It was on last Thursday that 18 talents from WWE Raw/Smackdown/NXT were released to the shock of the professional wrestling worlds. Some of those names were top wrestlers from their respective brands which raised eyebrows of the fans.
These are the names that were let go in the name of a budget-related cut – Karrion Kross, Scarlett Bordeaux, “B-Fab” Briana Brandy, Gran Metalik, Lince Dorado, Eva Marie, Keith Lee, Mia Yim, Nia Jax, Harry Smith, Oney Lorcan, Franky Monet, Ember Moon, Trey Baxter, Jessi Kamea, Jeet Rama, Zayda Ramier, and Katrina Cortez.
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According to a new report from Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, the ‘powers that be’ had plans to cut about ten more WWE Raw/Smackdown/NXT wrestlers in the latest round of releases, but they were saved. These names are reportedly not safe but rather they are now considered to be ‘on the bubble,’ which means it’s possible they could be released soon.
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More WWE Raw/Smackdown/NXT talents in line for release
“Of all the people that were cut, there were probably about 10 others that were in strong discussion about being cut. Pretty much everyone that was not being used well was on the bubble and they were considering cutting. I’m gonna guess when I saw the list of the people that were originally looking at being cut but were not, that a lot of those people I can see them being cut. Essentially everyone at NXT that’s a veteran that you don’t see on TV. All of those guys,” stated the source in his report. (quotes courtesy Wrestling News)
It was also noted in the report that WWE is planning to go in a different direction, by opting for fresh talent on WWE Raw/Smackdown. So it’s possible that the next round of cuts will also comprise some of the veteran names from the roster while younger talents would be either hired or pushed in due course.
As per the company’s statement, these latest cuts were for budgetary reasons, although it was also reported that a few names had refused to get the COVID-19 vaccine and WWE didn’t tolerate them doing so. Nia Jax is one of the rumored names to be in this league although she denied the reports in a clarification issued on social media.
