Since the WWE quieted down their firings that took place over the Summer, it seemed as if jobs were once again safe in the WWE. Granted, there’s always the exception of a bad case like Alberto Del Rio; but other than that, the WWE stopped cleaning house.
According to Wrestlezone.com , the WWE just released Justin Roberts, long-time ring announcer, from his contract. In the press release, it’s the word choice they used that sparks controversy.
“WWE has chosen to not exercise its option to renew ring announcer Justin Roberts’ contract. Effective immediately, Roberts is released from WWE.
“WWE wishes him the best in all his future endeavors.”
Anything that is effective immediately has to have a backstory to it. Roberts never got into any trouble, that we know of. His work on the microphone became a staple to Monday Night Raw every week. Granted, his voice isn’t quite like Tony Chimel or Gene Okerlund, but Roberts put in his time and never complained. In fact, he took a nasty spot during the Nexus takeover, that eventually led to Daniel Bryan’s release.
Oddly enough, his release came right after he posted a picture of him and Evander Holyfield from Raw last night. It’s very sad to see Roberts go, because he truly loved his job. His Instagram bio says, “WWE Raw Ring Announcer. Had an impossible dream, chased it got it & now loving it.” Everything the man did was for the WWE. The only problem is, the story isn’t over.
Like I noted above, when something happens “effective immediately,” that is not a good sign for the WWE and for Roberts. He’s been a loyal employee since 2002. It isn’t like the situation with Josh Mathews, because he was much more vital to the broadcast than Mathews. There’s just something very odd about their decision and why they waited until this morning to announce it.
He did his usual job last night on Monday Night Raw and did it very well, like always. With this taking place, that will demand a new ring announcer, or a harder workload for Lillian Garcia. Tony Chimel does spot appearances for the WWE, so it is unlikely that he’ll go back to full-time. Plus, Edge isn’t wrestling anymore, so his voice crack is useless otherwise.
At the end of the day, it is a shame to see Justin Roberts released. Luckily for him, he has side projects, so it won’t be like he’s hurting for money. This story definitely isn’t done, so make sure to check back with the Inquisitr for updates on Justin Roberts and the WWE’s decision to release him.
**UPDATE**
A huge update just came out, from Ringside News. This update does not confirm that this is the reason why Roberts was fired, but it certainly adds fuel to the fire.
According to a few accounts on social media from fans who were at the Philips Arena, Roberts was seen yelling at Michael Cole during the Dolph Ziggler vs. Randy Orton match and flipped him off.
Apparently, this isn’t the first time Cole and Roberts were intertwined with frustration. Sometimes, Could would make snide remarks at Roberts for his announcing and Roberts ultimately decided to part ways and make sure his opinion was known. As it was noted earlier, the story couldn’t have simply been just a release. Roberts’ frustration came to fruition with his inappropriate gesture to Michael Cole.
[Image via Google.com]