WWE Announcer Vic Joseph Opens Up About Wife McKenzie Mitchell’s Release

WWE has been making numerous talent cuts over the past few months, leading to a wave of departures across the company. A few weeks ago, several well-known names were released, including Cedric Alexander, Isla Dawn, AOP, and Elektra Lopez, among others. These cuts followed a prior round of releases that saw stars like Baron Corbin, Tegan Nox, and Indi Hartwell exit the company.

However, it was not just in-ring talent that was affected. Former WWE NXT backstage announcer McKenzie Mitchell was also let go. Mitchell, who is known for her work in NXT, is also the wife of WWE commentator Vic Joseph. Speaking on the Getting Over podcast, Joseph opened up about his reaction to the unexpected news of her release.

“I’ll be honest about it. I was completely caught off guard. I remember the morning. And what was interesting is my father passed away in October. She was fired the first week of December. So it was like boom, boom, you know. So, yeah, it completely caught me off guard. It completely caught her off guard, and caught some people in the company off guard as well."

Joseph reflected on how difficult the timing was for both of them, given his father’s passing just weeks before Mitchell’s sudden departure. Despite the initial shock, he spoke about how they handled the situation.

“The only thing we could do is go about it with grace. And now she’s back in TNA; she’s back home to the promotion she wanted to go back to."

Although leaving WWE was difficult, Joseph expressed pride in Mitchell's ability to move forward. He also shared that several key figures in WWE reached out to them personally during the ordeal.

“I’m so proud of her. And I go back to three people — I go back to Triple H, I go back to Shawn Michaels and I go back to Michael Cole. All three reached out. All three talked to us. All three talked to us on a personal level. I don’t want to share those conversations, obviously. But that is why, to me, WWE is home for me. And it’s different. It’s a different vibe. It’s a different feel.”

Despite the abrupt nature of her release, Mitchell has spoken in interviews about understanding the decision and maintaining a positive outlook on her time with WWE.

“For her, she said in interviews that she understood. You know, it is what it is. She still loves everybody here. She still talks to Shawn. Every time I see Hunter, he goes, ‘Hey, how’s she doing?’"

Joseph also hinted that the door might not be closed on a potential return in the future.

“Anything can happen a year from now. And there’s no ill will towards anybody from her towards WWE. She even just told me today, she goes, ‘Hey, I’d love to make it to Stand and Deliver when I’m out in Vegas just to say hi to Shawn and give him a hug. You know, that’s great. I don’t know how many other corporate places have that sort of emotional connection.’"

Despite the shock of the release, it appears that Mitchell has landed on her feet with a return to TNA, and she remains on good terms with WWE personnel.