Every WWE Release Of 2021 - Where Are They Now? (Five Years Later)
38. Ari Sterling
Then: Alex Zayne smashed a WWE tryout in early-2021, and things really looked good for him. He had a lot of experience working across the globe in groups like New Japan and ROH, and NXT seemed like it'd be a neat fit for his style. However, by mid-to-late-2021, the redubbed Ari Sterling was on the outs with the biggest company in the land.
He was released in August.
Now: It's like Sterling's entire WWE run was a figment of fan imaginations, because he's picked right back up where he left off in other groups like NJPW, TNA, GCW and more. The hardworking grafter even popped back up in ROH under AEW's banner for a bunch of matches between 2024-2025, but that didn't lead to a full-time contract or flashy #AllElite graphic.
Admittedly, most of Zayne's matches in ROH latterly have been multi-man affairs where he hardly stood out from the rest of the crowd, but he's been able to do that elsewhere anyway. Also, his tag with Lance Archer has one of the greatest names in history: Collectively, they're known as Monster Sauce, which is...amazing.
Zayne is 39 now. Does that kill off his chances of ever inking another WWE deal? Nah, not really, but it's pretty unlikely. He seems content with what he's doing in wrestling generally, so it doesn't seem like Alex needs Triple H to come knocking on his door anytime soon.
He's the kind of "WWE Superstar" that'd rank as the answer to some obscure trivia question about forgotten members of the NXT roster.