Vince McMahon's XFL Lays Off 95 Employees, Cites Coronavirus

STAMFORD, CT — The Stamford-headquartered XFL football league announced this week it has "permanently laid off all employees" in light of the new coronavirus. Additionally, all operations of Alpha Entertainment LLC, the holding company behind the new football league headed by WWE CEO Vince McMahon, have been "discontinued" as of April 10, according to a letter submitted to the state Department of Labor on Monday, April 13.

According to the letter, 95 employees in Connecticut have been affected by the decision and "all work sites are being closed."

The letter also indicates the decision was made due to business circumstances related to the virus, also referred to as COVID-19, that were "not reasonably foreseeable." The company provided a breakdown of eliminated positions along with the letter.

According to Bloomberg, Alpha Entertainment has also declared bankruptcy, filing for Chapter 11 protection from creditors in Delaware on Monday, as indicated by court papers.

The company, which lists the XFL as an alternate business name, cited as much as $50 million each in assets and liabilities in its bankruptcy petition, Bloomberg reports. The league aims to use its bankruptcy to sell off assets, including the XFL brand, trademarks and intellectual properties.

Don't miss local and statewide news about coronavirus developments and precautions. Sign up for free Patch alerts and daily newsletters from all across Connecticut.

The XFL is not the only McMahon-run empire affected by the virus. On Wednesday, the WWE provided an update on measures taken by the company in response to the impact of the virus on the organization, including furloughing a number of employees and releasing several wrestlers.

While a specific number of affected employees was not provided, the company said it had furloughed "a portion of its workforce" effective immediately, among various other short-term cost reductions.

"The decision to furlough versus permanently reduce headcount reflects the fact that the company currently believes the furlough will be temporary in nature," the company said in a lengthy statement released Wednesday.

Additionally, the WWE announced on its website the release of several wrestlers and on-screen talent, including Drake Maverick (James Curtin), Kurt Angle, Curt Hawkins (Brian Myers), Karl Anderson (Chad Allegra), Luke Gallows (Drew Hankinson), Eric Young (Jeremy Fritz) and Lio Rush (Lionel Green), among others. The full list can be found here.

After the news was announced, Drake Maverick tweeted an emotional video. He said he will compete in the NXT Cruiserweight Championship tournament, however they will likely be the last matches he ever has.

"As of today, I have been released from my WWE contract," Maverick said in the video. "There's a lot of people I'm not going to get a chance to say goodbye to that I really loved and I really cared about."

The company said they had come to terms on each superstar's release and wished them "all the best in their future endeavors."

See also: WWE Furloughs Employees, Releases Several Wrestlers

• Coronavirus Stamford Updates: Hotel Announces 100+ Layoffs
• Stamford Coronavirus Updates: Board Of Ed Member Dies From Virus
  
• Stamford Police Officer Battling Coronavirus Returns Home
  
• Stamford Coronavirus Updates: New 'Quick Result' Test Available
• Stamford Local Business Guide: What's Open, Closed in Town
• High School Student Launches GoFundMe To Aid Stamford Hospital
• Stamford Toy Store Offering Curbside Pickup, FaceTime Orders
• Coronavirus Stamford Updates: Restaurant Announces Layoffs

COVID-19 is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that's a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have caused outbreaks in the past.