WWE Releases Writer Who Said They Didn't Require Her To Know Wrestling
By Jason Hall
June 25, 2021
A WWE creative writer/producer who made headlines during a recent podcast appearance has reportedly been released by the company.
Fightful.com's Sean Ross Sapp reports Kenice Mobley, who had recently revealed during an appearance on the Asian Not Asian podcast that the company didn't require her to have previous knowledge of the product before being hired, was fired on Friday (June 25) amid multiple releases.
Mobley received significant negative feedback from WWE fans after she admitted her unfamiliarity to the product, which included still not knowing current WWE Champion Bobby Lashley's name or that his previous group, 'The Hurt Business,' had since disbanded.
“Yes, I have just been hired by WWE. Given the things that you know about me and my entire life and what I’m into, yes [that’s surprising]. Yes, also a surprise for me," Mobley said during the podcast appearance. "They did not require me to know anything about wrestling but I do have a background in film production and comedy writing and they’re like, ‘Perfect. Come on in.’
“So I am on the Monday Night Raw team. So there’s Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown and the people I know that are on it are Bobby — his name is either Bobby Ashley or Bobby Lashley and I really should know that. He’s like this giant Black guy and he and the people who are part of his crew, I know that they call — or at least as of last year, they called themselves The Hurt Business. The Hurt Business. They wear suits and they’re like, ‘We’re cool.’”
WWE writer Kenice Mobley has been let go. She was in the news this week after a podcast appearance where she said she wasn't familiar with the product.
— Sean Ross Sapp of Voice Over Work (@SeanRossSapp) June 25, 2021
Sapp reports the negative fan reaction to Mobley's podcast appearance had "little to nothing to do with the decision for WWE to let her go," but was "more of an internal concern" and wasn't sure what she was told by the company.
Sapp also reports WWE released several in-ring competitors including the tag-team Ever-Rise (Chase Parker and Matt Martel), Fandango and Ariya Daivari.
WWE has had several rounds of firings since April 15, which included an initial round involving former Billie Kay, Peyton Royce, Mickie James, Chelsea Green, Tucker, Kalisto, Bo Dallas, Wesley Blake and Samoa Joe, who has since been re-hired in a new role for the NXT brand.
A second round of releases on May 20 included eight individuals from the NXT brand: Alexander Wolfe, Jessamyn Duke, Vanessa Borne, Kavita Devi, Skyler Story, Ezra Judge and referees Drake Wuertz and Jake Clemons.
A third round of releases on June 2 included former Universal Champion Braun Strowman, Aleister Black, Lana, Murphy, Ruby Riott and Santana Garrett.
Veteran RAW commentator Tom Phillips was also released by the company weeks after being replaced by MLB Network anchor Adnan Virk, days after Virk "mutually agreed to part ways" with the company after just seven episodes.