WWE has let go of more of its staff following the recent TKO Group Holding announcement. It was revealed this morning that TKO has decided to merge WWE and UFC live event teams to create more corporate synergy. WWE and UFC have begun collaborating more and are looking to host events in the same city.
While TKO is focused on combining the strengths of both companies, it has led to WWE firing longtime staff members. A few hours after TKO’s announcement, Fightful Select reported that WWE had fired several employees. At this time, talent is not involved in these cuts.
The report shared that one of the employees let go from WWE was Senior Vice President Of Entertainment Relations Kristen Prouty. She worked for the company for over two decades, and Fightful noted that she played an essential role in getting WWE United States Champion Logan Paul signed.
WWE or TKO has yet to release a statement on the recent firings. While it’s possible the cuts could be unrelated to the TKO announcement today, the timing is very interesting.
More On WWE Shakeups After Merging With UFC
After WWE and UFC merged last year, wrestling fans have been curious about how it would affect WWE moving forward. Fans have seen both WWE and, notably, UFC star Michael Chandler appear on opposite programming during live shows.
TKO is slowly trying to utilize WWE and UFC to generate profitable live event results.
A recent example is WWE NXT’s next premium live event, Battleground, taking place at the UFC Apex Facility in Las Vegas, Nevada, on June 9. Tickets have gone on pre-sale on AXS, and the venue looks to add a different experience that could make it appealing to WWE fans.
Another example of WWE and UFC showing their strength is the UFC advertising bundle packages for an upcoming UFC Fight Night event and a Friday Night Smackdown show at the KFC Yum! Center Arena in Louisville, Kentucky, next month.
TKO will likely try to find more ways to unify the assets of WWE and UFC. However, the hope is that more longtime WWE employees aren’t fired due to these changes.