4 Most shocking WWE departures in 2025

WWE had been riding a huge wave of success, achieving a new feat each passing day. The Stamford-based promotion under Triple H's creative leadership has also seen some of the biggest comebacks of the era this year.

Meanwhile, some superstars even shockingly departed from the sports entertainment juggernaut this year. Let's look at the four most surprising WWE departures in 2025.

#4. Andrade

A new shocking report emerged this weekend, revealing that the former United States Champion, Andrade, left the Stamford-based promotion.

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Andrade's abrupt departure from WWE caught everyone off guard. According to reports, World Wrestling Entertainment attempted to contact the Mexican superstar for weeks, but he was "unreachable," which ultimately led to his termination.

#3. Former WWE champion Karrion Kross

One of the most shocking outings this year was Karrion Kross'. The former two-time NXT Champion was getting naturally over with the fans, and many saw him as a future main eventer.

Karrion and Scarlett Bordeaux's contract was up, and they were expected to sign a new deal with the company. However, things went south with their case, and they ended up not signing with the company. Later, in an interview with Ariel Helwani, Kross stated that he wanted to know about his deal, but he wasn't provided with any information, which led him not to sign with the company.

Fans initially thought it was a storyline, but later it was confirmed that the situation was indeed real.

#2. Dakota Kai

On May 2, earlier this year, four-time champion Dakota Kai ended her stint with the company. This was her second departure from the company before getting released. Kai has had a great run as she was part of Bayley's heel faction, Damage CTRL, and she did a commendable job as part of the group.

Things creatively fell apart for her as Damage CTRL broke up, as their leader, Bayley, was kicked out, and even she suffered an injury and was out of action. This all led to her getting cut from the company. Kai hasn't been in action since leaving the promotion, but she misses wrestling.

#1. Cora Jade

Dakota wasn't the only rising superstar who was released during the budget cuts in May 2025. Cora Jade (Aka: Elayna Black) was also released from the company.

However, her getting cut from WWE came as a shock to many, as she had the perfect potential to perform at the top and be the face of the women's division at any brand. Jade has currently taken time off from pro-wrestling as she needs some time.

About the author

Nayan is a WWE News and Features writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling. After completing his bachelor's degree in Mass Communication from Poddar International, he began working as a YouTube script writer. Nayan then transitioned to Pinkvilla as a combat sports writer. He gained valuable experience there before finally coming under the banner of Sportskeeda.

Within 1.5 years, Nayan has written over 1,000 articles, interviewed MFN promotion owners, and conducted a Twitter campaign that gained over 50k retweets and more. He puts fact-checking and mindful journalism above everything by applying a three-check method, where he tries to verify reports from reliable sources and cross-check whether other major publications have covered them.

Looking back at his association with pro wrestling, Nayan recalls being hooked on the sport after watching Shawn Michael vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania 25. Since then, the product has been an inseparable part of his life.

Apart from The Heartbreak Kid being Nayan's favorite wrestler for his confidence and charisma, he is also a fan of Brock Lesnar due to The Beast's "work speaks louder than words" attitude.

Nayan can be found performing mixed martial arts and reading true crime in his free time.

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Edited by Neda Ali