As PWMania.com previously reported, WWE conducted a new round of talent cuts affecting both the main roster and the NXT brand on Friday. The cuts included Aleister Black, Zelina Vega, Kairi Sane, the Motor City Machine Guns, the entire Wyatt Family, and many others.
According to Fightful Select, talent had been heavily speculating that cuts were imminent throughout the week, with some discovering their releases or non-renewals as early as 5 PM ET that day. An internal email was reportedly sent out to certain departments notifying them of the news.
While specifics on which stars were released and which contracts were not extended remain unclear, it has previously been revealed that the “non-compete clauses” are not true non-competes; the talent are still under contract and remain paid. Instead, the report states that there are “rights of termination and requisite notices,” with main roster talent undergoing a 90-day period and NXT roster talent facing a 30-day period.
Additionally, it was reported that although there is much discussion about TKO making the calls concerning the cuts, WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE President Nick Khan, and the company’s talent relations were the primary decision-makers, according to sources within the company. Those sources indicated that the majority of releases were intended to make room for new talent, especially as SmackDown is expected to expand to two hours in the coming weeks.
Regarding Santos Escobar’s release while he was injured, this was previously against company policy but has occurred more frequently lately, with names like Karl Anderson, BJ Ray, and Ridge Holland also being released or not having their deals renewed while still unable to return.
Sources noted that there was significant shock surrounding Kairi Sane’s release, especially since she was involved in the ongoing feud between Asuka and IYO SKY. There is considerable frustration regarding her release before the storyline could reach a satisfying conclusion. Sane is expected to be able to sign with any company of her choice when she becomes a free agent. The report also noted that several NXT releases were made in anticipation of new Performance Center signings, which are expected to be announced soon.
