Following Friday’s wave of WWE releases—which included names like Braun Strowman, Shayna Baszler, Gigi Dolin, and Cora Jade—new reports have emerged suggesting that internal perceptions around training effort may have influenced some of the decisions.
On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline.com addressed the rationale behind some of the cuts, citing lack of effort in training as a key factor.
“Many of those cut were perceived as not working hard in training,” Meltzer said (via WrestleTalk.com).
“And if you don’t work hard in training, there’s so many people who do. At this point, if the feeling is you’re not working hard in training—I saw the term ‘lazy’—the ones who are lazy are gonna be gone, and the ones who didn’t stand out are gonna be gone.”
In response, Gigi Dolin, one of the released NXT stars, took to social media to strongly push back against those claims:
“When I wasn’t traveling to work for either of the two companies I was working for, I trained very hard 3-4 days a week, bumping my ass off and doing cardio drills with one of the best/toughest coaches I’ve worked with. And worked out every single day. With live events every other weekend.
So yeah I don’t wanna hear this lol. The way my body feels says otherwise.”
Fellow former NXT star Cora Jade also weighed in, opening up about her own training experience and the emotional toll it took:
“This, plus can’t forget having to go to my own gym outside of work after ‘strength and conditioning’ that wasn’t doing anything for me other than get me body shamed by my bosses, coworkers, and fans 🙂 crazy!”
Both Dolin and Jade’s responses have sparked further conversation about training culture, expectations, and the pressure performers face behind the scenes.
When I wasn’t traveling to work for either of the two companies I was working for, I trained very hard 3-4 days a week, bumping my ass off and doing cardio drills with one of the best/toughest coaches I’ve worked with. And worked out every single day. With live events every other…
— Priscilla Kelly (@HellsFavoritePK) May 4, 2025
Stay with PWMania.com for more on this developing story and the latest updates on WWE roster changes.
