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Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson were two of the multiple Superstars who were released by WWE 3 months ago. These Superstars were cut as part of budget-saving measured by the company due to the COVID-19 pandemic by Vince McMahon's company.
Gallows and Anderson have joined Impact Wrestling and will also be working for NJPW. As per backstage reports, AJ Styles had left RAW because he didn't want to work with Paul Heyman, who was believed to be behind the firing of Gallows and Anderson.
As per The Observer, there are two backstage theories doing the rounds. One suggests that it was Vince McMahon who was responsible for the firing while Paul Heyman did not oppose the decision.
The other theory says that the former RAW Tag Team Champions were not on the list of Superstars initially. They were added later on when Paul Heyman told Vince McMahon that he didn't have any plans for him.
Dave Meltzer of WON also stated that the final call for someone to be fired lies solely with Vince McMahon. No one can be released from the company if Vince McMahon doesn't want him/her to go.
''While obviously preposterous, since all cuts were made by McMahon, and reasons for the cuts fit into the categories of the people being cut for McMahon’s perception of not being difficult negotiations that ended up costing the company more than they originally wanted to pay them at a time when the rule was don’t let anyone leave for AEW, and it was those guys as well as the guys McMahon had decided he wasn’t going to use anymore who were cut.''
More details on Vince McMahon's 'tactics'
Meltzer further stated that this is a 'classic' tactic by Vince McMahon he has been doing for 30 years. McMahon makes the talent believe that he personally likes them while shifting the blame of their release on the creative head.
''This was the classic story we’ve heard for more than 30 years, when Vince would want someone gone. He’d use his head of talent relations as his buffer, whether it be J.J. Dillon, Jim Ross, John Laurinaitis or others in that role. The idea was that the talent believed Vince loved their work, and liked them personally, but the other person, fill in the blank, didn’t like them and were responsible for them being gone.''
