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Over the years, many WWE Superstars have gotten into relationships with their colleagues. Working and traveling together has allowed many wrestlers to form life-long bonds that have helped them get through outside the ring.
Meanwhile, WWE has also signed some real-life couples to its product in recent years. Karrion Kross and Scarlett came into WWE together and were released together earlier this year.
WWE also signed John Morrison’s wife Franky Monet months after America's Moist Wanted made his return to the company. Monet was released from her contract in early November, while Morrison was shown the door a couple of weeks later.
Recently, several WWE Superstars have lost the privilege of working with their partners due to releases. These superstars are still pushing ahead, while their partners are looking to make it big elsewhere.
Take a look at the six couples who split as a result of WWE releases in 2021:
#6. WWE released Cora Jade’s partner Trey Baxter in November 2021
Trey Baxter and Cora Jade signed with WWE in early 2021 and were set to make an impact in the largest wrestling promotion in the world. After NXT went through a revamp, it looked like the newer superstars would get more screen time.
Jade became famous as the youngest NXT Superstar on the roster. She also became one of the very few superstars who appeared for AEW before signing with WWE.
Meanwhile, Baxter made his NXT debut against Kushida in June 2021 and turned a few heads. However, he was unsuccessful at winning the NXT Breakout Tournament.
Baxter and Jade competed in a few matches for the company before the creative team decided to cut one of them. Trey Baxter was released from his WWE contract on November 4, 2021.
Jade, on the other hand, got a significant push on NXT as she got into rivalries with some of the bigger heels of the brand. The young superstar could have a bright future in the company.
Jade is heading to TakeOver: WarGames where a good performance could turn her into a big star. She'll be teaming up with the biggest names on the brand. Meanwhile, Baxter is looking to start afresh and take another promotion by storm.
#5. WWE referee Aja Smith’s partner Leon Ruff was released in August 2021
Leon Ruff struck gold pretty early in his WWE career. The cruiserweight wrestler started off as an enhancement talent and competed on Main Event and 205 Live. In November 2020, Ruff defeated Johnny Gargano to win the NXT North American Championship.
It was a massive feat for the newcomer as he defeated one of the top men in WWE to win gold. A storyline followed that saw him compete against two of the top men in the company.
His partner was there to witness his big victory. WWE Referee Aja Smith, who is in a relationship with Ruff, was extremely proud of his win.
Ruff’s rise in NXT did not last for long as he was released from his contract in August 2021. He's since moved to Game Changer Wrestling (GCW) where he recently made his debut and is looking to carry on his successful run.
Meanwhile, Smith continues to work as a referee for WWE. She was recently called up to the main roster to perform her duties during big matches.
#4. WWE released Roderick Strong’s wife Marina Shafir in June 2021
WWE NXT Cruiserweight Champion Roderick Strong is helping build some new talent as part of Diamond Mine. He was a cornerstone in the Undisputed ERA and has remained one of the few top men in NXT for a long time.
The Messiah of the Backbreaker has been with WWE since 2016, and he has competed in some of the biggest matches of NXT. Strong was engaged to Marina Shafir when she signed with WWE in 2018. Soon after, the two married.
She worked alongside fellow MMA stars Shayna Baszler and Jessamyn Duke. WWE did not use Shafir much after Baszler was moved to the main roster. After being underutilized for several months, WWE released her from her contract on June 25, 2021. Strong and Shafir were seen as a power couple in NXT, and the latter’s exit came as a surprise to many.
It looks like Shafir is far from done in the wrestling world. She has made a few independent appearances since her release and has competed in Game Changer Wrestling (GCW).
#3. WWE released Nikki A.S.H.'s husband Killian Dain in June 2021
Killian Dain and Nikki A.S.H. (formerly known as Nikki Cross) got a push in WWE when they became members of Sanity in NXT. The two worked well together as part of the faction and started to grow closer. Dain moved to the main roster as part of Sanity while Nikki moved to SmackDown separately. The two continued to compete on the main roster separately.
In January 2019, Dain and Nikki married. While Nikki started to get a push on the main roster, Dain did not receive the same treatment. He was moved back to WWE NXT for some time where he competed with Drake Maverick. The Beast of Belfast became one of the many superstars that were released by WWE on June 25, 2021.
After Dain’s departure, Nikki won the RAW Women’s Championship for the first time in her career. The two had many ups and downs during their tenure in WWE. However, they’ve supported and stuck by each other’s side throughout. It'll be interesting to see where Dain ends up next.
#2. WWE SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair’s fiancée Andrade El Idolo was granted his release in March 2021
Charlotte Flair has been one of the top women in WWE for half a decade. Meanwhile, Andrade slowly became one of the company’s top male stars in 2020. The fans were really behind him, but the creative team failed to give him a big push at the right time.
Charlotte and Andrade announced their relationship in early 2019. The couple got engaged on January 1, 2020 and publicly announced it on social media. The two superstars continued to work separately on different storylines.
However, Andrade realized that WWE wasn’t using him to his true potential and requested his release from WWE in March 2021. He was initially denied, but WWE eventually granted it to him on March 21.
Andrade is now doing a good job in the company’s rival promotion, AEW. He is among the top men who can help define the company's direction.
Meanwhile, his switch has not affected The Queen’s position in WWE who remains in contention for top championships frequently.
#1. WWE released Zelina Vega's husband Malakai Black in June 2021
Zelina Vega and Malakai Black (formerly known as Aleister Black) kept their relationship under wraps during their time in WWE NXT. Vega worked with Andrade as his manager, while Black remained a top solo star in NXT.
The couple married in 2018, to the surprise of Triple H and many in the WWE Universe. The two superstars never really worked together on-screen and continued to build their separate paths.
After moving to the main roster, Black did not get a solid rivalry and remained off-screen for extended periods. He went through a couple of character changes, and fans hoped that he would finally become a top star.
Zelina Vega, on the other hand, was released by the company in November 2020. She was rehired by WWE after just eight months, but by then, Black was gone.
WWE released Black from his contract on June 2, 2021, when he was about to begin a new rivalry. The release came as a surprise to many within WWE.
Black has since been performing on AEW. Meanwhile, Vega is pushing her way through as an in-ring performer and recently won the company’s inaugural Queen’s Crown.
