WWE NXT Releases Acknowledged On TV! Superstar Responds

WWE's latest cuts were brought up on television last night.

by Michael Hamflett
Duke Hudson Indi Hartwell
WWE

WWE NXT used a comedy segment to acknowledge the latest round of talent cuts on last night's edition of 2.0.

The "Spring Breakin'" special featured a backstage vignette with Indi Hartwell and Duke Hudson feigning a romantic exchange, with respective partners Dexter Lumis and Persia Perotta conspicuous by their absence. This was, of course, because both Lumis (Samuel Shaw) and Perotta (Stephanie De Lander) were both included in the April 29 releases.

The skit opened with Hartwell staring at her ring finger before Hudson walked into the shot for the two to acknowledge the new elephant in the room. Both made a quick move towards one another intimating a kiss before no-selling the moment and splitting off.

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The segment didn't suggest whether this marked the dropping of the old personas entirely or a continuation of it in this new direction. De Lander responded on Twitter when WWE's official account shared a gif of the two of them pulling back on the kiss.

The emoji appears to indicate her taking it in good humour, which is generous considering the rather insidious nature of the bit.

 
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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett