WWE Shockingly Releases Former Warrior Award Winner
A veteran WWE employee has been let go by the company after spending nearly 40 years working there.
That Warrior Award was introduced at the WWE Hall of Fame in 2015. It came one year after The Ultimate Warrior did his 2014 Hall of Fame speech talking about how he wanted to see people honored who worked behind the scenes in the company.
Some of the recipients of the Warrior Award in the past include former wrestlers Titus O’Neil and Shad Gaspard, former referee Tim White and Joan Lunden.
In 2019, the Warrior Award recipient was a longtime WWE employee named Sue Aitchison, who worked for WWE since 1986, which means 38 years.
It has been reported by PWInsider that Aitchison was released by WWE on Friday. Aitchison worked for WWE as the Director of Community Relations.
In her WWE career, Aitchison was credited for being a key part of WWE’s work with Make-A-Wish. It’s well-known that John Cena granted over 500 wishes with Make-A-Wish over the years, so Atchison worked with Cena a lot.
When WWE honored Aitchison with the 2019 Warrior Award, former WWE Chairwoman Stephanie McMahon said this at the time:
“Sue has dedicated her entire career to helping Wish kids fulfill their dreams and putting smiles on countless families faces. Her heart and character epitomize the essence of the Warrior Award. She is an unsung hero who deserves to be recognized and immortalized in the WWE Hall of Fame.”
How Did WWE Personnel React To Atchison Being Released?
According to PWInsider’s report, people within WWE were shocked about Aitchison getting fired. It was another example of how it’s a new era of WWE.
It was added that Aitchison’s responsibilities lessened in recent years, which could have been a factor in her release. PWInsider added that Aitchison “had a run working behind the scenes that will likely never be matched, much less surpassed.”
There were multiple in the WWE offices that were released this past week as well, including an Executive who wasn’t well-liked by some of the talent.