As TKO Holdings’ stock price took a 12% hit due to SmackDown’s NEW television deal, the sad news of multiple wrestlers’ release also hit WWE fans hard. Some big names include 2-time WWE Champion Dolph Ziggler, Mustafa Ali, Shelton Benjamin, etc. As news spread, his ex-arch nemesis John Cena paid him his due respect.

This is not the first time that WWE has let go so many of its wrestlers. Similar layoffs happened in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.

Dolph Ziggler bid adieu to WWE on Thursday

WWE already laid off more than 100 employees just a few days ago due to its merger with UFC. Rumors had already surfaced then that they would soon let wrestlers from the roster go as well. That happened on Thursday as they released multiple wrestlers off from the WWE and NXT brands.

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The list includes big stars like Shelton Benjamin, Mustafa Ali, Elias, Emma, Riddick Moss, etc. to name a few. But the biggest shock to the fans was Dolph Ziggler’s name being on that list. Ziggler joined the WWE in 2004, so he has been with the WWE for almost 19 years to date.

During his illustrious career, he won every major WWE title that was there to offer, except the WWE and Universal Championship. And in this time he has had memorable feuds with multiple wrestlers but the one with GOAT John Cena is what fans cherish the most. Cena was also quite shocked by the news and he took to Twitter to give Ziggler his due credit.

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Cena tweeted the total number of matches that Ziggler wrestled in until now while casting the spotlight on the 43-year-old’s herculean feat. It’s the 2nd highest number of matches in WWE history, the number one position being taken by Kane with 1802 matches. He said, “One thousand five hundred and fifty four matches. @HEELZiggler #Respect”.

Another big superstar also expressed his sorrow at the recent layoffs of numerous WWE wrestlers.

Dwayne Johnson was deeply upset with the layoff of Dolph Ziggler

The layoff of Dolph Ziggler didn’t just affect pro wrestling fans, but athletes alike. Just like John Cena, ‘The Great One’ Dwayne Johnson also was quite shocked by Ziggler’s release.

He praised Ziggler for his successful career and various accomplishments during his 19-year stint with the company. He tweeted, “Just seeing all these releases now. These days so f’n tough for the ones who gave their all to our crazy world of pro wrestling. Like @HEELZiggler. What a decorated @WWE career and I’ll always be a supporter and fan. Can’t wait to see what he (and everyone) does next… #onward”.

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But this might just be the break that Ziggler was looking for as he had just started doing some big standup comedy tours recently. Only time will tell if he will pursue standup comedy as a career or return to the world of wrestling. What are your opinions on Dolph Ziggler being laid off? What do you make of Cena’s tweet highlighting Ziggler’s achievements? Let us know in the comments section below.