Greg Hamilton says WWE fired him in 2021 over a music video he never agreed to appear in, five years after he publicly described his exit as a mutual decision.
The former SmackDown ring announcer gave the explanation in a comment under an Instagram post marking five years since his departure. “I got a call from Talent Relations and was fired for it,” Hamilton wrote, adding that he had no idea he was even in the video.
Hamilton said the video involved his name, image and likeness, which WWE owned under his contract. He said the call came right after he landed home from Saudi Arabia, while he was watching Cincinnati Bearcats football, and told fans he had put up with their opinions for years before setting the record straight.
A different story than in 2021
WWE released Hamilton, whose real name is Greg Hutson, in late October 2021, with PWInsider first reporting the news. He had been with the company since 2015, and in his final week he worked Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia and that Friday’s SmackDown, which lines up with the timing he describes now.
At the time, Hamilton called it “a mutual respect departure” in an Instagram post, saying the 52-week travel schedule had become too much and that his family came first. That statement was the basis of our report on his 2021 WWE release.
His exit also came days after a public dispute with rapper Westside Gunn over a sample of Hamilton’s voice on a track. Hamilton threatened legal action in since-deleted comments, and many fans assumed that spat led to his release. His new comment does not name the music video or connect it to Gunn.
WWE has not commented on Hamilton’s account. He has largely stayed out of the wrestling spotlight since leaving, though he made headlines in 2022 when he survived a serious car accident.
