The latest Rumor Roundup brought us news that long-time WWE producer Dean Malenko has left the company. The 20+ year veteran of ECW, WCW, and WWE, who began working backstage for Vince McMahon’s company in 2001, is said to have quit, according to a report from Sports Illustrated. Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer has confirmed that story; Mike Johnson of PWInsider says Malenko is gone, but their sources “cautioned” his exit may not have gone down that way.
Meanwhile, in their subscription-required Elite section, Insider says writer Dave Schilling is no longer a member of the creative team. The fact Schilling published a story about Bray Wyatt’s Firefly Fun House gimmick at The Ringer this week would seem to back that up. The amazing thing about Schilling’s exit is... he just started last month.
These are just the latest changes which are coming out about the Raw and SmackDown creative teams. Some of those were planned, such as bringing on new blood like Abyss, Sonjay Dutt, Shawn Daivari, and Shane “Hurricane” Helms, or bringing back familiar names like Jeff Jarrett and Bruce Prichard. Others appear to be impromptu, like the firing of Arn Anderson, RD Evans quitting, or whatever is going on with Road Dogg.
It’s not clear whether or not Malenko and Schilling’s exits were spontaneous, but signs would seem to point that way. Which makes them another indicator that things are even more chaotic behind the scenes at WWE than normal.
Is it the kind that’s like a swirling cauldron of ideas which gives birth to something great, or a tornado of tension that leaves nothing but wreckage in its wake?
We shall see.