Yes, exactly one year to the date after WWE’s mass talent purge due to COVID-19 it would seem they’re at it again. With seemingly no reason other than “budget cuts” The World Wrestling Entertainment has begun cutting a large and shocking mix of superstars which began on the evening of April 15th 2021 around 2pm eastern standard time. The following is the current list of all known releases at this time, check back for updates as the story progresses.
Billie Kay
The initial release reported by dirt sheets and WWE.com alike was for former Smackdown superstar Billie Kay. This release comes as a shock as Billie is fresh off a push that lead her to Wrestlemania in a losing effort as part of the Women’s Tag Team gauntlet match. With buzz already swarming around her abrupt firing, it seems it will not be long before we see Billie back inside a squared circle, the question now is where.
Mickie James
Along side the aforementioned Billie Kay, WWE veteran and former Women’s champion, Mickie James was released from her WWE contract. Mickie had been very vocal about her opinions on “aging” women’s wrestles spot in the business as a whole in recent months but still thanked WWE Chairman Vince McMahon upon the news of her release for her time with the company and fond memories over the years. (Below)
Tucker
One half of the former tag team “Heavy Machinery” alongside Otis, Tucker split from his long time partner in late 2020 following the Money In The Bank Pay-Per-View. Since then Tucker has largely been off TV, competing in the occasional multi-man match or appearing in backstage segments. It seems as though we’ll never get to see what Tucker’s singles run would’ve looked like in WWE. Interestingly enough, this release may be exactly what Tucker needed to get his singles career off the ground as following the break of his release, Tucker tweeter out this in response…
Wesley Blake
Former member of NXT tag team “Blake and Murphy” as well as “The Forgotten Sons” Wesley Blake never got his fair shake at a main roster push. Seemingly always looked over in favor of his partners by WWE creative. Could we see the reunion of Forgotten Sons’s Steve Cutler with Blake relatively soon on the independent scene?
Chelsea Green
The release of popular NXT women’s main stay Chelsea Green came as a shock to many as the women’s wrestler appeared quite frequently on NXT TV and was highly regarded as one of the companies next big stars. Green’s partner former WWE superstar Matt Cardona, FKA Zack Ryder, took to Twitter upon the announcement to express his pure shock of the situation and to reassure Chelsea she is indeed a star! Ryder being one of last years “Black Wednesday” cuts and having appeared across a plethora of promotions since including Impact Wrestling, AEW, and a series of his own shows, should know a thing or two about success outside of the WWE umbrella.
Kalisto
The man responsible for “good lucha things” is another interesting release on the part of WWE. Current member of the three man stable Lucha House Party, alongside Lince Dorado and Gran Metalik at the time of release, Kalisto is a former NXT Tag and United States champion in his own right. While not a regular feature on WWE TV, The Lucha House Party were one of few teams making up the current tag division. With the release of Kalisto, we only hope that his partners aren’t soon to follow suit.
Peyton Royce
The tag division once again in shambles as another team is out of the WWE picture. Peyton Royce, former member of the IIconics alongside Billie Kay, has also been released from her WWE contract. Peyton as well has her family have been very vocal over the past months starting their displeasure with the state of WWE’s women’s division and the idea that creative would rather have the same women become champion over and over again rather than affording opportunities to new talent. Could we possible see an IIconic reunion in a more “Elite” promotion int the near future?
Bo Dallas
Real life brother of Bray Wyatt and son of WWE legend I.R.S. Bo curiously survived last years cuts while his running partner Curtis Axel did not. This lead many to believe there were big plans in the world for Bo in relation to Bray’s new “Fiend” gimmick. While Bo has been missing from WWE programming since the 2019 Crown Jewel event, backstage sources report he may be in the process of transitioning out of wrestling and rather starting his own Real-estate agency. Whatever his plans are for life outside of the WWE, we genuinely do wish Dallas the best in future endeavors.
Samoa Joe
Definitely the most shocking of the bunch released was wrestling veteran Samoa Joe. Joe is widely credited as one of the best wrestlers of his generation and has held the major title in almost every company he’s been a part of, ironically enough, excluding WWE. While Joe has been on the sideline with an injury for most of this past year, he has still remained a staple of weekly WWE programming serving as a play by play commentator for Monday Night Raw. Even more shocking, Joe’s last appearance with the company would be his role as a main commentator throughout both nights of Wrestlemania. With such a prime role and being such a hot acquisition, many are question the decision to release Joe. One thing remains certain, wherever he goes, Samoa Joe is sure to make an impact on their world title picture with fans already clamoring on Twitter for AEW and other wrestling promotions to sign the now free agent!
These have been the releases from WWE on April, 15th 2021 thus far. Be sure to check back for updates as this story progresses. Let us know what you think of this batch of releases below or join in on the conversation as it continues on Twitter, where many superstars and companies alike remain very vocal as seen below!
UPDATED
Mojo Rawley
Mojo Rawley is the most recent member of the WWE roster released. Mojo was released on April 15th, 2021 around 7pm Eastern Standard Time.
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