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WWE has been on a ruthless release spree this year and has let go of about 40 talents so far. It all started way back in January when Lars Sullivan was released after doing nothing of note for a while. The latest big name to be released was Killian Dain.
WWE's roster is one of the biggest in the pro wrestling industry and boasts some of the best talents in the world. Some of these wrestlers are romantically involved in real life. Occasionally, the company's release spree will lead to these couples splitting up.
In the following list, we will take a look at five couples that were split up by WWE releases.
#5 Lana and Miro (Miro's WWE release: April 15, 2020)
Miro, Lana, and Bobby Lashley were involved in a controversial love triangle storyline on RAW back in 2019-20. The storyline ended up destroying Miro's standing on the roster as he lost most of the matches to Lashley and was handled poorly as a babyface. Fans were quite vocal about not being entertained by it at all, but the angle did garner millions of views on social media on a regular basis.
Miro had his final WWE match on an episode of RAW in February 2020 which saw Lashley and Angel Garza teaming up to defeat him and Humberto Carrillo. He was then immediately taken off TV and didn't appear at WrestleMania 36 either. He was one of several WWE Superstars who were let go in April as part of the company's budget cuts.
The cuts stemmed from the COVID-19 pandemic and WWE was heavily criticized for firing wrestlers at a time when they were in dire need of jobs. Lana and Miro have been married for almost five years at this point and were heavily featured as a couple on WWE TV on various occasions.
Miro made his way to All Elite Wrestling soon after and is currently the TNT Champion. Lana enjoyed a one-year run following her husband's departure from WWE and was released on June 2, 2021. Many fans are speculating that she could join Miro on AEW TV after her non-compete clause expires.
#4 Roderick Strong and Marina Shafir (Shafir's WWE release: June 25, 2021)
Marina Shafir signed a deal with WWE back in 2018. Shafir and Roderick Strong got engaged in December 2015, a good while before the former's WWE debut. The couple tied the knot on November 7, 2018, months after Shafir's WWE arrival.
Marina Shafir was involved in a stable with Shayna Baszler and Jessamyn Duke on NXT. The heel trio was prominently featured on TV during Baszler's 416-day NXT Women's title reign.
There was a time when speculation was running wild in regards to a possible WWE vs. MMA Four Horsewomen battle with Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Bayley, and Sasha Banks taking on Ronda Rousey, Jessamyn Duke, Shayna Baszler, and Marina Shafir.
It will probably forever remain a pipe dream for WWE fans as Rousey hasn't wrestled since her WrestleMania 35 loss to Lynch and both Duke and Marina Shafir no longer work for the company.
Following the dissolution of The Undisputed Era, Roderick Strong took a hiatus from NXT and recently made his return as a part of The Diamond Mine stable. Shafir recently hinted that she's not done with pro wrestling after her release. It would be interesting to see what's next for her in the near future.
#3 Nikki Cross and Killian Dain (Dain's WWE release: June 25, 2021)
Killian Dain was released from his WWE contract a short while ago. The release came days after his wife and RAW Superstar Nikki Cross debuted a new superhero gimmick on the Red brand. Dain signed a deal with the company in 2016 and enjoyed a successful stint as a member of SAnitY, a stable that also included Cross.
The stable was disbanded during the 2019 WWE Superstar Shakeup. Nikki Cross did fine for herself on the main roster and won the Women's Tag Team titles with Alexa Bliss on two occasions. Her new superhero gimmick garnered quite a mixed reaction from the WWE Universe but Dain soon cleared the air and revealed that it was her idea:
"She had an idea and saw it brought to life. Very excited to see whats next! Go go Nikki!!!!" tweeted Killian Dain.
Cross seems to be enjoying her portrayal of a superhero on WWE RAW and one wonders what's in store for her in the coming months. As for Dain, he's an incredible talent who would be a good fit for any promotion that gets its hands on him.
#2 Charlotte Flair and Andrade (Andrade's WWE release: March 21, 2021)
Andrade was removed from WWE TV following his loss to Angel Garza on an episode of RAW in October last year. His fans were worried about his standing on the WWE roster and speculation was running wild suggesting that Andrade's time in the company was over.
Reports started coming out in early 2021 stating that Andrade had asked for his WWE release. The Mexican star took to Twitter soon after and confirmed the rumors.
"The rumors are true and I don’t know what the future holds but I want to make my dreams come true. thank you for giving me so much support these last days Los rumores son ciertos y no se lo que me prepara el futuro, pero quiero hacer realidad mis sueños. Gracias por tanto apoyo," tweeted Andrade.
He was finally granted his release in March. He debuted in All Elite Wrestling shortly after his WWE exit. Andrade is engaged to WWE Superstar Charlotte Flair and the former Women's Champion had a heartfelt reaction to his AEW debut. Flair is one of the biggest stars in WWE and it seems highly unlikely that she will ever leave the company to join another promotion.
#1 Aleister Black and Zelina Vega (Vega's WWE release: November 13, 2020)
WWE Superstar Zelina Vega posted a tweet on November 13, 2020, stating that she supports unionization. Minutes later, the company announced that she was being let go. Vega's release caused quite a furor among the WWE Universe at the time and she reacted to the same as well.
“My first love is wrestling and I’m not giving that up," said Vega. "I’m sad and I’m completely heartbroken. Obviously, this isn’t the last that you are gonna see of me…I love you all though and I’m really really thankful to every single one of you. If I go down as someone who stood up for themselves, so be it."
Zelina Vega was released for breach of contract when she launched an OnlyFans account. Her husband and fellow WWE Superstar Aleister Black was still with the company at the time of her release. He didn't appear on TV for several months and finally returned to SmackDown soon after WrestleMania 37. His fans breathed a sigh of relief. Black was now donning a new gimmick and the future looked promising for him.
In one of the biggest shockers of the year, he was released by WWE in June. He had kicked off a feud with Big E days before his release and the news took Wrestling Twitter by storm.
In an interesting turn of events, Vega recently returned to WWE and is currently working on the SmackDown brand. She was introduced by Sonya Deville and is going to participate in the 2021 Women's Money In The Bank Ladder match at the namesake pay-per-view.
Bayley gives us a HUGE update on a top Superstar's upcoming return RIGHT HERE.
