WWE Releases: Every Wrestler Released In 2026

The very nature of the wrestling business means that talents so often come and go from companies, be that after lengthy stays with a promotion, or a relatively short run there. And that's long been the case in WWE, as highlighted by over 50 names departing the TKO outfit in 2025.

Of those 50+, some were quick to find a new home with another major company, others hit the road on the independent scene, and then there are those who decided to leave the wrestling business in their rearview mirror altogether. Here we are, midway through 2026, and 30 talents have already headed for the WWE exit door so far this year, either outright released by the market leader or, in some cases, a performer has made the bold choice to walk away from WWE and bet on themselves and their skillset being better utilised elsewhere.

This article continues to be updated throughout the year, with the latest set of departures being a part of WWE's annual post-WrestleMania cuts. Here's hoping that there aren't too many further updates needed to this piece as we continue on through 2026.

So, let's start things off with a 2022 signing with an impressive athletic background, who may well be looking to put pro wrestling behind her...

Brinley Reece

Last seen on EVOLVE back in March 2025, Brinley Reece took to Instagram on 4 January 2026 to announce that her time with WWE had come to an end.

With a background in tumbling and acrobatics, the real-life Breanna Ruggiero signed with WWE after impressing at a tryout during the weekend of SummerSlam 2022. She'd wrestle her first official match at a September 2023 live event, teaming with Fallon Henley in a loss to Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson. Under the name Brinley Reece, the California native would make her televised in-ring bow the following month, losing to Arianna Grace in the first round of the NXT Women's Breakout Tournament.

Reece would wrestle 12 times on main NXT programming during her time under contract, though she was winless in all 12 of those. However, she did find a little more success on NXT Level-Up and in EVOLVE, where she picked up a few victories. Brinley also had a small role to play in the working relationship between WWE and TNA, competing three times for the Anthem promotion.

Citing "personal health challenges and a serious injury that required surgery" in her statement announcing her WWE exit, the 25-year-old's final match with the company was a March 2025 live event loss to Karmen Petrovic. By May of that year, Reece suffered a shoulder injury, which is what she referenced with those surgery comments.

Tommaso Ciampa

One of WWE's biggest departures of the year so far, and likewise one of AEW's greatest acquisitions of 2026, Tommaso Ciampa isn't so much a WWE release, per se, but more Ciampa opted against re-signing with the market leader.

Instead, the former two-time NXT Champion and two-time WWE Tag Team Champion decided to bring an end to his ten-year run with WWE, announcing on 21 January that he had decided to walk away from the company. As the Psycho Killer has since revealed in subsequent interviews, he'd grown frustrated in WWE, particularly by fans talking about how Tommaso had peaked during the glory days of NXT Black & Gold. For the veteran, he felt that the 2026 Tommaso Ciampa was far better in every single way than that younger version, and he wanted to be afforded the chance to show that elsewhere, rather than re-sign with WWE and likely be featured in the exact same spot for the next however many years of that new contract.

Of course, Ciampa wasted little time in making an immediate impact away from WWE, debuting on AEW Dynamite one week after announcing his WWE exit. There, Tommaso would answer Mark Briscoe's open challenge for the TNT Title, with that match taking place on the very next episode of Collision; a Collision where Ciampa emerged victorious, winning a championship in his very first AEW match.

Tommaso Ciampa may have quickly lost that TNT Title to Kyle Fletcher already, but he's been a regular feature of AEW programming and has already put on a bunch of fantastic matches, not least in challenging Darby Allin for the AEW World Championship.

Ava

In some surprising news, Simone Johnson announced her WWE exit at the end of January, with 27 January marking her final NXT appearance.

This exit brought an end to Johnson's two-year run as NXT General Manager Ava, and it was her decision not to renew with WWE, with her seemingly having no interest in continuing a career within the wrestling business. Prior to that on-screen GM gig, Simone had been part of Joe Gacy's Schism faction as Ava Raine, making her TV debut in 2022 after being first signed in 2020. Of course, the Raine part of her name would be dropped once the Schism came to an end, and she'd initially become Shawn Michaels' assistant before being given the NXT GM role in early 2024.

As for what's next for the fourth-generation star, Simone Johnson was believed to be pursuing a career in her parents' Seven Bucks Productions, which is a company that deals in movies, TV, digital, and technology, producing various Dwayne Johnson-fronted efforts over the years, such as The Smashing Machine, Black Adam, Baywatch, and the story of Saraya/Paige, Fighting with My Family.

After departing WWE, Simone made it clear that the company's political views do not align with her own, hitting out at US President Donald Trump and ICE, shortly before deactivating her X account.

Tatyanna Dumas

For those who haven't watched WWE LFG, Tatyanna Dumas may not be a name you're familiar with. A former Gladiator on the Australian edition of, well, Gladiators, and having also appeared on Australia's Ninja Warrior, Dumas was ultimately unsuccessful with her LGF pursuits.

Dumas' final match for the company came at a December 2025 NXT live event, where she'd come up short against fellow LFG alumnus Zena Sterling.

News of Tatyanna's release only became public after Ava announced her WWE departure, with the two currently in a relationship, including appearing on the red carpet alongside Dwayne Johnson at the world premiere of The Smashing Machine. While certain people have speculated that Dumas' release played a part in Ava deciding to leave WWE, none of those involved have commented on that.

Kelly Kincaid

Having done a great job as a backstage interviewer and occasional ring announcer for NXT, it was a little surprising to see Kelly Kincaid announce on social media that her time with WWE would be coming to an end on 14 February.

Per Kincaid, she was not given the option of extending her stay with WWE, suggesting that this was a case of the company choosing not to offer her a new contract. The Missouri native had been with WWE since February 2022, bringing an end to her run at four years.

Before becoming Kelly Kincaid in WWE, the real-life Kelly Verbil was known to Ring of Honor fans as Quinn McKay, an announcer-turned-wrestler, and someone who fronted so much of ROH's pandemic-era content. During those wrestling days, she had the chance to tangle with notable names such as Roxanne Perez, Willow Nightingale, Megan Bayne, the Allure, and Max the Impaler. It remains to be seen whether Kelly will pick up her in-ring career, though she last laced up her boots in 2021 as of this writing.

Away from the wrestling business, Kelly and her partner Lewis Howley - better known as Pretty Deadly's Elton Prince - welcomed their first child into the world in September 2024, with Kincaid having returned to NXT TV in March 2025, and picking up where she left off with her interviewing duties.

As of February 14th, I will no longer be under contract with WWE

— Kelly Kincaid (@KellyKincaidWWE) February 6, 2026

Kelly Kincaid - signing off

— Kelly Kincaid (@KellyKincaidWWE) February 11, 2026

Aleister Black

The biggest name of WWE's post-WrestleMania 42 round of exits, Aleister Black's departure brought an end to the Dutchman's one-year second run with the company.

It was a somewhat so-so return for Black, returning to much fanfare shortly after WrestleMania 41, getting big TV wins over heavy hitters like Randy Orton, Damian Priest, and Sami Zayn. And if reports are to be believed, there were even tentative creative discussions of having Aleister face Orton at WrestleMania 42 and playing a role in the Viper turning on Cody Rhodes.

Instead, Aleister Black was completely absent from the WrestleMania 42 card, with his 'Mania involvement being relegated to a spot in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal on the SmackDown before the Showcase of the Immortals.

Where the hugely talented 40-year-old ends up next remains to be seen, as does whether the door remains open for a possible AEW return down the line.

Zelina Vega

Alongside her husband Aleister Black, Zelina Vega was another major name to depart WWE in the fallout from WrestleMania 42.

A former Women's United States Champion, Women's Tag Team Champion, and the inaugural Queen of the Ring winner, Vega had been with WWE for nine years, initially working as the on-screen manager of Andrade 'Cien' Almas. Later years would see Zelina start to wrestle more often, and she'd have runs as Queen Zelina, as part of Legado del Fantasma, as part of the Latino World Order, and famously received a hugely memorable reaction from the Puerto Rico crowd when she went up against Rhea Ripley at Backlash 2023.

Of course, more recently, Vega had been paired up with Aleister Black on SmackDown, and the fact that the pair were such a strongly featured duo on Friday nights makes the news of their exits particularly surprising.

Zelina was quick to thank those she worked with in WWE, taking to her Twitch stream and X:

I know I said it on stream but I also want to thank my co-workers, trainers and everyone who made it possible to do what I did in WWE. The amount of txts I got from all of you warmed my heart to tears.

Thank you. I genuinely feel honored to have worked with you.

— ZV (@ZelinaVegaWWE) April 25, 2026

Kairi Sane

While the departures of Aleister Black and Zelina Vega were surprising, arguably even more surprising was WWE's decision to release Kairi Sane.

For months, Kairi had been constantly featured on Raw, being regularly browbeaten and berated by Asuka, with the clear payoff to that lengthy story being for the Pirate Princess to finally stand up to the Empress of Tomorrow. On top of that, IYO SKY had been factored into that situation, and there was at one point a plan to move forward with Asuka vs. IYO at WrestleMania 42, presumably with Kairi slap bang in the middle of that.

Bizarrely, then, the call was made to release Kairi Sane.

One of the very best female wrestlers in the world when allowed to showcase her skills, it would be questionable if Kairi was released at any point in time, but it's all the more frustrating and odd that she'd be let go when she's been such a featured part of one of WWE's best stories of the year and before she could finally put Asuka in her place.

Fightful reports that Sane will have the opportunity to work in "literally any company she wants to" when she becomes a free agent. The inaugural IWGP Champion and an all-time standout of STARDOM, Kairi will have no shortage of suitors when it comes to what's next.

Chris Sabin

Given the dismal state of WWE's tag team divisions coming out of WrestleMania 42, particularly on the SmackDown brand, it's another head-scratcher as to why WWE would choose to release the Motor City Machine Guns.

In the case of Chris Sabin, he's a 26-year veteran of the business by this point, one half of one of the most influential tag teams of the modern era, and has also shown great value as a singles talent, including a run as the TNA World Champion and a record-setting ten spells as the TNA X Division Champion.

One could possibly argue that, at 44 years of age, WWE is looking to prioritise younger talent than Sabin, but when you look at how badly the Raw and SmackDown tag team divisions have been handled in recent months, it seems inexcusable not to keep a team like the Motor City Machine Guns around to a) bring prestige to your tag ranks, and b) to share their experience with younger talents.

Alex Shelley

As mentioned, Alex Shelley joined his long-time partner Chris Sabin in being part of the post-WrestleMania 42 cuts, bringing an end to the Motor City Machine Guns' run in WWE.

Again, this is such a shame, especially at a time when WWE's tag ranks feel so flat. The arrival of MCMG in October 2024 felt like a major shot in the arm for the tag team division, complete with them winning the WWE Tag Team Titles just one week after their debut.

Skip ahead to the summer of 2025, and the tag division was delivering consistently thrilling action, as the Motor City Machine Guns tangled with DIY, the Street Profits, Fraxiom, the Wyatt Sicks, the Bloodline, and Rey Fenix and Andrade.

Sadly, WWE is back in a rut of not giving any real focus to either of its tag team divisions right now, and it appears that Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin are feeling the impact of that. And speaking of impact, Shelley, like Sabin, is another who's a former TNA World Champion and former TNA X Division Champion.

Considering the Motor City Machine Guns reportedly turned down an offer to join AEW in favour of signing with WWE, it'll be interesting to see whether the team turns up in AEW in the future, and one has to imagine that TNA would be extremely eager for Shelley and Sabin to return to boost their tag team ranks.

Santos Escobar

In terms of how he's been used since re-signing with WWE last year, it's sadly not too surprising to see Santos Escobar released after WrestleMania 42. However, what makes his departure a strange one is how hard WWE pushed to re-sign Santos, supposedly throwing a huge contract at him in order to keep him with the company.

As has been the case with previous releases over the years, it may well have been a case of that supposedly high salary being the driving factor behind this release, as removing big earners is one way to help balance the books.

Making this release even more disappointing is the fact that Santos has been out injured for the past few months and recently underwent a second surgery shortly before WrestleMania 42. It always sucks to see somebody lose their job, but it leaves even more of a bad taste when that person is also recovering from an injury.

In years gone by, WWE had a policy of not releasing injured talent. Unfortunately, that policy is no longer in place.

Uncle Howdy

In total, Bo Dallas spent 17 years with WWE across two spells.

That first run lasted from 2008 until 2021, taking in Florida Championship Wrestling, NXT, and the main roster, and saw him win the Raw Tag Team Titles and the 24/7 Championship.

By December 2022, the third-generation star would be rehired, taking on the Uncle Howdy persona opposite his brother, Bray Wyatt. Following the tragic loss of Bray the following year, Howdy would resurface as the leader of the Wyatt Sicks faction in the aftermath of WrestleMania 40, and the group had most recently feuded with Solo Sikoa and his MFTs.

Again, considering the amount of TV time the Wyatt Sicks received, it was a little bit of a surprise to see the entire stable let go as part of the post-WrestleMania 42 releases.

Erick Rowan

Much like Bo Dallas, Erick Rowan is another talent who had two runs in WWE.

That first run went from 2011 until 2020, with Big Red somebody whose WWE tenure began with Florida Championship Wrestling. By the time FCW was rebranded as NXT, Rowan would become a member of the Wyatt Family, both in NXT and on the main roster, and tag team gold was won with both Luke Harper and Daniel Bryan.

Erick would be brought back into the WWE fold in 2024 as part of the Wyatt Sicks, pulling inspiration from Ramblin' Rabbit and serving as the enforcer of the group.

Dexter Lumis

Viewed by many fans as being the best in-ring worker of the Wyatt Sicks, Dexter Lumis is another talent who's had two spells with WWE.

Originally, Lumis landed in NXT in 2019, soon being presented as an artistic, mute serial killer of sorts, eventually 'marrying' Indi Hartwell. That run came to an end in April 2022 as the real-life Sam Shaw found himself part of the post-WrestleMania 38 cuts.

Dexy would be brought back to WWE later that same year, initially feuding with the Miz before being kept on the sidelines for over a year until returning to TV as part of the Wyatt Sicks in 2024, with Lumis pulling inspiration from Mercy the Buzzard for his character change. Alongside Joe Gacy, Dexter would have a 196-day reign as the WWE Tag Team Champions that came to an end this past January.

Joe Gacy

Much like the man with whom he held tag gold, Joe Gacy is another name who was released in the fallout from WrestleMania 42.

A major CZW favourite prior to signing with WWE, Gacy joined the market leader in 2020, taking on the gimmick of an unhinged pseudo-preacher, first with Harland at his side, then forming the Schism with the Grizzled Young Veterans and Ava.

Joe Gacy would finish up with NXT in 2024 after WrestleMania Season, and he'd be repackaged with the Wyatt Sicks shortly after, representing Huskus the Pig Boy with the group.

Nikki Cross

From SAnitY to teaming with Alexa Bliss, to becoming Nikki A.S.H., to winning Money in the Bank, to teaming with Piper Niven, and more recently portraying Abby the Witch in the Wyatt Sicks, it was certainly a widely varied ten years for Nikki Cross in WWE. Along the way, she'd win the Raw Women's Title, have tag team success with Bliss and Rhea Ripley, and win the 24/7 Title 11 times and be the person to retire that belt.

While Nikki had been a regular presence on WWE TV as part of the Wyatt Sicks across the past two years or so, she hadn't actually wrestled for the company since a December 2024 holiday tour.

As for what could be next for Nikki Cross, considering she has a master's degree and is studying for a PHD, Nikki certainly has plenty of options on the table, be that in the ring or not.

Goodbye and Thank you WWE

I’m really excited for whatever my next chapter will hold.Thank you all for the continued love and support. Special thank you to Robbie Brookside and William Regal for helping this dream come true. Thank you to the wrestlers, coaches, producers…

— Nicola Glencross (@WWENikkiCross) April 24, 2026

Alba Fyre

Those who know know.

For years, Kay Lee Ray was one of the very best female wrestlers on a stacked British independent scene and beyond, thriving for the likes of Insane Championship Wrestling, EVE, Southside, STARDOM, SHIMMER, and a certain WhatCulture Pro Wrestling/Defiant.

A WWE debut would come in the form of the May Young Classic in 2017, and she'd eventually be signed by the market leader in 2019, dominating in NXT UK with a mammoth 649-day reign as the NXT UK Women's Champion before setting her sights on 'main' NXT and then the WWE main roster.

While tag team success came alongside Isla Dawn - winning the NXT Women's Tag Team Titles and the WWE Women's Tag Team Titles - as Alba Fyre, she has more recently found herself protecting Chelsea Green as part of Green's Secret Hervice. And that role may have brought more TV time for Alba, but it rarely gave her the chance to show off her fantastic in-ring skills in any significant way.

By the sounds of it, the Scot is eager to show the world what Kay Lee Ray still has to offer...

Kay Lee Ray would batter Alba Fyre

Just saying....

— Kay Lee Ray???????? (@KLR_KayLeeRay) April 24, 2026

Zoey Stark

Having been out injured since May 2025, Zoey Stark was another talent released after WrestleMania 42.

For Zoey, she suffered a horrific tear of her ACL, MCL, and meniscus while performing a missile dropkick on an episode of Raw, and she'd spend the next several months regularly updating her fans on social media as she continued her road to recovery.

Thankfully, recent reports note that Stark has now been cleared to return to the ring, so at least she'll be able to get back out into the thick of it once she becomes a free agent.

After being informed of her release, Zoey thanked WWE for helping her throughout her recovery. Here's hoping it's not too long before we see the talented 32-year-old cracking skulls once again.

Thank you WWE, you made a young girls dream come true. You could not have been better and more supportive during my healing and I will be forever grateful. Thank you to all the girls in the back, the producers, camera men you were all incredibly kind and gracious. And a special…

— Zoey Stark (@ZoeyStarkWWE) April 25, 2026

Apollo Crews

It had been 11 years for Apollo Crews under the WWE banner, with ten of those being played out on the main roster. And while there was Intercontinental Title and United States Title success for Apollo, it was a bit of a stop-start run for him in WWE.

As Uhaa Nation, Crews was a standout of the US independent scene and Dragon Gate, arriving in WWE with much hype. At a time when WWE would nurture talents in NXT for several years before sending them to Raw or SmackDown, the fact that Apollo made that main roster jump just eight months after his NXT debut is an indicator of the high hopes WWE clearly had for the California native.

Injuries and creative calls hindered Apollo Crews on the main roster, and he spent the bulk of last year recovering from a torn pec. Then, when he did make his big return from injury, it was for AAA in November rather on main WWE programming. That said, he would return to SmackDown this year, with his final WWE match being as a participant of the Andre the Giant Battle Royal on the go-home SmackDown for WrestleMania 42.

Given the talent of the men, not to mention the reputation he carved out for himself before signing with WWE, chances are Apollo won't be short of offers when he's free to wrestle elsewhere.

Tyriek Igwe

One half of the High Ryze, Tyriek Igwe only wrestled one WWE match - an EVOLVE win over Shido Ash - in 2026.

Truth be told, both Igwe and High Ryze partner Tyson Dupont felt a little lost in the shuffle following the WWE release of Wes Lee last October.

Sure, Igwe and Dupont were still featured on TNA programming after Wes' release - even challenging the Hardys for the TNA Tag Team Titles at Final Resolution in December - but they felt like they were just there to fill TV time, rather than how it felt more purposeful when they were being led by Lee.

Having only made his pro wrestling debut three years ago, and with a background in football and track, it remains to be seen what lies ahead for Tyriek.

Tyson Dupont

Tyson Dupon is in a similar position to his High Ryze partner Tyriek Igwe, in that he's got three years of pro wrestling experience under his belt, has only had one match in 2026 - a live event loss to Niko Vance - and has a background in sports, with Dupont shining in shot put and hammer throw.

In fact, Tyson and Tyriek made their in-ring debut together, teaming for a defeat to Hank and Tank on a May 2023 NXT house show.

Dupont has promised that his pro wrestling journey is not over, and that his WWE release is just the end of one chapter in his career.

I want to take a moment to say thank you @wwe and all the fans for all the love and support these part 4 years??

My time with WWE has come to an end, and while it’s not the outcome I hoped for, I’m truly grateful for the opportunity. Being able to step into that ring and live… pic.twitter.com/VXAtcC2BrH

— THE BRICK ? (@_Tysonwwe_) April 25, 2026

Andre Chase

Speaking of chapters, Andre Chase has also vowed that his WWE release is the end of a chapter, but not the end of the story.

Despite being with WWE for six years, Chase revealed in an X post that he was told he'd never make it to NXT TV. Instead, he was hired to pass on his extensive experience to the up-and-comers who NXT viewed as being the stars of tomorrow.

To his credit, the man got himself over with that NXT crowd, heading up Chase University and becoming a two-time NXT Tag Team Champion by the time all was said and done.

The fact that so many of the NXT roster took to social media to praise Andre Chase for his work in helping them develop, that says it all about somebody who so many people clearly value so highly.

As for what's next for Andre Chase, one has to imagine that a slew of independent promotions would be eager to bring in the former/current Harlem Bravado, not to mention some of those bigger companies with TV deals might also have their eyes on the 37-year-old.

One last TEACHABLE MOMENT‼️

I couldn’t have done it without U ??*Available for bookings, signings, and seminars starting in June. Let’s get to work. #WWENXT#Smackdown#WWERAW pic.twitter.com/cLxXaJiYkv

— Andre Chase | twitch.tv/ChaseUniversity (@AndreChaseWWE) April 24, 2026

Malik Blade

It's been a rough few years for Malik Blade.

A torn ACL suffered against Tavion Heights in October 2024 put the impressive Blade on the shelf for a year, and by the time he was cleared for action, not just had his tag team partner Edris Enofe formally split up that team, but Enofe had requested, and been granted, his release from the company.

Malik wrestled just four matches after that return from injury, the last of which saw him team with Romeo Moreno - the former Zozaya - to pick up a win over Dorian Van Dux and Harlem Lewis at a February NXT live show.

Still only 28 years of age, Malik Blade has shown plenty of potential, so here's hoping he can craft a path for himself elsewhere after being part of those post-WrestleMania cuts.

Tyra Mae Steele

The release of Tyra Mae Steele is one that's left plenty of people questioning the purpose of WWE LFG.

As well as being an Olympic gold medalist, Steele was one of the winners of LFG's debut season. Not even one full year since winning that show, she found herself released by WWE.

The real-life Tamyra Mensah-Stock had made a much hyped appearance for WWE at SummerSlam 2021, and she'd later sign with the company in 2023, initially being a part of Chase U before landing in LFG.

Mensah-Stock's most notable WWE moment was as part of a mixed tag match at Heatwave last August, where she teamed with Tavion Heights in a losing effort against Chelsea Green and Ethan Page. Her last match on main NXT programming was a November loss to Kelani Jordan, and she'd spend the rest of her run being used on EVOLVE and at non-televised NXT live events.

Dante Chen

By all accounts, a super nice, positive person to be around, with his colleagues throwing plentiful praise his way after his release, Dante Chen was part of WWE's most recent cuts.

The first Singaporean wrestler to be signed by WWE, Dante impressed company officials during a 2019 tryout, and he'd make his NXT debut in 2021 during the days of NXT 2.0. A reliable underdog babyface, Chen's biggest spotlight would be when he got a shot at Ethan Page's NXT Championship in July 2024.

Away from that, Dante did make an appearance on the main roster, getting squashed by Bron Breakker on a February 2024 episode of SmackDown. The majority of Chen's final year with the company was spent largely competing on EVOLVE, and his wider tenure saw him regularly bounce between EVOLVE, WWE Main Event, non-televised NXT events, and even make an appearance in TNA.

Luca Crusifino

Best known for his time as the consigliere of the D'Angelo Family, Luca Crusfino had undergone a major gimmick change in the months before being part of the post-WrestleMania 42 releases, taking on the persona of a peaceful, cheery raver who was all about the vibes in EVOLVE.

For Luca, his four-year stay with WWE came to an end after WrestleMania 42, and the 25-year-old former college footballer made the decision to completely step away from the wrestling business, taking to X to announce his in-ring retirement.

Best of luck to the real-life Roman Macek in whatever is next for him.

After much reflection, I’ve decided it’s time to close this chapter of my life.

Being a part of the WWE has been a dream ever since I was a child. Getting the chance to live out my dream in front of the world is something I’ll never take for granted. To the fans … thank you for… pic.twitter.com/RI5i8fpftV

— mace . (@realromanmacek) April 27, 2026

Trill London

Another wrestler with a football background - this time in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins - Trill London signed with WWE in late 2024 as part of the company's ID program.

Trill would wrestle 16 matches during his time with WWE, most of which came on EVOLVE or as part of WWE LFG, where he was mentored by Michelle McCool during the show's second season. He was last in action on the 11th March broadcast of EVOLVE, coming up short against Harley Riggins.

London was part of WWE's post-'Mania round of releases.

Chris Island

With an amateur wrestling background from California Baptist University, Chris Island's time with WWE came to an end in those annual post-WrestleMania cuts.

Island was another who signed with the company in late 2024, and he'd also find himself a part of WWE LFG, where he worked with Booker T and Mickie James. His last match for the company was an NXT live event in February, where he lost to Elijah Holyfield.

Sirena Linton

One more 2024 signee whose time with WWE came to an end after WrestleMania 42 is former NCAA gymnast Sirena Linton.

Sirena has been a part of all three seasons of WWE LFG, and her final match with the company - barring any yet-to-air LFG action - was an unsuccessful attempt to dethrone then-Women's Speed Champion Fallon Henley at a February NXT house show. Prior to that, she'd spent the start of 2026 teaming with Thea Hail at several live events.

Carlee Bright

While 24 WWE names were announced as exiting the company the weekend after WrestleMania 42, Carlee Bright was a little bit different, as her release didn't get made public until the Monday after that news.

It was Bright herself who broke the news of her release, taking to social media to detail that she'd left the marker leader, but that she'll be continuing to pursue her wrestling career.

Carlee had been hand-selected to feature alongside Rhea Ripley in an advert for The General Insurance that aired during WrestleMania 42, which would've suggested that WWE had plans for her. Instead, she was unfortunately amongst those released once 'Mania was done and dusted.

Wrestling has such a funny way of saying, “I love you” ???

This chapter may be closing, but my story is far from finished. xoxoxo #wwe #wwelfg #wwenxt #wrestling pic.twitter.com/SgL4c6n7fV

— Carlee Bright (@CarleeBrightWWE) April 27, 2026