5 Times WWE used real-life events in a storyline

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

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.

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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.

About the author

Abhilash Mendhe is a pro wrestling journalist at Sportskeeda with nearly five years of experience. He completed his MBA from the Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management in 2016 and worked with multiple banking institutions, including Tech Mahindra. While he started writing WWE articles for Sportskeeda in 2019 as a hobby, it eventually became a significant part of his professional journey.

Abhilash checks his articles thrice before sending them to the editing team, ensuring his work is highly accurate and reliable.

He has interviewed prominent pro wrestling personalities like Noam Dar, Angry Miz Girl, Brendan Cobbina, and Jesse Lambert. Abhilash is a big fan of AEW star Orange Cassidy, as he believes the former International Champion’s on-screen gimmick of an extremely lazy guy resonates with him.

Given the opportunity to script WWE’s next big storyline, Abhilash would treat fans to the second installment of The Bloodline Civil War. He would book Roman Reigns to re-form The Bloodline with The Usos and Sami Zayn upon his comeback. The angle would see The Tribal Chief-led group go head-to-head with The Rock, Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Jacob Fatu in a blockbuster family feud.

When not reporting on pro wrestling, Abhilash likes to work out, go on walks, read, and explore new eateries.

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Edited by Kaushik Das