WWE has reportedly parted ways with stalwart NXT referee Drake Wuertz.
PWinsider reports that Wuertz was fired by WWE on Wednesday. WWE has yet to make an official announcement.
Wuertz is a former deathmatch wrestler who performed under the name Drake Younger for multiple independent promotions including Combat Zone Wrestling, IWA Mid-South, EVOLVE, Dragon Gate USA, Chikara, and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla.
He retired in 2014 after a 13-year career, and joined WWE as a referee later that same year.
The 36-year-old has refereed multiple high-profile matches for WWE's NXT brand, and also refereed at WrestleMania 34.
In recent years, Wuertz has fallen victim to the discredited American far-right conspiracy theory known as Q-Anon. Investigative pro-wrestling journalist David Bixenspan has written extensively about Wuertz's increasingly bizarre political beliefs, and has documented numerous examples of Wuertz publicly making demonstrably false claims at local board and council meetings in Seminole County, Florida.
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Back in April, Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp reported that Wuertz had been suspended by WWE, and that his duties within the company had diminished. Darryl Sharma reportedly replaced Wuertz as NXT's head referee during this time.
The reason for Wuertz's alleged firing is unknown at this time, but it seems likely that WWE big wigs were becoming frustrated by the negative press caused by Drake's unhinged behavior. Drake would sometimes wear an NXT-branded shirt to the Seminole County meetings at which he made farcical claims regarding mask mandates and their relationship to child sex trafficking rings.
Wuertz was last seen on WWE programming on the most recent edition of NXT on USA Network, so the decision appears to have been made recently.
This is a developing story, and we update you if and when there is official confirmation from WWE regarding Wuertz's firing.
