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Releases in WWE have come thick and fast over the past year, with the company making mass cuts to both their active and behind-the-scenes rosters throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
This has led to many surprise releases including the likes of Samoa Joe (who was rehired), Braun Strowman, Bray Wyatt and Aleister Black.
Alongside these big names, there were also several females released from the company and many of them have since gone on to change their look. Many women who have been released from the company over the years now look very different when compared to their WWE persona.
The following list looks at just five WWE women who went on to change their look following their release from the company.
#5. Current WWE Superstar Zelina Vega
Zelina Vega is one of the exceptions on the list since she was released from WWE in the fall of 2020 before being rehired in the build up to Money in the Bank this year.
Vega was released after the fallout following the company's third-party edict and has since continued to stream regularly on Twitch. Despite this, Vega was rehired and made her surprise return on an episode of SmackDown not long after her husband Aleister Black was released from his contract.
Black has since gone on to switch up his look slightly as well and is now known as Malakai Black in All Elite Wrestling.
Following her release, Vega went on to change her look and shared several images on her Instagram page that showed her newly dyed red hair. Vega only opted to dye her roots and tips red and later made her return to the company sporting the same look.
The former NXT Superstar definitely turned heads with the look, since her hair was very different during her first run with the company. It appears that this is a look that she's now decided to keep, as Vega hasn't looked into changing her hair color in the time that she's been back with WWE.
Vega appears to be getting utilized by the company much more during her second tenure since she competed in her first Money in the Bank ladder match last month.
#4. Former WWE Superstar Emma
Emma was one of the women who helped to kickstart the WWE Women's Revolution when it first began in NXT.
Many members of the WWE Universe forget that Emma was the one who wrestled Paige in the first-ever NXT Women's Championship match. The Australian star then went on to be part of several high profile matches on both NXT and the main roster, before she was released from the company in 2017.
Emma has since gone on to work for both Ring of Honor and IMPACT Wrestling and made it clear that she is a completely different character by changing up her look.
Now known professionally as Tenille Dashwood, the former WWE Superstar sports a much darker head of hair.
Following her release, Emma decided to dye her hair. This allowed her to step away from the Emma character that she had been most recognizable for during the height of her career.
Whilst working for WWE, as the above image shows, Emma's hair was much lighter and closer to blonde at one point.
#3. Former WWE Superstar Summer Rae
Summer Rae was introduced to the WWE Universe whilst she was part of NXT and later went on to become a regular cast member on Total Divas.
Throughout her time in WWE, Rae was part of some interesting storylines, including a romance angle that also included Dolph Ziggler, Rusev and Lana.
Much like several of the other women on the list, Rae was unable to lift a Championship whilst contracted to WWE, but was still a surprise release from the company in 2017. At the time Rae had been inactive for more than a year but was still thought to be returning at some point in the future.
Following her WWE release, Rae has stepped away from the wrestling business and is currently working under her real name, Danielle Moinet.
Rae has gone on to change her look since she was part of WWE and is now no longer the blonde star she once was. Instead, the former WWE Superstar now has copper-colored hair and is somewhat unrecognizable when compared to the character she once portrayed in the wrestling ring.
#2. Former WWE Superstar Peyton Royce
Peyton Royce is one of WWE's most recent female releases since the former Women's Tag Team Champion was cut alongside the likes of Mickie James and her own tag team partner Billie Kay.
It was believed that Royce would follow her husband Sean Spears to AEW following her release, but the Australian star's non-compete clause came to an end last month and she is yet to make a move to another wrestling promotion.
Whilst Royce is yet to debut for another company, she has made several changes to make it clear that she is no longer Peyton Royce. The former star has now changed her name to Cassie Lee and filed the trademark for it, whilst also changing up her look.
Throughout her career, Royce was known for her dark hair and at one point even sported dark purple, but now the former WWE star has decided to go for a much lighter look.
It appears Cassie Lee is set to be completely different to Peyton Royce when she finally debuts elsewhere.
#1. Former WWE Superstar Ruby Riott
Former WWE Superstar Ruby Riott is now known as Ruby Soho and has made quite the statement recently when showing off her new hair.
Riott is still sitting out her 90-day non-compete clause which comes to an end at the end of the month but has already been linked with a move over to AEW. According to recent rumors, the former star could make her debut at All Out on September 5th.
Throughout her WWE career, Riott changed her hair up a number of times and has been seen with various different colors, but following her release, she has now revealed that she has dyed her hair red.
The former NXT star was believed to be making an impact on SmackDown and heading towards a Women's Tag Team Championship reign alongside Liv Morgan before her surprise release.
Morgan has since gone on to wear attire in tribute to her best friend, while Riott has been working on the next step in her career which could begin after August 31st.
