The Rock and John Cena have reacted to the WWE reportedly releasing at least 20 wrestlers from their contracts.
Dolph Ziggler and Shelton Benjamin were among those let go by the company, which recently merged with UFC. The Rock, real name Dwayne Johnson, and Cena both paid tribute to Ziggler – who has reportedly performed in 1,554 matches for WWE.
“Respect”, said Cena, while The Rock added: “Can't wait to see what he (and everyone) does next.” Ziggler, a two-time WWE World Champion, hasn't issued a public statement on his release. But Shelton Benjamin, a former intercontinental champion, thanked fans, fellow wrestlers and WWE staff in a statement.
“Something ends, something new begins,” he wrote. “Looking forward to my next chapter.” Other wrestlers who've confirmed their departures include Mustafa Ali, Elias, Emma and Aliyah.
WWE and UFC recently announced that they'd merged to form a single company – TKO – in a deal worth $21.4bn (£17.3bn). Since then, the company reportedly made more than 100 staff working in office and behind-the-scenes roles redundant.
Fans had been expecting talent to be released from the company's roster. The new company recently signed a deal with US TV company NBC to secure the rights to its Smackdown show.
— CutC by bbc.com
