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WWE has released 13 superstars from their contracts today, with some surprising names from NXT being included in the cuts.
Since WrestleMania 37 in April, the company has released a bunch of superstars every few weeks. The cited reason for them has been "budget cuts," with all levels of talent being affected by these increasingly regular cuts.
Big stars like Braun Strowman, Aleister Black, and most recently Bray Wyatt were released from the promotion in the past few months, along with various other prominent stars. Meanwhile, NXT and 205 Live have also been subject to mass cuts.
While the Black and Gold brand was affected around a month ago, this round of cuts came as a major shock. Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp broke the news of these releases during tonight's episode of SmackDown, as some of the names being released were truly shocking.
Here is a list of all 13 WWE talents that were let go today.
#13 WWE NXT star Leon Ruff
One of the more surprising superstars to be released by WWE today was Leon Ruff, who was a regular presence on NXT until a few months ago. He burst onto the scene when he scored a major upset over Johnny Gargano and won the North American Championship.
Ruff enjoyed a string of impressive performances, including at NXT TakeOver: War Games 2020 where he held his own against Gargano and Damian Priest in a triple threat. Also, Hit Row first showed up on NXT at his expense following a Falls Count Anywhere Match against Isaiah "Swerve" Scott.
#12 Indian WWE Superstar Giant Zanjeer
Trained by The Great Khali, Giant Zanjeer showcased his impressive size in his only match under the WWE umbrella. He teamed with Shanky, Rey Mysterio, and Ricochet to win an eight-man Tag Team Match during the company's India special earlier in 2021 - Superstar Spectacle.
#11 Long-time WWE NXT Superstar Kona Reeves
One of the longest-tenured WWE Superstars to remain on NXT, Kona Reeves has spent over seven years with the company. He adopted a few names before sticking with his most recent one. Reeves would occasionally appear on NXT TV, particularly under his "Finest" gimmick which saw him get a brief push in 2018.
He last wrestled before the COVID-19 pandemic, losing quickly to Keith Lee. Reeves has been out of action for over a year due to surgery but did not return on NXT, despite being cleared to do so.
#10 Zechariah Smith
Having signed with WWE in January 2020 without any prior in-ring experience, Zechariah Smith never made a televised appearance with the company. He played collegiate basketball at the University of Oklahoma, as well as for the Washington Generals, before joining Vince McMahon's promotion.
#9 WWE NXT referee Stephon Smith
In-ring superstars were not the only cuts the company made today, with NXT referee Stephon Smith also being let go. He was hired in the same Performance Center class as Shotzi Blackheart, Scarlett Bordeaux, and Indi Hartwell in early 2020.
#8 and #7 WWE 205 Live regulars Ari Sterling and Asher Hale
Having just recently signed with WWE, Ari Sterling wrestled 10 matches for the company. Nine of them were on 205 Live. Sterling was known on the independent scene as Alex Zayne, which he confirmed through Twitter will be his in-ring name once again.
Ari Sterling's record in the company is nearly identical to Asher Hale's. He also primarily wrestled on 205 Live along with a couple of losses on NXT. Sterling and Hale even faced each other on 205 Live, with the former coming out on top.
#6 Tyler Rust
As seen with Aleister Black, WWE has not had any regard for ongoing storylines when releasing superstars. With that being said, Tyler Rust's situation was particularly frustrating. He had barely returned to NXT as a part of Diamond Mine, alongside Roderick Strong, Malcolm Bivens, and Hideki Suzuki.
Just as the stable was embedding itself in the title scene on the Black and Gold brand, Rust has been let go. He did not even last a year in WWE, although he did make several appearances for the company as an enhancement talent beforehand.
#5 Desmond Troy
Desmond Troy announced his WWE release on Twitter, following three years with the company. He mainly wrestled under the name Denzel Dejournette. Troy made appearances at EVOLVE and had a few matches on RAW and SmackDown during the early days of the 'Pandemic Era.'
#4 Jake Atlas
Jake Atlas was a semi-regular figure on NXT, having taken part in quite a few prominent storylines. While having his fair share of 205 Live matches, Atlas scored victories over Cameron Grimes and LA Knight in the past few months.
His last match on NXT saw him team with Mercedes Martinez against Xia Li and Boa. The team was quite significant, with both Atlas and Martinez being proud members of the LGBTQ community.
#3 Brief WWE RAW call-up Mercedes Martinez
However, like Jake Atlas, Mercedes Martinez was let go by WWE. This is a puzzling decision, as the company could do with more experienced in-ring veterans on RAW. Martinez would have fit the bill perfectly, having already dipped her toes into the main roster pool.
She was initially a part of RETRIBUTION but decided to stay on the Black and Gold brand. Mercedes Martinez even had a few shots at the NXT Women's Championship against Io Shirai and Raquel Gonzalez, before losing to Xia Li at the most recent NXT TakeOver event.
#2 Former NXT North American Champion Bronson Reed
In perhaps the most shocking WWE release today, the company let go of Bronson Reed. The heavyweight star seemed destined for the main roster ever since he lost the NXT North American Championship. Reed climbed up the card in 2021, while constantly growing as a character and improving in the ring.
The Australian superstar faced Adam Cole on NXT last week, before what looked like a step up towards RAW or SmackDown. Reed does have a bright future ahead of him, wherever he ends up.
#1 Two-time WWE NXT Tag Team Champion Bobby Fish
Whether or not Adam Cole stays with WWE, we will not be seeing an Undisputed Era reunion. The first member of the iconic NXT stable has now been released. Bobby Fish was the veteran of The Undisputed Era, but has been prone to some long-term injuries.
He won the NXT Tag Team Championship twice alongside Kyle O'Reilly, defending the titles under the Freebird Rule. However, Fish seemed directionless following the end of his feud with Roderick Strong. His presence on the Black and Gold brand would have helped younger stars improve in the ring.
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