Tag: zoey stark

Zoey Stark reveals new ring name following WWE release

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Zoey Stark teased a new ring name and nickname following her WWE release. 

Stark changed her social media handle name to ‘Zoey Serrano’ and shared a promotional video on her injury comeback and training, talking about her passion to compete in the ring. She was spotted training with AEW’s Brian Cage. At the video’s conclusion she teased a new nickname ‘The Purist’. She also added hashtags for WWE, AEW and TNA in the post. 

“It’s hard, man. So, I don’t think people understand how much I love wrestling. It’s what I live for, this is what I believe I was put on this Earth for, is to be in this ring to perform. This is it for me. This is all I’ve ever wanted to do.” 

“Wrestling was my escape. The number one thing in my life. And the good thing is now I get to show that, I get to express that in my own way. So, I’m so happy that you guys get to be on this journey.” 

“This is where I live, this is what I love to do. When I was a kid it was my escape through any type of hardship. Put on wrestling and I could escape from the world and just be in that ring with whoever I want. I made it come true. So, if I’m good now, imagine what it’ll be like when my 90 days are over.”  

Stark was released by WWE in April. She was out of in-ring action since May 19, 2025, where Stark suffered a torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus.

Released WWE wrestler shares picture: ‘Man, I miss wrestling’

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Zoey Stark commented for the first time after her WWE release.

Stark was among the 23 talents released by the company last Friday. She was out of in-ring action recovering from a torn ACL, MCL and meniscus. Stark took to X suggesting that she had been medically cleared to compete and was hopeful of wrestling after the 90-day non-compete clause is over.

“Man I miss wrestling. I guess I can wait 85 more days”

Our own Bryan Alvarez noted last week that Stark had been cleared before she was cut. He wrote to his subscribers on X:

“Regarding cuts, I was told Zoey Stark had been cleared when she was cut, just wasn’t being used. Meanwhile, Santos Escobar was just injured on that AAA show about a month ago and was NOT cleared.”

Stark signed with WWE in 2021 where she was associated with the NXT brand before transitioning to Raw in 2023. She briefly formed an alliance with Trish Stratus, assisting her at Night of Champions against Becky Lynch.

Around a year later, Stark joined Sonya Deville and Shayna Baszler in July 2024 to form Pure Fusion Collective. The stable derailed shortly after following Deville’s injury. 

Stark’s last WWE match, where she suffered the injuries, was during a triple threat Money in the Bank qualifying match on the May 19 edition of Raw in 2025.

Bully Ray urges Tony Khan to sign released WWE name

Posted on by Jake Skudder

Former ECW, TNA and WWE star Bully Ray has urged Tony Khan to sign a WWE talent who was let go as part of the WWE Releases and cuts this past week.

Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Bully Ray claimed that Zoey Stark is someone that All Elite Wrestling should be looking to sign when her 90-day clause is up. The main reason for this being that her getting released whilst out with a knee injury is a great way to garner sympathy for her from the off:

“If you’re Tony Khan, and you invite Zoey Stark in, what’s the first thing you allow her to do? Here you go sister, here’s a microphone, you’ve got five minutes. Go tell your story, go make people love you, and if you tell your real story, not only will they love you for your determination, and your passion, and your drive, but they will hate the WWE for letting you go. It’s right there on a silver platter for Tony. You don’t have to do any work. Wait 90 days, sign the girl to a contract, end of story. And Zoey is good in the ring, she’d be good for your women’s division,”

Credit to WrestlingNewsCo for the transcription

Zoey Stark Injury and WWE Release

Stark was still out from a torn ACL, MCL, and Meniscus when her release was announced, which happened during a match on the May 19 episode of Raw in 2025. Our own Bryan Alvarez confirmed that she had been recently cleared for an in-ring return before getting cut from the WWE roster on April 24th just after WrestleMania 42.

FAQs and Context

What injury did Zoey Stark have?

Stark suffered a torn ACL, MCL and meniscus during a match on the May 19th 2025 episode of RAW. The injury kept her on the shelf for nearly a year, with Bryan Alvarez reporting she’d only recently been cleared for an in-ring return before her release was announced.

What is the WWE 90-day non-compete clause?

Released main roster WWE talent are typically held to a 90-day non-compete period before they can sign with another promotion and NXT talent are held to a 30-day. For Stark, that means she wouldn’t be eligible to debut elsewhere until late July 2026 at the earliest.

When could Zoey Stark debut for AEW?

If she did sign with AEW, the earliest she could realistically appear would be after her 90-day clause expires in late July. There’s no current confirmation she’s heading to AEW as Bully Ray’s comments are a pitch, not a report.

Has AEW signed Zoey Stark?

No, and there’s been no announcement from either side. Bully Ray’s Busted Open comments are speculation about what AEW should do, rather than reporting on anything that’s actually in motion.

More on Kairi Sane, Zoey Stark, and Santos Escobar WWE releases

Posted on by Bryan Rose

More on Friday’s WWE cuts.

Regarding the main roster cuts, among those were Zoey Stark and Santos Escobar, both of whom were dealing with injuries. Stark had been cleared for an in-ring return prior to her release, while Escobar was recovering from a tricep injury.

“Regarding cuts, I was told Zoey Stark had been cleared when she was cut, just wasn’t being used. Meanwhile, Santos Escobar was just injured on that AAA show about a month ago and was NOT cleared,” Alvarez pointed out.

One of the more prominent and shocking cuts was Kairi Sane, who was in the middle of a storyline between herself, Asuka, and IYO SKY. While there are reports of her already being back in Japan, Alvarez notes that it may not be related to her release.

“Regarding reports of Kairi being in Japan, this may or may not be related to her release,” he said. “She [has] traveled home at least once or twice per month every month since she first signed.”

Sane was trending following the news of her release, with stars such as IYO SKY reacting to the news.

Wyatt Sicks, Alba Fyre, Zoey Stark among WWE releases

Posted on by Bryan Rose

UPDATE:

Sean Ross Sapp is reporing that Dexter Lumis and Erik Rowan have also been released, meaning the entire Wyatt Sicks stable is now gone from WWE.

All main roster releases have 90 day no-competes, while NXT releases are 30 days.

Original Story:

Just a few days after WrestleMania 42, WWE has started a new round of cuts.

Bryan Alvarez is reporting that Nikki Cross, Zoey Stark, Alba Fyre, and Joe Gacy have been released from the company. Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp initially reported the releases that began on Friday afternoon, and is also reporting that Uncle Howdy (Bo Dallas) and Andre Chase have also been released.

Alvarez says: “The list of releases is expected to be fairly big, unfortunately.”

Stark had been on the shelf after suffering a knee injury during a Money in the Bank qualifying match on Raw last year. Both Fightful and Alvarez confirm that Stark had been cleared prior to her release.

Some of the wrestlers posted statements on social media shortly after the news broke. Fyre, formerly Kay Lee Ray, wrote: “Kay Lee Ray would batter Alba Fyre. Just saying….” Cross, meanwhile, thanked WWE, William Regal, Robie Brookside, and others for her time in the company. 

Gacy summed up his feelings on the situation more succinctly, posting a peace sign emoji and the word “lol.”

Absent WWE star gives injury update: ‘Finally able to fully run’

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Injured and absent for nearly six months, Zoey Stark has finally shared an update on her condition.

Earlier this year on the May 19th episode of Raw, Stark suffered a serious knee injury during her match against Kairi Sane and Rhea Ripley. On a hiatus since then, Stark has finally opened up about her injury. Sharing an update on social media, she wrote,

“6 months in and finally able to fully run and pivot pain free. It took some time to get there but we got there.”

In the video posted online, Stark could be seen performing explosive running speed drills. Earlier this year, the promising wrestler also underwent surgery for her CL, MCL & meniscus injuries.

However, while the surgeries went well, it was later revealed that Stark might had to go in for a scope to clean out her knee and scar tissue, which would have set her recovery back. Fortunately, that was not necessary, and she remains on a positive recovery path.

Despite ‘frustrating’ injury, Zoey Stark is full of gratitude

Earlier this year, sharing an update on social media, Zoey Stark opened up about her ‘frustrating’ injury before sharing her gratitude.

“It’s been both mentally and physically exhausting and frustrating. And I’m in a spot right now with my knee where is not wanting to bend and give me the full range of motion that I am looking for. And as much as that sucks, it’s okay.“

“I will push through this. I will find a way around it. I’ll get to where I need to get. But boy is it frustrating. But there’s always a silver lining and a dark cloud, right? So there’s a couple things I’m happy for.

It is still unknown when fans could see Zoey Stark return despite of her positive recovery phase.

Report: Timeline for injured WWE wrestler’s in-ring return

Posted on by Bryan Rose

An update on an injured WWE star.

Bodyslam is reporting that Zoey Stark is aiming for a mid-2026 in-ring return to WWE. The report stated that WWE is “still very high on her” and have been talking about bringing her back as a babyface.

Stark was injured her knee back in May during an episode on Raw, landing awkwardly off the top rope during a Money in the Bank qualifying match. She later confirmed that she underwent surgery for her ACL, MCL, and meniscus. 

In August, she shared her frustration with her recovery process, saying it was tough both physically and emotionally.

“It’s been both mentally and physically exhausting and frustrating. And I’m in a spot right now with my knee where is not wanting to bend and give me the full range of motion that I am looking for,” she said. “And as much as that sucks, it’s okay. I will push through this. I will find a way around it. I’ll get to where I need to get. But boy is it frustrating. But there’s always a silver lining and a dark cloud, right?”

Stark was signed to WWE in 2021 and achieved success in NXT, winning the NXT Women’s Tag Team titles on one occasion. She was called up as part of the 2023 WWE Draft on the Raw brand, where she was at one point aligned with Trish Stratus. Prior to her injury, she was part of the Pure Fusion Collective group with Shayna Baszler and Sonya Deville, both of whom have since been cut.

Zoey Stark shares update on ‘frustrating’ injury recovery

Posted on by Ian Carey

Zoey Stark shared an injury update on social media recently.

Stark has been out of action since the May 19 episode of Raw, where she was injured while delivering a missile dropkick. In early June, the 31-year-old had surgery to repair injuries to her ACL, MCL, and meniscus.

On Friday, Stark shared that her recovery has been frustrating, but she’s focused on having gratitude for what is going well.

She said:

“It’s been both mentally and physically exhausting and frustrating. And I’m in a spot right now with my knee where is not wanting to bend and give me the full range of motion that I am looking for. And as much as that sucks, it’s okay.“

“I will push through this. I will find a way around it. I’ll get to where I need to get. But boy is it frustrating. But there’s always a silver lining and a dark cloud, right? So there’s a couple things I’m happy for. I’m walking again, riding a stationary bike. We got a new puppy, Mad Max. Love that little guy. Seeing all of my animals, Sly the cat, Kai and Max and them all play and get together, that lights my heart up, so that’s the joy of my day. But we’ll get through this.”

The match where Stark was injured was a Money in the Bank qualifier triple threat against Kairi Sane and Rhea Ripley. It appeared as though Sane may have been too far away from Stark when she jumped to land the missile dropkick. When the match returned from commercial break shortly after, Stark was gone, and Ripley defeated IYO Sky with a Riptide.

In Stark’s bouts prior to that, she traded wins with Maxxine Dupri on episodes of WWE Main Event and won a contenders tournament on WWE Speed before going to a time limit draw with Women’s Speed Champion Candice LeRae.

Stark’s full Instagram post is available below:

Daily Update: Asuka, Zoey Stark, Bear Bronson

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Daily Update

Latest Headlines

Latest Audio

Latest Free YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

  • The new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is up on the site right now:
  • WBD will split into two companies, what this means for the future of cable, for AEW, for the legacy of TBS, TNT and CNN, for TNT Sports and what and when this all goes into effect regarding AEW.
  • More on WrestleMania going back to Las Vegas
  • The story on Ron Killings being cut why they had to bring him back and all the ramifications regarding it
  • The story behind Gunther beating Jey Uso for the world tite and set up
  • Full King of the Ring coverage, as well as Saturday Night’s Main Event main event, Night of Champions, Evolution and future WWE major events.
  • Full UFC 316 coverage and Kayla Harrison garners one of the most impressive combat sports resumes in history
  • The story behind Worlds Collide, the history packages, behind the scenes, Mr. Iguana and his background, all the ratings numbers, TripleMania Regia and more.
  • Ben Askren fights for his life
  • Latest developments in the Janel Grant lawsuit
  • Mark Kerr goes into UFC Hall of  Fame meaning Dwayne Johnson will induct him
  • The most detailed look at the ratings for all the pro wrestling shows including comparing cable vs. network, cable vs. streaming, how Rw is really doing, four-hour AEW marathon shows, NBA competition and more
  • Arena Mexico has one of its best matches of the year
  • New Japan Dominion noes
  • Notes on the G-1 tournament
  • Why Greg Oliver was so valuable to pro wrestling
  • Bret Hart talks Vince McMahon
  • Final X notes
  • Former ROH star retires
  • Wrestler trading card auctioned off for more than $80,000
  • Wrestlers who had matches in seven different decades
  • Former WWF wrestler makes a grandstand challenge for Hulk Hogan
  • RAF signs Olympic gold medalist
  • Update on lawsuit against AEW
  • Grand Slam Mexico notes
  • All In notes
  • Komander injury
  • Dana White and Nick Khan back promoting the biggest fight of 2025 and how it looks to have gone down
  • BJ Penn arrested again
  • Notes on TKO stock and media rights talks
  • Lots of new WWE signings

This Week’s Back Issue

FIRST TIME SUBSCRIBERS GET 50% OFF YOUR FIRST MONTH

Tuesday Update

 WWE

AEW & Other Wrestling

Zoey Stark says she suffered ACL, MCL, meniscus injuries in WWE Raw match

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Zoey Stark is on the road to recovery.

On Monday, the Raw star posted a video showing herself heading into Rothman Orthopaedics surgery center in Orlando eight days after injuring her knee during a match on Raw. She confirmed that she was about to undergo surgery for her ACL, MCL, and meniscus. A brief clip of Stark was shown following her surgery, giving a thumbs up sign.

“The scheduled 2 hour surgery took 3 1/2 hours,” the video said before ending with a tease. “What’’s next for Zoey Stark? Find out Monday, June 16.”

On the May 19 edition of Raw, Stark was going for a missile dropkick in a triple threat match with Kairi Sane and Rhea Ripleyy when upon landing planted her right knee awkwardly, causing the injury. She eventually had to be carried to the back by WWE medical officials. 

Late last month, Stark confirmed she had undergone surgery but didn’t specify what type of knee injury she was dealing with.

During her run on NXT Stark suffered a similar injury in October of 2021. She would eventually make her return to NXT in July of the following year. She was called up to the main roster as part of the 2023 WWE Draft.

Zoey Stark starting road to recovery after knee surgery

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Zoey Stark is ready to start the recovery process after undergoing surgery for the knee injury that she suffered on WWE Raw last week.

On the May 19 episode of Raw, Stark was competing in a triple threat Money in the Bank qualifying match when she appeared to blow out her knee during a springboard missile dropkick spot. It was mistimed with Kairi Sane being too far away from Stark, and Stark landed short and suffered a significant knee injury. She was immediately removed from the match, which was won by Rhea Ripley.

The 31-year-old Stark shared an update to her Instagram stories today, writing that she’s on day one of the recovery process after surgery. The exact injury that Stark suffered has not been disclosed, but she’s said she’ll be out of action “for a while.”

After suffering the injury last week, Stark sent out a message thanking everyone for their support.

“Wow the love and support means more to me than you’ll ever know! What hurts more than my knee is knowing I wont be able to perform for all of you for a while,” she tweeted. “I LOVE what I do and I’m blessed to do this. As the saying goes, the comeback is greater than the setback. Love you guys #StarkMarks”

Stark previously underwent knee surgery in 2021 for a torn ACL and meniscus.

Zoey Stark thanks fans for support following WWE Raw injury

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Zoey Stark has expressed her thanks to WWE fans in the aftermath of suffering a catastrophic knee injury during Monday’s WWE Raw.

In a social media post Wednesday, Stark reacted to the love and support from fans, writing:

Wow the love and support means more to me than you’ll ever know! What hurts more than my knee is knowing I wont be able to perform for all of you for a while. I LOVE what I do and I’m blessed to do this. As the saying goes, the comeback is greater than the setback. Love you guys #StarkMarks

Stark was injured on Monday’s Raw while attempting a springboard missile dropkick in a triple threat Money in the Bank qualifying match against Kairi Sane and Rhea Ripley. Sane appeared out of position to take the move, with Stark appearing to adjust her landing in mid-air. Her right knee buckled on landing at an awkward angle, the match was paused, and Stark was carried out of the arena by WWE medical personnel.

The speculation would be that Stark tore her ACL, but she did not go into specifics regarding the injury in her post and WWE has not announced a possible recovery timetable.

WOL: Bryan and Lance on Zoey, RAW, NXT UK, more

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Lance Storm returns with tons to talk about including the injury to Zoey Stark and whether the dropkick itself is even a good idea, the RAW report, line-ups, WWE/NXT UK perhaps in the works, All Out going international, and tons more. A fun show as always so check it out~!

Right Click Save As

WOR: Zoey Stark, Grant case, RAW report, tons more!

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including Zoey Stark’s injury, the Janel Grant case, what’s up with Collision and Triller, the RAW report, ratings, UFC notes and tons more. A fun show as always so check it out~!

Timestamps:
Start: Zoey Stark injury
2:45: Janel Grant lawsuit updates
16:43: AEW Collision still not up on Max, AEW on Triller update
21:51: Fuerza Guerrera having retirement show this fall, ratings, updated AEW Dynamite lineup
30:36: Jon Jones update, Holly Holm returns to boxing, TKO boxing update
38:04: WWE Raw report, Dave’s thoughts on Mistico & Mascara Dorada vs. Komander & Rey Astral

Right Click Save As

Zoey Stark suffers injury during WWE Raw match

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Zoey Stark suffered an injury during Raw.

Stark was wrestling in a triple threat Money in the Bank qualifying match involving Rhea Ripley and Kairi Sane. At one point, Stark attempted a missile dropkick on Sane but upon impact, landed awkwardly on her knee. The match immediately paused as WWE’s medical staff checked on Stark, who was eventually had to be carried to the back.

The match continued on, finishing when Ripley pinned Sane to advance to the Money in the Bank ladder match that will take place on June 7.

Several WWE & AEW stars posted messages of support following the match:

This was Stark’s first match on Raw since January. She is the last remaining member of Pure Fusion Collective on the roster after both Sonya Deville and Shayna Baszler were released from their contracts. Lately, she had been mostly wrestling on house shows and on Main Event.

Stark previously suffered a knee injury back in 2021 during her time in NXT, making a return in July of 2022. She was called up to the main roster as part of the 2023 WWE Draft.