Stand back, there are producers coming through. According to Mike Johnson of PWInsider, both Shane ‘Hurricane’ Helms and Dave ‘Fit’ Finlay have returned to World Wrestling Entertainment as producers.
As per the report, both men resumed their respective roles within the company this past week after being furloughed by the company back in April during the mass talent exodus. Names such as Nigel McGuinness, who were furloughed alongside the pair, had already returned to company.
Shane Helms, who recently made a cameo appearance as The Hurricane at AEW Full Gear on November 7, was hired by the company as a producer in January 2019 and was said to have been present at WWE Survivor Series in preparation to resume his post.
According to PWInsider, the former WWE Tag Team Champion began his role once again on the November 23 edition of Raw.
Upon Helms’ dismissal, he talked to Busted Open Radio to state that he completely understood the decision and that there was no ill-will:
“I completely understand. Nobody is buying tickets, no live events, I understand cutting costs. We have to, as people, prepare for life once we get over this. I was being paid to sit at home and do nothing. That can only last so long. Do I wish it was different? Of course. I really loved that job. I would review scripts and give feedback, but other than that, there’s really a lot that I wasn’t able to do. Most of the producers they kept are the ones that live there and don’t have to travel.”
Dave Finlay has served as producer and overseer of the company’s women’s division for longer, having been hired in 2012 when he began to wind down his in-ring career.
However, his input in the female league began long before that and legends such as Trish Status, Lita and countless others have cited him as the one instrumental factor in not only their success, but also the revival of women’s wrestling as a whole.
Finlay was hired by WWE as a producer in July 2012 and is widely credited for helping the women’s division become what it is today.
The news comes after it was confirmed that Brian Kendrick had moved into the role of producer for NXT.