WWE has released nine fighter contracts, the company announced on Thursday.
Samoa Joe, Billie Kay, Peyton Royce, Mickie James, Chelsea Green, Tucker, Kalisto, Bo Dallas and Wesley Blake have been released.
The head of WWE’s talent relations, Joe Laurainitis, informed those who were released that budget cuts are responsible for their release, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful reports. The move comes a year after the day after WWE launched more than 20 fighters, citing financial difficulties resulting from the pandemic.
Joe, a former NXT champion, is the biggest name on the list this year. He has not fought since he suffered a concussion while filming a commercial in February 2020. He had been a member of Crude the broadcast team until this week, when WWE brought in former ESPN anchor Adnan Virk to replace Tom Phillips, the player, and moved Corey Graves to an analyst role alongside Byron Saxton. Joe told SI.com’s Justin Barrasso last month that he hopes to be back in the ring soon.
Kay and Royce previously teamed up as The IIconics and struggled to find success after the team split on the WWE project in October. Kay was part of the 10 women’s Tag Team Turmoil match with partner Carmella on the first night of WrestleMania last weekend.
James, a six-time champion, returned to the ring last summer after missing 14 months with a broken ACL, but fought only six games, most recently in the Royal Rumble in January.
Green fought only one match as part of the WWE main roster. Following a call from NXT, she broke her wrist at the debut match on Beat on November 11. She is engaged to fellow wrestler Matthew Cardona (known in the WWE as Zack Ryder), who was part of a large group of performers launched by WWE last April.
Tucker (formerly Tucker Knight) was part of the Heavy Machinery tag team with Otis. WWE split the construction duo to win Otis’s Money in the Bank. He only fought one match in November: as part of Andre the Giant Memorial Battle for 22 years last week Beat.
Kalisto, a masked fighter, was part of the trio known as the Lucha House Party, which broke up during the October project.
Dallas is the younger brother of Bray Wyatt. He has not fought a match since November 2019.
Blake, along with Steve Cutler and Jaxson Ryker, was part of a team called The Forgotten Sons. Cutler was released by WWE in February after he and his girlfriend, current Impact and former WWE fighter Deonna Purrazzo, tested positive for COVID-19 after a New Year’s Eve party. Ryker is now teaming up with Elias. Blake hasn’t fought since May.
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