Looks like WWE is still doing its best impression of a corporate blender, chopping up its workforce like an overripe banana! Following last year’s epic merger with UFC, the wrestling behemoth has been shedding staff faster than The Rock shedding tearaway pants in the ring. This time, the axe has fallen on a couple of behind-the-scenes stalwarts.
First on the chopping block is Kristen Prouty, who has been with WWE since the turn of the millennium. That’s right, folks, she started back in 2000 when Y2K was still a thing! Prouty, the Senior VP of Entertainment Relations, played a pivotal role in roping in the current United States Champion, Logan Paul. After nearly a quarter-century of service, she’s been given the corporate heave-ho.
Joining her on the unemployment line is Tavia Hartley, a relative newbie by comparison, who started with WWE in 2021. Hartley handled appearances and was part of Talent Operations. With the merger of WWE and UFC live events divisions under the TKO Group Holdings banner, it seems like cost-cutting is the new corporate mantra, and Hartley’s role has been deemed redundant.
Fightful Select has been keeping their ear to the ground, confirming these layoffs and noting that, for now, no in-ring talent has been shown the door. However, WWE’s silence on potential future cuts is about as reassuring as a steel chair to the back. The last significant talent purge took place during the “WWE Draft” weekend last April, with notable names like Jinder Mahal, Cameron Grimes, and Xia Li getting the boot.
Stay tuned, because in the world of WWE, the only thing more unpredictable than the matches is the job security!