Backstage Reaction To Ruby Riott & Buddy Murphy's WWE Releases

New details on Ruby Riott and Buddy Murphy, who were cut by WWE yesterday.

Ruby Riott Buddy Murphy
WWE

Buddy Murphy and Ruby Riott were amongst the wrestlers released by WWE yesterday, as the promotion moved into its third month of heavy roster cuts by shedding six wrestlers from Raw, SmackDown, and NXT.

Per Fightful Select, Riott's departure had a particularly notable impact on the WWE roster. The outlet states that the former Heidi Lovelace was a universally popular figure in the locker-room, with her release shaking the people they spoke to more than others. In particular, Riott's worth ethic was frequently commended.

This sentiment appears to be shared by Bayley, who tweeted the following on Wednesday night:-

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Riott's WWE tag partner, Liv Morgan, added the following:-

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As far as Murphy goes, Fightful notes that while the Australian had recently been the subject of pitches that would have seen him reunite with former partner Wesley Blake, these were rejected. Murphy wasn't on WWE's creative horizon at the time of his release, though he was easy to work with.

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Murphy has issued the following statement on his departure:-

If the released wrestlers are bound to standard WWE 90-day non-compete clauses, they will be free to sign with another promotion from 31 August.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.