Earlier, several sites reported that WWE was releasing production staff at their Orlando, Florida Performance Center today (Jan. 5). WWE issued a statement confirming the cuts, but not any of the names of those being let go:
“With the continued evolution of NXT 2.0, we’ve decided to part ways with some of the staff based in our Performance Center. We thank them for their many contributions throughout the years and wish them the best.”
Names have started to come out however, and several of them are shocking — and the latest confirmation that WWE is cutting almost all ties with the developmental program’s black and gold brand era.
PWInsider reports that William Regal, longtime on-screen General Manager of NXT and behind-the-scenes lead talent scout (his official title was Director of Talent Development and Head of Global Recruiting), is gone. Fightful adds that Brian “Road Dogg” James has also been released. James is a second generation wrestler, a WWE Hall of Famer, and a producer with the company since 2014.
Also named in reports are:
- James’ brother Scott Armstrong, a former referee turned producer who was furloughed in 2020 at the start of the pandemic but brought back later in the year
- Coach Chris “Ace Steel” Guy, CM Punk’s original trainer
- Dave Kapoor (fka Ranjin Singh), a former Senior Vice President of Creative who transferred to Florida to work full-time on NXT last year
- Long-time writer/producer Ryan Katz, who has been with NXT since Dusty Rhodes time leading the brand/program
- George Carroll, hired to the creative team last year after stints with New Japan and MLW
- Hideki Suzuki, who’d been playing Diamond Mine’s Hachiman and working off-screen as a coach
- Timothy Thatcher, who transitioned to a trainer role recently
- Danny Burch, a former NXT Tag champ who’d also moved into coaching
- Cathy “Allison Danger” Corino, trainer and sister of long-time producer Steve Corino
More as we have it.
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