Tag: nxt releases

Shayna Baszler, Cora Jade, Braun Strowman, Dakota Kai among WWE & NXT releases

Posted on by Bryan Rose

UPDATE:

Sean Ross Sapp has since reported that Gallus (Mark Coffey, Joe Coffey, and Wolfgang) have also been released, as well as Javier Bernal and Oro Mensah.

Mensah reacted to his release on social media:

Original story:

WWE releases are taking place.

Multiple sources are reporting cuts are currently taking place both on the WWE main roster and NXT. Sean Ross Sapp is reporting that Dakota Kai, Shayna Baszler, Braun Strowman, Katana Chance, and Kayden Carter have all been released from their contracts. Bryan Alvarez has also confirmed these names.

For NXT, PWInsider has confirmed that Cora Jade, Jakara Jackson, and Eddy Thorpe have been released, while Sean Ross Sapp has confirmed Gigi Dolin and Riley Osborne. Alvarez believes there are at least 10 NXT releases.

Soon after word got out about the latest round of releases, Baszler, Kai, and Jade confirmed they were no longer with the company.

“No one can offer what I have to offer. Reality. Let the Galaxy burn,” Baszler wrote.

“Thankful for all the childhood dreams I got to live out! I have a lot to say in due time. Stay tuned,” Jade wrote.

News of cuts across WWE started on Thursday night when it was reported that several in corporate were let go including Christine Lubrano, the Senior Vice President of Creative Writing Operations. It was reported on Friday morning that Ryan Pappola, who was a former co-host of WWEโ€™s talk show The Bump, was also let go.

NXT releases have a 30-day no compete clause while WWE main roster releases have a 90-day no compete.

Five wrestlers released from WWE NXT

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Several wrestlers have been released from WWE NXT.

PWInsider reported on Tuesday that Bodhi Hayward, Sloane Jacobs, Erica Yan, Damaris Griffin, and Ru Feng have been released from their WWE contracts. All five of the wrestlers were part of the NXT brand.

Of those released, Hayward (real name Brady Booker) was most prominently featured on NXT television. He was part of Chase U with Andre Chase and Thea Hail. There had recently been a storyline where Duke Hudson was added to Chase U and Hayward had gone missing.

Andre Chase tweeted about Hayward’s release: “I just want to publicly thank @bodhihaywardWWE for his dedication to #ChaseU. I will always appreciate him being my first scholarship athlete, but more importantly I will always appreciate his friendship. Keep going!!”

Jacobs (Amelia Herr) joined the WWE Performance Center this March. At only 19 years old, she was a participant in the NXT Women’s Breakout Tournament this year.

Yan (Jie Yin) and Feng (Feicheng Wang) were recruits from China who joined the Performance Center in July 2021. They had appeared on NXT Level Up and 205 Live.

Griffin (James Barron Jr.) signed with WWE after taking part in the company’s August 2021 tryouts. He’s also made appearances on NXT Level Up.

Wrestling Observer Radio: NXT releases, AEW & Warner Bros. Discovery, TV ratings

Posted on by Garrett Gonzales

Dave Meltzer and I are back on Wrestling Observer Radio talking all the latest news in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter including his story on AEW and Warner Bros. Discovery and his analysis on pro wrestling TV ratings. 

We start off the show discussing the NXT releases, then talk about WWE’s stadium strategy, The Rock’s new wrestling show, the new WrestleMania Backlash main event, TripleMania and Sammy Guevara, and COVID-19.

Click below to listen.

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Daily Update: WWE NXT cuts, Clash at the Castle, weekend schedule

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Daily Update

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter: COVID strikes pro wrestling again, Warner Bros. Discovery & AEW

  • The new issue of the Observer has these stories:
  • Major players from five companies test positive for COVID causing changes in television or major shows.
  • Sunday’s Fukuoka Dome show and a look back at the previous pro wrestling events in the building that featured some of the biggest American stars of all-time.
  • The Discovery/Warner merger, what was said at the earnings call about cutbacks, and the different ways this can go for AEW
  • Streaming vs. television and the realities of the numbers
  • Wrestling on television in every category, who is up, who is down, factoring out cable losses, and reasons behind the ups and downs.
  • WWE & AEW shows coming up between now and August ticket sales, interest in the secondary market, how many seats WWE is setting up for the stadium shows
  • WrestleMania Backlash card update and business update
  • Saturday’s UFC report
  • New wrestling history television show series being filmed and who is behind it
  • Karl Lauer and the growth of the Cauliflower Alley Club
  • Ratings of all the television shows of the past week
  • Death of Toro Bill Jr.
  • Preview of TripleMania
  • Unique statement by L.A. Park about TripleMania
  • All Japan, Dragon Gate, NOAH and other Japanese events
  • This week’s PWG show
  • MLW answers the WWE’s attempt to get the lawsuit by MLW thrown out
  • Personnel changes in Impact
  • AEW injury notes
  • AEW’s Double or Nothing show
  • Updates on ticket sales for WWE & AEW shows
  • Promotion gets major television deal with Amazon Prime
  • Tyson Fury on Drew McIntyre and Francis Ngannou
  • Peacock business update
  • WWE survey sent to fans about what they want
  • Biggest streaming numbers from the week

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter: March 21, 2005 Observer Newsletter: Raw leaving Spike TV, TNA Destination X review

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Friday News Update

  • Garrett and I will be doing a show today to go over a lot of major news, including WWE cuts, Warner/Discovery and AEW, and other news in the current issue of the Observer.
  • Some notes on the WWE cuts today.
  • Obviously Parker Boudreaux (Harland) had been removed from the Joe Gacy act so they knew something was coming
  • The decision had been made after several tryouts that they didn’t see Dakota Kai as main roster material. She had been with the company for years and the idea is not to have people have ten year careers as NXT stars so there was nothing left for her. A lot of people disagree but they have visions about women and obviously she’s a good wrestler but didn’t fit
  • Just as obviously, Malcolm Bivens last week had started a multi-week new storyline that had a lot of stuff left. While he did not sign a new deal, him being cut blindsided the people in creative at NXT
  • Same for Persia Pirotta, who just bought a house. She was in a storyline ongoing.
  • Same for Dexter Lumis, which leaves creative in the lurch since he’s supposed to be married to Indi Hartwell and they were given no name to develop a storyline reason he’s gone
  • Paige Prinzivalli was a referee who was cut
  • Mila Malani and Raelyn Divine were from the Las Vegas tryouts and had not made it to television
  • Draco Anthony had just started on television.
  • The WWE’s 9/3 show at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales will be called WWE Clash at the Castle. Tickets go on sale on 5/20 and are expected to sell out instantly.
  • Smackdown tonight from Albany, NY was taped on Friday since the Smackdown crew is in London and the decision was made not to tape from there:
  • Ricochet vs. Shanky for IC title
  • Raquel Rodriguez vs. ?
  • Naomi vs. Shayna Baszler
  • Xavier Woods vs. Ridge Holland
  • Kofi Kingston vs Sheamus
  • Drew McIntyre vs. Sami Zayn cage match
  • Ronda Rousey vs. Shotzi Beat the Clock challenge
  • Charlotte Flair vs. Aliyah Beat the Clock challenge
  • Usos-RK Bro contract signing
  • AEW Rampage tonight at 10 p.m. Eastern on TNT:
  • Darby Allin vs. Swerve Strickland Owen Hart qualifier
  • Sky Blue & Willow Nightingale & Trish Adora vs. Jade Cargill & Kiera Hogan & Red Velvet
  • Keith Lee vs. Colten Gunn
  • Hook-Danhausen confrontation
  • Samoa Joe vs. Trent Baretta for ROH TV title
  • UFC tomorrow from the Apex in Las Vegas:
  • Tatsuro Taira (125.5) vs. Carlos Candelario (126)
  • Gina Mazany (126) vs. Shanna Young (125)
  • Natan Levy (155) vs. Mike Breeden (155.5)
  • Gabriel Green (170.5) vs. Yohan Lainesse (169)
  • Daniel Lacerda (125) vs. Francisco Figueiredo (125.5)
  • Alexandr Romanov (236.5) vs. Chase Sherman (247)
  • Krzysztof Jotko (186) vs. Gerald Meerschaert (185)
  • Darren Elkins (145.5) vs. Tristan Connelly (146)
  • Jared Gordon (155.5) vs. Grant Dawson (155.5)
  • Andre Fili (145.5) vs. Joanderson Brito (145.5)
  • Andrei Arlovski (246) vs. Jake Collier (265)
  • Rob Font (138.5) vs. Marlon Vera (136)
  • Font missed weight by 2.5 pounds and had to forfeit 20 percent of his purse
  • They are pushing tomorrow’s Amanda Serrano (42-1-1) vs. Katie Taylor (20-0) boxing match for Taylor’s lightweight title as the biggest women’s boxing match in history. It is the first time a women’s fight will ever headline Madison Square Garden. It is said that DAZN paid WWE nearly $500,000 to heavily promote the show across all of WWE outfits in a deal made with Stephanie McMahon. It will be the first women’s boxing match where both participants will earn in excess of $1 million. They are claiming it is expected to sellout. There are 14,000 tickets out and 3,000 still left as of yesterday. WWE is involved heavily in this with a lot of talent at the weigh-ins and some will be at the right itself.
  • There will be a lot of stuff this coming Monday in mainstream media since Dwayne Johnson turns 50.
  • Arena Mexico has one of its biggest shows of the year tonight with Mistico vs. Titan vs. Templario in a series of singles matches to determine the Universal champion. Ultimo Guerrero & Rey Bucanero, at one time Mexico’s best tag team, reunite to face Averno & Mephisto, another former regular team.
  • There will be a Toro Bill Jr. tribute match on Monday night in Puebla.
  • Rush is back after knee surgery this week on shows for Robles Promotion in Mexico. He will b be working shows in Mexico City, Merida and Cancun. The Mexico City show has Rush & Bestia del Ring & Vangellys vs. Chris Masters & Marco Corleone & LA Park as the main event, plus Dragon Lee & Dralistico & Bandido vs. Flamita & Taurus & Carlito. (thanks to The CubsFan)
  • Go Shiozaki vs. Kaito Kiyomiya is official as the GHC title match on tonight’s NOAH show at Sumo Hall. Champion Kazuyuki Fujita vacated the title due to testing positive for COVID. The show starts at 2 a.m. Eastern and 11 p.m. Pacific and airs live on Wrestle Universe. Wrestle Universe also has a free trial for the show.
  • Slex & Kai Fujimura vs. Alejandro & Yasutaka Yano
  • King Tani & Mohammed Yone & Akitoshi Saito vs. Manabu Soya & Tadasuke & Hajime Ohara
  • Nosawa Rongai & Eita & El Texano Jr. & Kotaro Suzuki & Super Crazy vs. Hayata & Yoshinari Ogawa & Chris Ridgeway & Seiki Yoshioka & Yuya Susumu
  • Kazushi Sakuraba & Kendo Kashin vs. Rene Dupree & El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr.
  • Masa Kitamiya vs. Michael Elgin
  • Masakatsu Funaki vs. Simon Gotch for National tile
  • Daisuke Harada & Atsushi Kotoge & Yo-Hey & Junta Miyawaki vs. Dragon Bane & Alpha Wolf & Extreme Tiger & Ninja Mack
  • Naomichi Marufuji & ? vs. Kinya Okada & Yoshiki Inamura
  • Takashi Sugiura & Hideki Suzuki vs. Kenou & Katsuhiko Nakajima for GHC tag titles
  • Go Shiozaki vs. Kaito Kiyomiya for vacant GHC heavyweight title
  • Jake Lee vs. Yuma Aoyagi will be the Champion Carnival finals on 5/4 at Korakuen Hall. Lee won the A block. Aoyagi went to a 30:00 draw with Kento Miyahara to finish with a 3-1-1 record while Miyahara and Takuma Nomura both finished 3-2.
  • Mirai beat Natsupoi in the semifinals and Koguma in the finals to win the Stardom Cinderella tournament meaning she can challenge for any title. 
  • Jessica McKay, who just left Impact (formerly Billie Kay) has a role in a movie called “The Charisma Killer” directed by Michael Matteo Rossi.

WWE

  • A story about new WWE signee Gina DeLucia from the most recent tryout.
  • These are the WrestleMania Backlash odds:
  • Ronda Rousey -700
  • Charlotte Flair +360
  • Usos -500
  • Riddle & Randy Orton +300
  • Cody Rhodes -325
  • Seth Rollins +220
  • Edge -150
  • A.J. Styles +110
  • Omos -300
  • Bobby Lashley +200
  • Madcap Moss -180
  • Happy Corbin +125

AEW

  • Chris Jericho will be doing a three-date talk show promoted by Inside the Ropes. The shows are 7/4 in Glasgow, 7/5 in Belfast and 7/6 in London. The 7/6 date means he will be missing the Dynamite/Rampage tapings for that week in Rochester, NY. He is advertised for that show.

Other Notes

  • Jose & Joel Maximo, the SATs, have been added to the 5/13 MLW show in Philadelphia at the 2300 Arena.
  • Combate Global tonight on Paramount + from Miami at 11 p.m. Eastern has a lightweight main event with Ivan Castillo (22-13) vs Claudio Quintana from Chile (8-4). The semi is also a lightweight bout with Hugo Flores (9-4) vs. Richie Palomino (5-2).
  • Icebox is running a show in Alameda, CA on 5/7 with JTG vs. Jacob Fatu, Juicy Finau vs. Vinni Massaro, Fred Rosser vs. Jeckles, Boogeyman vs. ?, Carlito vs. Titus Alexander, Ultimo Panda vs. Boyce Legrande and more.
  • 559 Fights on 5/21 in Visalia, Ca at the Convention Center. 
  • LFA on 5/13 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on UFC Fight Pass is headlined by Italo Gomes (10-2) vs. Meiquizael Costa (17-4).
  • Empire State Wrestling on 5/21 in Buffalo,NY at the RiverWorks is headlined by Buddy Matthews vs. Trey Miguel. There will also be a ladder match and Shazza McKenzie and Big Bill Collier are on the show.
  • Mike Rotunda, as IRS will be appearing for CWE on shows on 5/26 in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, 5/27 in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, 5/28 in Regina, Saskatchewan and 5/29 in Carnduff, Saskatchewan.
  • Pro Wrestling Phoenix from Wednesday night in Omaha,NE: Duke Cornell b Luke Luna, Angus Keyser b Ryan Romanitc, Omar Pachecco b Logan Ocean, Lars Metzger b Keaton Stoneburner, Purple & Xander McIntosh b Paul & Joey Daniels, Willy Sweet b Austin Fouts, Moonshine Russell & Jack Darling b Tim Boston & Seto Kobara Next show is 5/7 in Omaha at the Epoca Cantina,
  • PFL from last night in Arlington, TX in their tournament:
  • Heavyweight: Klidson Abreu b Adam Keresh via decision
  • Featherweight: Bubba Jenkins b Kyle Bochniak via decision
  • Heavyweight: Ante Delija b Matheus Scheffel second round knockout
  • Heavyweight: Denis Goltsov b Cody Goodale first round knockout
  • Heavyweight: Renan Fereira b Jamelle Jones first round knockout in 25 seconds
  • Featherweight: Chris Wade b Lance Palmer via decision
  • Heavyweight: Bruno Cappeloza b Stuart Austin first round knockout
  • Women of Wrestling will be taping its television show for syndication on 5/5, 5/6 and 5/7 at the Globe Theater in Los Angeles.
  • United Wrestling Coalition on 5/28 in Bordentown, NJ at the Elks Lodge with a 25 man Rumble
  • ISPW on 5/7 in Morristown,NJ at the Mennen Sports Arena is headlined by Danny Morrison vs. Justin Corino for their title. Appearing in non-wrestling roles on he show include Maven, Jake Roberts, Earl Hebner, Greg Valentine, Demolition Tito Santana and Tommy Rich. There will also be a Bushwhacker Luke Williams vs. Brooklyn Brawler match.
  • Impact will be running shows on 5/13 and 5/14 in Kissimmee, FL at the Osceola Heritage Park Event Center. Both nights will be TV tapings.
  • Lucha Libre on 5/26 at the Opera House in Toronto for the Demand Lucha promotion.

WWE NXT cuts led by Vince McMahon, changes coming to brand

Posted on by Josh Nason

The recent round of WWE NXT cuts were made by Vince McMahon, Bruce Prichard and John Laurinaitis and more changes are coming to the brand, according to Dave Meltzer on Saturday’s Wrestling Observer Radio.

Meltzer said that Paul Levesque and Shawn Michales had nothing to do with the Friday night cuts that saw thirteen talents released including Bronson Reed, Bobby Fish and Mercedes Martinez.

Meltzer said the mentality is that NXT is going to change in some ways, likely going back to the earlier days of developmental with getting talent that are younger, bigger and that could someday main event at WrestleMania.

“The feeling is that they lost the war (with AEW) and are getting back to it (younger and bigger),” Meltzer said, adding there are divisive opinions with key decision makers as to what wrestling is. Right now, the side of younger and bigger has McMahon’s ear.

“The wording is ‘no more midgets, no one starting in their 30s and people who can be box office attractions and main characters’,” Meltzer said.

Bronson Reed, Bobby Fish part of 13 WWE NXT releases

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: WWE

Bronson Reed heads up the latest list of WWE NXT talent that have been released — a list of twelve talents that broke Friday night as WWE SmackDown was still on the air.

The 32-year-old Reed had been with WWE since 2019 and won the North American title earlier this year, holding it for just over a month. Reed tweeted, “Just got released by WWE. This monster is back on the loose … you don’t know WHAT you’ve just done.” and tagged AEW, Ring of Honor, Impact and New Japan.

Former two-time NXT Tag Team Champion Bobby Fish was also released. The 44-year-old was part of the popular Undisputed Era faction that included Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong that broke up this year. Strong defeated Fish this week on NXT TV.

Other talents that were released include:

  • Mercedes Martinez
  • Leon Ruff
  • Tyler Rust
  • Jake Atlas
  • Ari Sterling
  • Kona Reeves
  • Zechariah Smith
  • Asher Hale
  • Giant Zanjeer 
  • Stephon Smith
  • Denzel Dejournette (Desmond Troy)

Most of the releases were reported by Fightful and PWInsider.

This is the latest round of cuts in what is becoming a regular occurrence for both the WWE main roster and NXT.

Last weekend, Bray Wyatt was released while Ric Flair reportedly asked for and was granted his release several days later. In June, WWE cut both main roster and NXT/205 Live talents like Braun Strowman, Aleister Black, Ruby Riott, Fandango, Lana, Tyler Breeze, Tony Nese and others. Those followed ten April cuts (Samoa Joe, Iiconics, Mickie James, Chelsea Green and others) and eight May cuts.

Two more NXT releases confirmed

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Two more releases from WWE have been confirmed, both within NXT.

Squared Circle Sirens reported this afternoon that Sage Beckett, real name MaryKate Duignan Glidewell, was released today. She had signed last year, previously working for Impact Wrestling and other independents. Besides doing house shows, she took part in the Mae Young Classic last year, where she was eliminated in the first round by Bianca Belair. She did not appear on television after the tournament.

Gu Guangming was also released today. Standing at 6โ€™8, he was among a number of Chinese recruits WWE signed in 2016. He started appearing at NXT live events last year under the name Ming as an enforcer for Kona Reeves, but also never made it to television.

It was confirmed earlier today that Abbey Laith had been released as well. She too had appeared in the Mae Young Classic, but had mostly been working house shows as of late.