From the WWE Rumor Mill: Backstage details regarding Jim Johnston's sudden release

The WWE Universe woke up to the unexpected news of Jim Johnston's WWE release this past week. As revealed first on the Twitter handle @ThemeTitan, WWE parted ways with the legendary composer after a 32-year working relationship.

Dave Meltzer opened up on the details of his departure on the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Radio.

In case you didn't know...

Out of all the unseen backstage employees that have had a pivotal role to play in the company's unmatched rise, Jim Johnston's name is right up there with the most popular.

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The 58-year-old legend is the craftsman behind some of the most iconic entrance themes in pro wrestling history. The Undertaker and Rock are two of the biggest names that have had their careers influenced by one of Johnston's compositions.

The manner of his release has given rise to countless opinions in wrestling circles despite his gigantic contributions to WWE.

The heart of the matter

According to Meltzer, the fans were the only ones who were caught off guard by the low-key exit as people backstage were expecting it to happen soon. Johnston reportedly wanted to continue with WWE but the company had different ideas.

A hefty contract coupled with the company's increased dependency on CFO$ since the dawn of 2012 contributed to the decision of letting him go. As noted by Meltzer, even though his contract expired last week, his role in the WWE faded a long time ago and that the higher-ups were just waiting for the deal to run out.

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Author's take

WWE needs to induct one of their most loyal employees in next year's Hall of Fame. Attitude Era would not have been the same without Johnston weaving his magic in the studio.

While CFO$ have improved this year with a few solid theme songs, Johnston's veteran presence and knowhow would be dearly missed.