team Champion and 24/7 Champion Heath Slater said the news was a lot to process, but thanked fans for their support.

Hawkins' tag team partner and former Intercontinental Champion Zack Ryder wrote about how grateful he was to have lived his WWE dream.

Former RAW Tag Team Champion Curt Hawkins also left fans with a bit of inspiration moving forward.

Former NXT Cruiserweight Champion Lio Rush offered a message of hope to is WWE family.

Former United States Champion Rusev kept his goodbye short, sweet, and to the point.

Former WWE Champion Kurt Angle was diplomatic in his goodbye, thanking both the company and its fans for his time as a performer.

Former NXT Tag Team Champion Aiden English also recorded a farewell video, stressing that fans keep in mind how many other employees of the WWE had also been affected by the cuts.

No Way Jose also took time to thank those who had reached out to him since the announcement, and fans that had cheered him on through his WWE career.

Former 24/7 Champion Drake Maverick teared up while offering his thoughts on his sudden departure from WWE.

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