As noted before, Mickie James revealed on Twitter that a “care package” from WWE recently arrived at her house, which was just all of her stuff in a loose garbage bag. Following the online backlash against the company, both Triple H and Stephanie McMahon publicly apologized to James and stated that the person responsible has been fired from WWE.
WrestlingInc reported that WWE fired their Senior Director of Talent Relations Mark Carrano over this incident.
Dave Meltzer reported in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Carrano was immediately fired after WWE officials learned that he either was the person who sent the package to James or had authorized her belongings to be sent in a garbage bag. One female talent spoken to stated that the reason why James had some of her personal belongings still in the company after her release was due to female talent “have drawers that travel as well (as bringing stuff from home to the shows. So we leave little things we may need from week-to-week, our gear, makeup, shoes etc. We take our gear bag home, but a lot of people have heavy gear that is easier to leave at the venue.”
Another talent spoken to stated that “talent who is let go, if anything of theirs is left behind at arenas, it’s boxed up and sent back to their homes. I don’t think sending it in a garbage bag was to be mean. It was done in a way that was just like stuff in a bag, put it in a box and get it back to them. But it could be interpreted as disrespectful during an already hard time as a released talent. Which in Mickie’s case she felt it symbolized that was all she was worth, which is not the case! But yes, it could have been handled better.”
Prior to his firing, Carrano had been with the company since 1998.
Besides Carrano, WWE also recently released several corporate level employees from the company this past week. PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that WWE’s Director of Talent Relations Nicole Zeoli, Vice President of Communications Mead Rust, and Manager of Publicity and Corporate Communications Joe Villa were among those released. Johnson also reported that long-time WWE referee was removed from his role as a Senior Manager in the company’s Talent Relations Department but will remain in his job as a referee. In regards to the Mickie James incident, Dave Meltzer also reported in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter that their releases were not related to that incident nor Carrano’s firing.