Why did WWE released Samoa Joe? The long-time wrestling favourite became the latest to face the chop.
42-year-old Joe is a two-time WWW Champion, who made his name in Ring of Honor and Impact! Wrestling.
Yesterday, April 15th, WWE made a long line of talent cuts—something that’s become a tradition following Wrestlemania.
Samoa Joe was one of the wrestlers cut, along with Mickie James, Billie Kay, Peyton Royce, Bo Dallas, Chelsea Green, Kalisto, Tucker and Wesley Blake. In 2020, the organisation made a similar amount of high-profile cuts on April 15th too.
Why did WWE release Samoa Joe?
No official confirmation has been given by WWE, but Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp reported that budget cuts were the reason.
Accoring to the reporter, WWE’s head of talent relations, Joe Laurinaitis, informed those who faced the cuts that budgets were responsible via phone calls. “I’m told John Laurinaitis has been making the calls to talent and citing budget cuts as the reason for the WWE releases,” he tweeted.
Similarly, last year’s releases were a consequence of financial struggles resulting from the pandemic. The idea of hardships this year comes as a shock to some however, after the WWE reported 2020 as its best financial year.
Samoa Joe’s response to the cut
The wrestler took to Twitter to cryptically give his reaction to being released by WWE. Joe posted a gif of Jim Carrey in The Truman Show, from the iconic bow scene when he leaves the show that is his life. “Be well,” he captioned the post.
In response to a fan saying they loved him, he wrote: “It was felt in droves today. I am overfull and glad for it.”
While he also joked about the 90-day non-complete clause of his release, writing: “No snitching trying to work out this 90 days,” in response to Pabst Blue Ribbon’s joke about signing him.