There have been rumblings for a while that referee Drake Wuertz has become one of WWE's most problematic employees, and he's now been released by the company.
Wuertz started working for the company in 2014, and it was in April we first heard that his duties had been greatly reduced. It was said at the time Darryl Sharma had replaced him as NXT's head referee, while rumours that he was going to be given the responsibility of timing matches proved to be incorrect after Scott Armstrong was given that job.
The referee was suspended earlier this year and banned from the Capitol Wrestling Center for a time. Last November, screenshots surfaced that suggested Wuertz might be a supporter of the Proud Boys and Q-Anon, while he also made headlines for giving a speech during a County Commissioner's meeting while backstage at NXT TV to protest mask mandates.
It's said he had "nuclear heat brought on by himself" after being warned by WWE about attending events without a mask, while he's made no friends backstage after reportedly attempting to weasel his way into certain roles. Wuertz allegedly had issues with people of colour in the company, and very nearly got into a fight with wrestler EJ Nduka (Ezra Judge).
When Triple H was giving a speech about Black Lives Matter last year and talking about different races and religions being welcomed in WWE, Wuertz is reported as "aggressively" gathering his stuff and leaving. To put the cherry on the cake, he's also said to have been loudly critical of any wrestlers who got the COVID-19 vaccine.
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