The Story Of Mark Carrano Being Fired From WWE
James Stevens
Published Mar 27, 2026
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There’s a good chance, even if you’re a wrestling fan, that you don't know who Mark Carrano is. Even though he was employed by WWE for many years, he was not an onscreen presence outside of appearing on a few episodes of Total Divas. Carrano was a powerful presence behind the scenes, however, as the company’s Senior Director of Talent Relations. That level of power seemed to not earn him any respect though. After his release, many former WWE stars came forward to give their take on what kind of man Carrano was. So what happened?
The Handling Of Mickie James’ Release Was His Undoing
If you don’t know who Carrano is, there’s a better chance you know at least a bit about the story that resulted in his termination. Just after WrestleMania in 2021, several WWE Superstars were released. Among them were Samoa Joe, Bo Dallas, The IIconics, and one Mickie James. A six-time Women’s Champion in WWE, James was in the midst of her second stint with the company when she was let go. Fans hated to see her leave. She was a future Hall of Famer and deserved so much more. Apparently, not everyone held her in the same high regard.
A few days later James tweeted out a picture of a black garbage bag in a cardboard box and said, “Dear Vince McMahon I'm not sure if you’re aware, I did receive my WWE care package today. Thank you. #AlwaysBlessedandGrateful #WomensWrestlingMatters”
All of Mickie James’ left-behind belongings had been sent back to her inside a garbage bag. It was the ultimate show of disrespect, and completely lacking empathy for someone who had just lost their job. The tweet went viral, leading to an outpouring of disgust among fans and former WWE talent alike.
WWE swiftly handled the situation, to their credit. Vince McMahon personally called James to apologize. She called it a “very sincere apology.” Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, and John Laurinaitis (who took over for Carrano) all put out tweets stating that the individual responsible had been terminated. That individual was Mark Carrano. Whether he was truly responsible or just the scapegoat blamed for a bad culture, no one knows, but he was the one to take the fall.
RELATED: [Rumor] Vince McMahon Had Already Grown Tired Of Mark Carrano
Mark Carrano Had A History Of Being Disliked Backstage
To hear ex-WWE talent talk, Carrano deserved what he got and had it coming for a long time. Former WWE women’s stars Gail Kim, Maria Kanellis, and Jillian Hall reported that after being released they received their belongings in trash bags too. Kim went so far as to say Carrano “was not a good human being.” Finding out that James was not the only one this happened to, Laurinaitis had to call more released talent to apologize to them as well.
It wasn’t just women who had a problem with Carrano. Darren Young tweeted, “I was constantly harassed by him about losing my job and I just stayed quiet.” Former longtime referee Mike Chioda called Carrano the worst head of talent relations ever and blamed him for his own release. In his Monday Mailbag with Mike Chioda podcast, he said, “He’s the sh*ts…He wasn’t straightforward with you. I didn’t believe him.”
Fightful Select spoke anonymously with over a dozen former WWE talents. They all agreed that he deserved to be let go, with comments ranging from him being a “snake” to “F**k Mark Carrano.”
RELATED: Mark Carrano's Ex-Girlfriend Accuses Him Of Stealing WWE Property
Where Are Mark Carrano And Mickie James Now?
Mark Carrano never gave an interview sharing his side of the story. Some former WWE talent believe he’ll get his old job back one day because “he knows where too many bodies are buried,” but with the horrible PR WWE received over the Mickie James incident, it’s hard to believe they’ll ever want anything to do with him again.
A happier ending to the story involves focusing on Mickie James. After her release from WWE, James moved on, returning to Impact Wrestling, where she became the Impact Knockouts Champion for the fourth time. In a historic move, the forbidden door was knocked down at the 2022 Royal Rumble, which saw Mickie James welcomed back to compete in the Women’s Royal Rumble. For WWE to bring in a star from another company (which is something they almost never do) spoke to how much Vince McMahon still respected her. She was even allowed to come to the ring wearing her Impact title. For James to say yes to the invitation said that there were no hard feelings. Carrano lost his job, but Mickie James is doing better than ever.
