WWE Hall of Famer Gerald Brisco Says Vince McMahon Released Him from WWE

WWE Hall of Famer and longtime WWE employee Gerald Brisco tweeted Thursday that WWE Chairman Vince McMahon informed him he has been let go from the company.

Brisco said he was "OK" with the decision and still plans to help talent when possible:

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter first reported in April that Brisco was among the many WWE employees who were furloughed because of budget cuts amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brisco has been involved with WWE for 36 years as a wrestler, supporting on-screen talent and talent scout, making him one of the company's longest-tenured employees before his release.

The 73-year-old Brisco began wrestling in 1969 at age 23, primarily tagging with his brother, Jack Brisco.

Jerry and Jack won tag team gold together in several promotions, including Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, Georgia Championship Wrestling and Championship Wrestling from Florida.

Brisco is perhaps best known to current fans for his on-screen role during the Attitude Era. Along with fellow Hall of Famer and inaugural Intercontinental champion Pat Patterson, Brisco was one of McMahon's "stooges."

Despite being over 50 years old at the time, Brisco often took a beating at the hands of many of WWE's top Superstars, including Stone Cold Steve Austin, to protect his boss.

Brisco won the Hardcore Championship twice during that time and provided fans with many memorable moments alongside Patterson.

It can be argued that Brisco's greatest contribution to WWE, however, was his work as a scout. He was a star high school wrestler and college wrestler at Oklahoma State, and that background helped him identify and scout amateur wrestlers with the potential to make the leap to pro wrestling.

Brisco's last on-screen appearance for WWE came on the July 22, 2019, edition of WWE Raw when he briefly held the 24/7 title.