WWE Releases NXT's Dakota Kai & Malcolm Bivens
Two ultra talented NXT 2.0 talents are no longer under WWE contract.
WWE has released NXT talents Dakota Kai and Malcolm Bivens, reports Fightful Select.
Bivens had signed a short-term extension to his expiring deal at some stage in 2021. This was the product of an internal WWE push to retain his services, though the Diamond Mine manager reportedly told the promotion that he did not want to re-sign for a longer period when approached about another extension this past February.
Whether or not Malcolm is bound to a non-compete clause hasn't been reported yet. If he is departing as a consequence of a contract expiring, this would suggest not. Typically, NXT non-compete clauses are for 30 days, not the 90 days taken as standard for main roster talents.
The circumstances surrounding Kai's release were unclear at the time of writing.
Kai last appeared on WWE television on NXT 2.0's 12 April episode, losing to Women's Champion Mandy Rose. Bivens, meanwhile, featured in some capacity almost every week, including a segment alongside his Diamond Mine stablemates on this Tuesday's show.
Bivens had been with WWE since March 2019, though he struggled for a regular televised role until putting Diamond Mine together last June. Kai, meanwhile, signed with WWE in December 2016.