The WWE has continued to make budget cuts following the news that the company wanted to release seven percent of its employees after last week's earnings call, and the latest WWE employee that was let-go is veteran timekeeper Mark Yeaton.
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The WWE announced this week that Yeaton, who has been the timekeeper and bell ringer for the WWE for many years, has been released from the company. The move comes during a time when the WWE is continually doing all it can to cut costs.
Wrestlingheadlines.com reports that Yeaton being released after decades with the company was a sign to many backstage that "no one is safe" from the budget cuts. According to the report, on top of his timekeeping duties, Yeaton was also responsible for ordering and maintaining materials that the WWE used for its rings and other logistics.
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WWE Hall of Famer "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, who downed a lot of beers in the ring over the years that were tossed to him by Yeaton, took to Twitter to share his thoughts on his departure:
#Swigofbeer to my old beer thrower @WWETimekeeper Mark Yeaton. Best damn beer thrower in the world and great guy. pic.twitter.com/7WfJNRJd3d
— Steve Austin (@steveaustinBSR) August 7, 2014
WWE Hall of Fame announcer Jim Ross also took to his Twitter account to acknowledge Yeaton's removal from the company:
“@Shane_Harris14: @JRsBBQ Think is disgusting that Mark Yeaton has been released,thoughts?” Very disappointed....sad. — Jim Ross (@JRsBBQ) August 7, 2014
Earlier this summer, the WWE released 10 Superstars, a writer, a referee and an announcer, and they followed it up last week by releasing Ricardo Rodriguez and NXT Superstars Dani Jackson, Sam "Travis Tyler" Udell, Shaun "Slate Randall" Ricker, Jody "Garrett Dylan" Kristofferson and William "Mac Miles" McNamee amid the ongoing budget cuts.
The WWE has been looking to cut costs as CEO and Chairman Vince McMahon tries to bounce back from lagging WWE Network subscriptions, a lackluster television deal signed with NBC Universal and the WWE stock taking a hit recently as the company looks to cut $30 million out of its budget for 2015.
Among cost slashes on catering and travel, the WWE has discussed RAW and SmackDown being taped on the same night in the "Supershow" format next year. The company is also likely to cut back on the pyrotechnics for WrestleMania 31 next March at Levi's Stadium in the Bay Area. With the show slated for a 4 p.m. local start in the west coast, a lot of pyro was unlikely anyway.
More releases could be coming as the WWE continues to cut away at its budget by any means necessary, and this time at the expense of a long-time employee.
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