Hall Of Famer Addresses Recent WWE Releases, Encourages Talent To Move Forward

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During the latest episode of the Something To Wrestle podcast, WWE Hall of Famer John “Bradshaw” Layfield (JBL) shared his thoughts on the February 2025 WWE roster cuts, which saw several wrestlersโ€”including Cedric Alexander, Isla Dawn, AOP (Rezar & Akam), Blair Davenport, Elektra Lopez, and moreโ€”depart from the company. Additionally, Sonya Deville was informed that her contract would not be renewed.

โ€œI texted with The Good Brothers last night, according to when this showโ€™s being taped. I text those guys all the time. Love those boys, man. Two good dudes and two good workers? Theyโ€™re going to be fine. I know they know theyโ€™re going to be fine. Thereโ€™s so no sense in saying, โ€˜Hey, you guys are going to be fine.โ€™ They know that. You know, I just texted them, telling them I love them and canโ€™t wait to see what theyโ€™re doing next, and that, to me, is the key,โ€ he said. You can do one of two things when you get released. I feel sorry for anybody, by the way, whoโ€™s lost a job. Iโ€™ve done it. Iโ€™ve had it happen to me many times for 30 or 40-plus years, from football and wrestling to everything else. Believe me, Iโ€™ve been fired, released. I would never dream of making light of it or do anything except my sympathies, and Iโ€™m sorry that it happened to you. But this is an opportunity, and you have two choices here.โ€

โ€œYou can sit around and hope that Tony Khan picks you up, or that you get picked up by a different group, or you can go out there and make a name for yourself. Iโ€™ve never seen an opportunity better in wrestling since Iโ€™ve been in it for 30-plus years. Iโ€™ve been a fan my entire life, 58 years, and Iโ€™ve never seen an opportunity better for guys going out and making a name for themselves. Thatโ€™s what I feel like The Good Brothers are going to do. Thatโ€™s what I hope all these guys do. You know, thereโ€™s two different mindsetsโ€ฆ I hope these guys go out there and make a hell of a name for themselves because I believe thereโ€™s no time in wrestling history where itโ€™s easier to go out and do something big outside of the big one, which is WWE.โ€