Report: WWE Talents Expected Drew Gulak To Be Fired Following Ronda Rousey Allegation
WWE talents thought Drew Gulak would be gone following Ronda Rousey's allegation
Apr 4, 2024
The expectation within WWE was that Drew Gulak would be fired by the company after the former Cruiserweight Champion was accused of inappropriate conduct by Ronda Rousey, according to Bryan Alvarez on Wrestling Observer Radio.
"It was Tuesday when this story came out and there were people there that thought man, Gulak's probably going to be gone tomorrow. And he's not gone," Alvarez stated.
Ronda Rousey has accused Drew Gulak of grabbing the drawstring of her sweatpants while backstage at a WWE event in 2022.
"I was standing there and this guy I was barely an acquaintance with grabs the string of my sweatpants as I’m walking by… and nobody reacts as if this is abnormal, and he’s going down the hall and I’m like ‘what the f*** is that? Why are you grabbing the string of my sweatpants? If my husband was standing there next to me, would you feel comfortable walking up to me and grabbing the string of my sweatpants?' All the guys around me were like, this is part of the day. And if this guy was coming up to me and doing this kind of stuff to me when there are other people around, what’s happening to these other girls when I’m not in the hallway?" Rousey said on NewsNation.
"I was like, if I ever hear you putting your hands on any other woman like this or doing anything to me like this ever again...we’re going to have a problem. And he was like ‘No, no, no, I’m glad you said something to me’ and he backpedalled. But it put a sour taste in my mouth about the culture there and what’s considered acceptable and how to touch and treat the women in the hallways."
Gulak has since responded to the allegations, tweeting: "Backstage at a WWE event in 2022, I saw Ronda talking with a group in the hallway. I stopped to say hi and shake all their hands, and in an attempt to shake her hand, I accidentally touched her drawstring. Complete accident, and one that I had apologized to her for the mishap."
Outside of his role as a Performance Center coach, Gulak is part of No Quarter Catch Crew on WWE NXT. The faction currently holds the NXT Heritage Cup and Gulak wrestled on WWE TV as recently as March 19 when he successfully defended the trophy against Chase U's Riley Osborne.
Ronda Rousey was a part of WWE from 2018 until the Summer of 2023. She has been heavily critical of the company since her departure, saying WWE has a "foundational sexist, patriarchal culture."