5 Times WWE used real-life events in a storyline

John Cena and Brock Lesnar
John Cena and Brock Lesnar

#4 Drake Maverick's WWE release is turned into a storyline on NXT TV

Drake Maverick
Drake Maverick

Mere days after Drake Maverick was announced as a participant for the Interim NXT Cruiserweight Title Tournament, he was released by WWE as a part of the company's budget cuts stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. Maverick posted an emotional message on Twitter soon after, but no one had imagined what was about to come. Maverick did incredibly well in the tournament, but lost the finals to El Hijo Del Fantasma, following which Triple H offered him an NXT contract.

Drake Maverick's WWE release was truly a heartbreaking moment

Maverick quickly accepted the offer, and is still under contract with WWE, months later. While speaking with TalkSPORT, Maverick didn't reveal the exact moment when he learned that he would be getting re-signed with WWE, but stated that he noticed that things were different around the time he faced KUSHIDA on May 20.

The fact that Maverick realized that he was getting rehired during the tournament, means that his demeanor during the early stages of the tournament was as real as it could get. It did make for a gripping angle and the visual of him bagging another contract was certainly one that fans wouldn't forget for a long time to come.

Quick Links