Mass WWE Releases Could Hinge On One Factor, Warns Veteran

Mass releases have been one of the major issues in WWE’s recent history.

However, the reason behind such exits has not necessarily stemmed from internal reasons. The company let go of several popular names during the COVID-19 pandemic, while at a later stage, financial constraints were cited as the grounds.

A former employee and wrestling veteran believes that if the ongoing Middle East conflict were to continue beyond a certain date, the promotion could undergo another mass release following WrestleMania 43.

Speaking on The Coach & Bro podcast, Jonathan Coachman revealed that WWE might pull WrestleMania from Saudi Arabia next year due to tensions in the Middle East.

He also revealed that Los Angeles and New Orleans were in contention to host the Show of Shows in 2027. ‘Coach’ then spoke about the possibility of layoffs.

And there’s a third part to it. There is a third part that I don’t even wanna talk about, but I have to because it’s part of the story. If they pull Wrestlemania out of Saudi Arabia, you’re gonna see way more layoffs after WrestleMania than they would normally have before.

There are a lot of people that are working just on that show, just in Saudi Arabia, that will lose their jobs because of this news. [7:14 onwards]

WWE Builds Towards WrestleMania 42

While the Middle East conflict has been on the back of the minds of the WWE higher-ups, their main focus right now is building the card for WrestleMania 42, scheduled for April 18 & 19.

The major title bouts were decided following the Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber PLEs. Since then, the company has announced several matches featuring major rivalries as well as the defense of midcard titles.

Here’s how the card looks at present:

• World Heavyweight Championship: CM Punk (c) vs. Roman Reigns
• Women’s World Championship: Stephanie Vaquer (c) vs. Liv Morgan
• Undisputed Championship: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Randy Orton
• Women’s Championship: Jade Cargill (c) vs. Rhea Ripley
• Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar
• Unsanctioned Match: Drew McIntyre vs. Jacob Fatu
• Finn Balor vs. Dominik Mysterio
• Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match: Penta (c) vs. Je’Von Evans vs. Dragon Lee vs. Rusev vs. JD McDonagh
• Women’s Intercontinental Championship: AJ Lee (c) vs. Becky Lynch
• United States Championship: Sami Zayn (c) vs. Trick Williams
• Seth Rollins vs. Gunther
• Women’s Tag Team Championships: Irresistible Forces – Nia Jax & Lash Legend (c) vs. Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss vs. The Bella Twins – Nikki & Brie Bella vs. Bayley & Lyra Valkyria

John Cena will also be the host of WWE WrestleMania 42.