'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
WrestleMania 36 is over now, so it's usually around now that WWE will be looking to make a few cuts to their roster so that they are prepared for the financial year to come. In recent years, WWE hasn't made as many releases as they once did, but the company has still looked to thin out their roster.
Many contracts in WWE are usually signed around April, which means that more often than not, these releases are already worked out with the stars in question. Sometimes they ask if they can walk away from the company because they aren't being used.
Last year, both Luke Harper and Dean Ambrose asked to walk away from WWE and Ambrose made the decision to wait out his contract and walk away when it expired following WrestleMania 35.
It may only be April, but there are a number of WWE stars who have already walked away from WWE this year.
#5. Jazzy Gabert
Alpha Female first came to the attention of the WWE Universe when she was added to the Mae Young Classic. After WWE discovered her neck injury following her first round elimination, the company reminded their contract offer to the star before she returned to the WWE later, following a successful surgery.
Gabert was spotted in the audience at NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool in January 2019, ahead of her debut in the promotion in May. The star only made handful of appearances for WWE in the time she was under contract, and opted not to re-sign earlier this year.
Following her departure from the company Gabert shared her thoughts on her time in WWE with WrestleTalk.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity that WWE gave me. I was immensely privileged to train with legends like William Regal, Johnny Saint, Robbie Brookside, Shawn Michaels and others who came to the performance centre in London.
“I was blessed to make my debut at Blackpool and witness how the NXT UK superstars performed on a high level with so much passion. I was also really happy that I got TV time almost every week; of course some could say it was not a good storyline I was placed in, but I honestly was just happy to be out there at all and I tried to make the best of it.”
#4. Killer Kelly
The WWE roster is much bigger than it has ever been before at present, which means that there are a lot of stars who get overlooked. Killer Kelly was a female wrestler in NXT UK that showed a lot of potential but was definitely underutilized.
Kelly made numerous appearances on NXT UK throughout the brand's first year and became just the second star to announce her departure this year. Kelly removed all references of WWE and NXT from her social media pages, changing her Twitter bio from 'First ever Portuguese WWE Superstar' to 'Portuguese Pro Wrestler based in Germany'.
t was later revealed that she was scheduled to compete at GFW Bloodspot the weekend of WrestleMania 36.
As the report by Daniel Wood here states, Kelly then took to Twitter to request bookings since it appears that she is hoping to push forward with her Independent Wrestling career. Kelly wasn't used well on NXT UK and when she was, it was only as enhancement talent, which could be why she opted to walk away.
#3. Scott Dawson
Scott Dawson alongside Dash Wilder in The Revival was once seen as the future of the WWE Tag Team Division. Their feud with DIY in NXT was one of the best tag team feuds in the history of the brand. So when The Revival was promoted to WWE, many believed that they would go on to do great things.
The team is technically triple crown Tag Team Champions and have had memorable feuds on the main roster, but WWE has never put any kind of trust in the two men, with them looking for a way out when AEW began to become a reality.
The Young Bucks and The Revival are two teams that want to wrestle each other and that could only be made a reality if they were released. The duo requested their release back in 2019, but have had to wait until April 10th to finally be granted their wish. With Dawson's contract running out in the coming weeks, it didn't come as much of a surprise that the company decided that it was time to let him go.
#2. Matt Hardy
Matt Hardy is a former Champion in WWE and he opted to make his return to the company at WrestleMania 33 alongside his brother Jeff Hardy. Whilst Hardy was away from WWE, he was able to put together the Broken Universe and hoped to be able to bring this character to WWE.
In his time in the company, Hardy worked alongside Bray Wyatt and at one point was able to have an Ultimate Deletion match with the former WWE Champion. But, following his union with Wyatt, he was unable to find his feet in WWE.
Frustration was one of the main things that caused Hardy issues whilst contracted to WWE but he decided to wait it out and when his contract finally expired, much like Dean Ambrose last year, he was able to head over to AEW.
Hardy is good friends with The Young Bucks and many other stars over in AEW and it appears that he will be able to have much more creative freedom whilst he's part of All Elite Wrestling's roster.
#1. Dash Wilder
Dash Wilder only recently appeared on Edge's 24 documentary where it was revealed that he was one of the men who helped The Rated R Superstar to get into shape ahead of his return back at The Royal Rumble.
Wilder and Edge have been friends for a number of years and he was happy to help the man who stepped up for him and guided him into a WWE career when he needed him.
It came as a shock when WWE announced the release of both Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson earlier today, since Wilder was reported to have had more time added onto his contract by WWE because of an injury earlier in his career.
Recent reports suggest that Cash Wheeler could be the name that Wilder decides to now go with, following his release from WWE, since this was the name that the former Tag Team Champion had trademarked. There were also rumors that "Top Guys" could be the tag team name of Wilder and Scott Dawson once they were out of contract with WWE.
