WWE has undergone some change at the corporate level over the last number of days.
Fightful can confirm that Dan Engler has moved on from his role as a Senior Manager in the Talent Relations Department. This happened on Tuesday, April 20, 2021. Engler has been with WWE since June 2013 and will continue to serve as a referee on Monday Night Raw.
Furthermore, we have learned that Joe Villa is no longer with WWE. He was the Manager of Publicity and Corporate Communications, a position he held for over eight years. In that role, he was responsible for communications for WWE's live events, placed talent and the company in national media outlets, and played a part in NXT and SmackDown's launches on the USA Network and FOX, respectively.
PWInsider.com is also reporting that Nicole Zeoli, WWE's Director of Talent Relations for the past three years, is no longer with the company. This ends a nearly twelve-year tenure that began in December 2009.
It was also being reported by PWInsider that Chief Marketing & Communications Officer Brian Flinn and Vice President of Communications Mead Rust have also been released by the company.
In March it was reported that John Laurinaitis was back as WWE's Head of Talent Relations. He previously held the role from 2004 to 2012. He replaced Jim Ross in 2004 but stepped down in 2012 to work as an agent/producer. His new role is specified as General Manager, Talent.
PWInsider also states that long-time WWE referee John Cone is no longer working in the Talent Relations Department as a Senior Manager. They note, however, that Cone will continue with WWE as a referee.
Fightful confirmed that Mark Carrano was on the outs of WWE after being blamed for Mickie James having her items returned in a trash bag.
In an update to our earlier post, several names within WWE have reached out to identify Mark Carrano as being the point of blame in the trash bag incidents to released talent. All of those who made contact with Fightful on the record say that they've also heard that he's been let go from the company. Carrano's role was already largely taken over by Johnny Ace, who made the calls to release talent last week, and also made calls to apologize to talent this evening. Ace stated to some of those talent that Carrano was responsible for the trash bag mishaps, and that "it had been taken care of" without explicitly stating Carrano had been fired at the time. We're told that it is very possible that Carrano being "out of WWE" means he could go without an official firing, but without having real duties.
WWE sources had also made contact with Fightful to express remorse about the trash bag incidents, calling them "embarrassing" and saying they should have never happened. It was reiterated that they wanted to take care of it as quickly as possible.
We've reached out to WWE officially for comment or confirmation, but haven't heard back.
Carrano appeared on several episodes of Total Divas, dramatizing his role in talent relations.
On April 15, WWE released ten Superstars; Samoa Joe, Mickie James, Billie Kay, Peyton Royce, Chelsea Green, Mojo Rawley, Tucker, Kalisto, Wesley Blake, and Bo Dallas. Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp had a chance to speak with Chelsea Green. That interview can be seen here.
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