WWE Releases Simon Gotch

WWE.com announced Wednesday that Smackdown superstar Simon Gotch had come to a "mutually agreed upon release" as of April 5. This ends Gotch's four-year tenure with the company.

WWE.com's statement read;

"WWE has come to terms on a mutually agreed upon release with Simon Gotch as of today, April 5, 2017. WWE wishes Gotch the best in all his future endeavors."

Gotch competed under a number of personas on the independent scene, most notably Ryan Drago - a throwback to wrestlers of the early 1900s and a predecessor to the character he'd play in WWE. In 2013, Gotch was signed to a WWE development deal, and the following year, he was paired up with Aiden English in the Vaudevillains tandem. The pair reigned as NXT Tag Team Champions, defeating Blake and Murphy for the belts at TakeOver: Brooklyn before losing them to The Revival.

After WrestleMania 32, The Vaudevillains were called up to the main roster, and they soon won a tournament to claim number one contendership to the WWE Tag Team Titles. They were easily defeated by The New Day, then their fortunes quickly turned. The pair were drafted to Smackdown in the brand extension, but often struggled to make it to television.

Gotch's last WWE match came on Tuesday, when he and English lost to American Alpha in a bout that took place prior to Smackdown Live.