The wrestling organization WWE has released Thea Megan Trinidad (29). She was an emerging star in the wrestling world under the ring name Zelina Vega. She apparently refused to follow a directive from management to give up her Twitch channel. The termination puts WWE in the spotlight of influential US politicians.
Why are so many wrestlers suddenly streaming? In the USA, the Corona pandemic is raging. This affects every public event.
The WWE is also feeling the restrictions. While TV shows are still happening, they are recorded in empty arenas.
As a result, WWE is losing a ton of money, as ticket sales and merchandising profits are missing. The missing money and opportunities to do their jobs are felt by the wrestlers.
Wrestlers at WWE are not employees, but independent contractors. They are feeling the lockdown acutely. Many wrestlers who are usually on tour all year are suddenly stuck at home, have no contact with fans, and their income opportunities are disappearing.
Therefore, many wrestlers have earned extra money in recent months by streaming on Twitch or sending messages for money through platforms like Cameo.
Many wrestlers are naturally charismatic entertainers and have a large following that follows them everywhere. People like Cesaro, A.J. Styles, or the wrestler Paige quickly found success on Twitch.
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WWE bans wrestlers from streaming on Twitch
This is why WWE is banning it now: A few weeks ago, it became known that WWE is prohibiting its wrestlers from appearing on Twitch or earning extra money through Cameo.
It was stated: WWE invests a lot of money in the “stage names of the wrestlers,” therefore they want to maintain full control over it. It is crucial that WWE protects its “most important assets,” so they cannot allow individuals to do their own thing on a personal level.
According to an insider, the new policy stems from WWE hiring a new manager, Nick Khan, who is implementing new ideas and wants to take a more restrictive approach.
In fact, after the ban, some of the big WWE stars have ended their Twitch streams, such as Cesaro. They stated how much joy Twitch brought them, but said goodbye to their fans.
We have reported on MeinMMO about former wrestler Paige, who opposed this ban. Tearfully she stated that Twitch is extremely important to her, and she does not want to be prohibited from it. For Paige, the refusal to give up Twitch has so far not had any negative consequences, at least none that have become known.
“Heart broken,” says wrestler
This wrestler was fired: A wrestler who also refused to give up Twitch was Zelina Vega. She has now been fired by WWE. According to the Wrestling Observer, she was released because she had refused to give up her Twitch account.
Zelina Vega says her termination has broken her heart. But she claims this is not the last time people will see her:
The Observer states: Vega is now reportedly earning more money through Twitch and other channels than through WWE itself.
Vega was actually considered an upcoming star of WWE
Before she was fired, she tweeted: “I supported the formation of a union.” (via twitter).
The formation of a union for wrestlers has been a topic in the USA for nearly 25 years.
Jesse “The Body” Ventura wanted to form a union in 1986, before Wrestle Mania 2, but it failed.
These are the larger implications: Wrestling enjoys a high status in the USA. An important Democratic politician, the interim presidential candidate Andrew Yang, has already announced in September that he would address the “situation of wrestlers”.
He said that if he does not become Secretary of Labor himself, he will at least have the number of the Secretary of Labor. He finds it ridiculous that wrestlers are categorized as “independent contractors” while they are simultaneously prohibited from doing everything, even appearing on Cameo.
It is now clear that the Democrats are moving into the White House. Yang has already announced after the termination of Zelina Vega that he has not forgotten WWE and Vince McMahon.
Wrestling and gaming have some parallels and are continuously seeking proximity to each other. The streamer Dr Disrespect is actually something like a wrestling character himself and had a confrontation with the Undertaker a few weeks ago:
WWE star Undertaker meets Twitch streamer Dr Disrespect, goes for his throat
The title image comes from a tweet by WWE on BT Sport.
