Why WWE Is Releasing So Many Wrestlers At The Moment (WWE News)
Why WWE released Wes Lee, Stevie Turner, Jin Tala, and six others.
A (perceived) lack of progress drove WWE's recent developmental releases, reports Bryan Alvarez.
The Figure Four Online founder posted to his X/Twitter subscribers this weekend:
“WWE cuts were not budget related, they have over 130 people in developmental and hire more regularly. If you’re not progressing fast enough or they feel you don’t have what it takes for main roster, you’re out to make room for someone new. Possible more cuts coming next week.”
WWE releases nine developmental wrestlers on Friday. Chief among them was Wes Lee, the former NXT North American Champion. Lance Anoa'i, cursed by injuries since signing, was cut without a televised appearance. Fellow releasee Stevie Turner was WWE Evolve General Manager when let go.
Jin Tala, Drako Knox, Haze Jameson, Summer Sorrell, Brayden Ray and Jamar Hampton, completed the releases.
Alvarez's reporting is in line with Fightful Select's. On Sunday, Fightful cited "natural progression of cycling out developmental talent." The outlet stated there had been "around a dozen cuts" in total. Other than those listed above, no further names have become public.
Such release cycles aren't new in WWE developmental. In September 2021, then-WWE SVP Jason Kimball confirmed six-month NXT "evaluations." Talents were to be formally appraised every six months, with those falling short cut.
Kimball told WrestleRant's Graham Matthews:
"It literally is six-month intervals, two-year mark, you're up or out. Obviously, there's constant evaluation down the Performance Center in Orlando. Coaching staff, our staff, on-site, all the time constantly evaluating, but formal, deliberate evaluations occur in six-month periods. At that time, and again these all kind of flow in and around the same kind of entry points, we'll do a tryout and then we'll do a set of releases."