SRS has confirmed there will be WWE roster releases today, which appear to have already begun.
Please comment if you spot any news that I haven’t posted. Should I spot wrestlers commenting on it, I’ll try and edit them in too.
Released so far:
- Mustafa Ali (Per SRS: Is let go, but not due to these cuts, just at the same time) (Tweet)
- Emma (Tweet)
- Rick Boogs
- Aliyah
- Elias (We no longer walk with Elias). (Tweet)
- Riddick Moss (Tweet)
- Top Dolla
- Shelton Benjamin (Tweet)
- Dolph Ziggler (Now confirmed by SRS) (Tweet)
- WWE comes off of Hulu next week (Might as well group it in, fuck).
- Tegan Nox (reported by Mark Henry on Busted Open Radio apparently, not seeing confirmation otherwise yet, treat as a rumour).
Per JelloBrains below, also:
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Mansoor
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Mace
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Dana Brooke
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Quincy Elliot
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Bryson Montana.
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Amari Miller
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Dabba-Kato/Commander Azeez
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Shanky
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Brooklyn Barlow
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Ikeman Jiro
Alvarez says within WWE it is believed the NXT cuts will start around 5PM EST…
SRS said these are just the releases “so far”. Expect more, possibly still from the main roster.
SRS: 90 day non competes for most of the releases, per usual.
“Mass cuts were not expected under HHH” per FS
Many other wrestlers have tweeted support for the wrestlers, in the interest of brevity I’ll just link the Fightful link to them.
FINAL EDIT FOR NOW: May not be here during the NXT announcements, if anyone else wants to continue onward feel free, I’ll update when I get the chance to later.
Direct link to the Fightful Select thread should anyone else wish to follow along separately - https://www.patreon.com/posts/89620353. I’ll paste the details and update it also periodically:
WWE Releases Thread
Note: Due to the nature of this post, it will be made free and public.Mustafa Ali, Emma and Aaliyah all announced their releases. Fightful has confirmed Riddick Moss, Rick Boogs, Dolph Ziggler, Shelton Benjamin and Elias were all also released.
As of 11:30 AM, Fightful heard there were still calls going on informing of releases. Many in the company who would usually know didn’t appear to know who all would be subject to the releases. In the past year or so, WWE has not publicly announced releases themselves, and in many cases never actually confirmed them.
We’re told some cuts were expected at the WWE PC as well.
There was some frustration among members of the roster we spoke to that WWE announced a $1.4B Smackdown deal and then cut talent. One top star said that most of the list barely had a chance considering they weren’t booked, and called it a circle that couldn’t be escaped.
Another brought up that the company released Emma just after the WWE Elimination Chamber show announcement in her home country.
The line of thinking from many on the roster is that WWE aligned these cuts with the announcement of Elimination Chamber and Smackdown rights fee deal in order to minimize the negative impact on the company. TKO’s stock dropped from $96.23 to $88.95 by 10:10 ET after the Smackdown announcement. The stock now sits at $86.94 as of 12:20 ET as news of releases have filtered in.
WWE sources we spoke with said that mass cuts were not discussed under Triple H, and this is in direct correlation to the merger.
Several talent that we spoke to had even thought the days of mass cuts were behind them, and deals would simply be allowed to expire. That had appeared to be the method of late.
This will be updated as we get more info
Hey guys, I might need a little help with our discussion threads over the next few days. I’m getting my appendix removed and I could be in hospital for 2-5 days. Depends on if it’s perforated or not (spoiler: its not looking good).
Sorry for derailing the thread. Just wanted to get the word out before people wonder why those threads are missing.
Thinking good thoughts for you! :)
All the best to you. Get healthy and heal up.
Oof don’t worry about it bud, just heal up and rest well, we’ll get a new tron video ready for your return.
Also just want to check to make sure you’ve got people to help you out while you’re recovering! If not I don’t know if I’m in range to help but holler if you need help and who knows!
Shit dude! Hope the operation goes well and the recovery is short!
Take care!
Hope all goes well - ask them if you can keep it afterwards, we can make it the reward for the prediction threads!
Take care of yourself. And take all the time you need.
Dude. Your first priority is your health. Take care and feel better. We can handle ourselves until you get back.
Moss on Twitter lol
I wouldn’t have answered the phone either lol
I never answer the phone when work calls. It’s never anything good.
Yep.
If I’m at work, there’s no need to call me because I’m there. Come see me.
If I’m not at work, there’s no need to call me because I’m not there. Fuck off.
This is now my outgoing voicemail.
Ziggler (not official yet, but confirmed on Reddit by Kermit).
All because Cutler didn’t blur his face on BTE. This is all your fault, Brandon.
Cutler setting up family reunions behind the scenes.
A Nemeth tag team might be possible? If the Gunns can get a title run, surely they can.
Anything that gives me more Ryan on TV is a-ok.
He’s talented, hella cute, loves unions, and cares about animals <3
If BTE is anything to go on, he’s everyone’s favorite wrestler.
He is one of mine. Granted, I haven’t seem he wrestle but he supports unions. And that is a big plus on my side, so I’ll will root for him whenever he steps in the ring.
I’d watch it. Serious Ryan up a bit, or silly Dolph up (since we know he does silly well), either version would work very well.
I just want to see Dolph sell an Orange Punch, honestly.
I don’t think we’re ready for that. Oh my.
Dolph leaving WWE and Punk leaving AEW (Yes I still held out that tiny fraction of hope that AJ Lee could have come back because of Punk in AEW ;__;) means we’ll never get a Zigglee reunion. SIIIIGH
AJ Lee appeared on the latest season of Heels (Punk was character in the show too) so she possibly has caught the wrestling bug again… never say never.
Yeah, but I doubt she’d be interested in working with AEW considering the acrimonious ending of Punk’s run there.
Wasn’t she working with WOW for a while as a writer and a commentator? Is that still a thing?
Is that still a thing?
Her working for WOW? Not sure. WOW itself? At least as of 8/26/23 when they held a show I’m looking at a torrent of: Yes.
Really sad for Dolph and Shelton. Two of the most underrated guys out there. Hopefully they get their flowers wherever they go next.
As a Tegan Nox fan, it’s time to spend the next three days in dread.
As a Nixon Newell fan, I’m reasonably sure that even if she gets released, Impact or AEW/RoH would love to have her.
I was hoping she’d go the last time she was out of WWE but AEW didn’t pick her up and I was so sad :(
And then WWE didn’t do anything with her when she came back and I was sad some more :(
Her injuries couldn’t have been more poorly timed. Seems like the second she got an opportunity to pick up steam, her knees just gave her the finger.
Mansoor
Mace
Dana Brooke
Amari Miller (Maybe, I saw her listed, now I don’t, so I’m unsure here.)Edit 3: These are reported either on Twitter by SRS, WrestleOps, or from PWInsider mostly. Just so you know I"m not pulling from my ass.
Edit 4: Added PWInsider links, still can’t confirm Miller.
EDIT EDIT EDIT: Amari Miller says she is NOT released.
Surprised they dropped Mansoor. I figured he had a guaranteed roster slot as long as WWE was running shows in Saudi Arabia.
I’m not shocked, Endeavor doesn’t seem to care for the Saudi’s as they cut ties, including a 400 million dollar investment, with them after the journalist was murdered.
I am saddened though because MMM was hilarious and they made a good team.
Huh. Didn’t realize Endeavor was less shitty than WWE in that regard. I wonder if TKO will drop the Saudi contract, or if they won’t bother since the heat is off now.
I think WWE is contracted to the Saudis for another 5 years, it was a 10-year contract or so it was reported in 2018 when it started. I imagine there is a really big penalty to get out of it if it was for that long and it’s more likely they let the deal expire, but, I could be wrong.
WWE comes off of Hulu next week (Might as well group it in, fuck).
welp now i can’t watch wwe sadface
Tegan Nox (reported by Mark Henry on Busted Open Radio apparently, not seeing confirmation otherwise yet).
cool bye gonna go cry in my room for a week
Have not been the Nox thing confirmed anywhere else, and it’s been awhile since I saw the BOR thing mentioned, so that one may not be true (yet?).
JTG on Twitter lmao (https://twitter.com/jtg1284/status/1704872716510360062)
Twenty imaginary dollarydoos says Nia ends up doing the Grandpa Simpson in-and-out meme today.
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Ziggler is the one I’ve found most surprising.
AEW could have a Brother Tag Team Tournament at this rate. Let’s go Hunks!
Ok but hear me out: Dolph, Luther, and Serpentico trios team.
Put in the Hollywood Hunk and I’m game.
Can’t help but feel sorry for Tegan / Nixon. She’s had such a bad run of luck these last few years. Can’t wait to see what see does though, she was great in WCPW.
Still not seeing it corroborated anywhere else yet that she’s gone, so that one might turn out to just be a rumour.
I remember the first time the world got to experience Eric Bugenhagen. I haven’t watched WWE in a long time, did Rick Boogs ever get to do anything that recaptured that magic? I don’t care where he goes next, but that charisma needs to be on TV somewhere.
Him and Ali are the ones I would most expect to see show up in AEW. I haven’t really followed WWE’s product in years though.
I certainly wouldn’t mind another Ali vs Buddy Matthews match.
According to a previous SEC filing from April, WWE brass had multi-million dollar bonuses after the merger officially closed.
WWE CEO Nick Khan had a bonus of $15,000,000, while Chief Content Officer “Triple H” Paul Levesque had $5,000,000, with both amounts payable in full as soon as the merger closed.
CFO Frank A. Riddick III, who is no longer with the company, was listed to have a $5,000,000 bonus, with 60% being paid after the deal closed, and 40% in the six months after.
https://bloodyelbow.com/2023/09/20/mass-layoffs-after-ufc-wwe-merger-tko/
https://otp.tools.investis.com/clients/us/wwe/SEC/sec-show.aspx?Type=html&FilingId=16536781&CIK=0001091907&Index=10000Just in case WWE claims budgetary reasons
I’m just hoping that Tony doesn’t start salivating and start picking out the released wrestlers like new toys.
I wouldn’t mind seeing some of these pass through AEW/ROH, but I don’t wanna see TK just panic ‘buy’ people because they get released and just have more people to not get ring time.
Moxley will (hopefully) be on concussion precautions for at least a little while, and I haven’t seen any updates on Adam Cole. So, it might be a good time to pick up 1 or 2.
Quick edit: I forgot, Jade Cargill is likely leaving AEW to go to WWE, so that opens a spot in the women’s division, too.
Emma could be interesting for a short run could work, but I’d guess she’ll be back to Impact.
Honestly if I were Emma i wouldn’t go to AEW. If your name is not Toni Storm, Ruby SoHo, Saraya, Skye Blue, Dr. Britt Baker (DMD), Hikaru Shida or Willow Nightingale, your chance to make it to the one women’s match per show is pretty rare.
I don’t see a lot of the guys released so far going to AEW. Ali, definitely. Rick Boogs, maybe. The rest have never really stood out to the point that I could see them making a play.
I would add Ziggler as a maybe. His brother is already there and he is a decent enough mid carder for having fun matches on TV.
On the other hand, the AEW is still bloated enough, that even with Dynamite, Rampage and Collision (and RoH) not every employed wrestler can be featured
Yeah, I added him to my comment. He wasn’t confirmed out when I posted. He’s definitely someone AEW would want on board.
A Hollywood Hunks team would do some good to shake up the tag scene. But I do agree, I’d like to see a bit more rotation.
