November 23, 2020 Observer Newsletter: Unionization in pro wrestling, Survivor Series changes

WWE’s firing of Thea Trinidad Budgen (Zelina Vega) over its new social media policy was something that was, given the circumstances, both inevitable and unavoidable.

But what it leads to is an entirely different story, that could have significant ramifications.

Budgen, 29, was fired for refusing to get rid of her Twitch platform, and, when WWE performers were directly told to get rid of money making social media platforms, doubled down so to speak and started an Only Fans account.

As soon as WWE came down with the doctrine the issues were inevitable since some of the women, Budgen being one of them, was earning more money through those platforms than she was as a WWE performer. It made no sense for her to give up her platforms. And WWE had no choice but to fire her for doing so.

There is the big question as to whether, without the exposure on WWE television, she can continue to make the level of money she has from those platforms. 

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