Full list of superstars released from WWE in 2025 so far

The year 2025 is nearing its end, and WWE has made headlines with the massive business it has done over the years. The company has been reaching new heights with its new deals with Netflix and ESPN over the past few months, which have made it untouchable in terms of competition in the wrestling industry.

While the business has been improving, the company has not stopped releasing superstars who have not been able to prove themselves effective on the roster. The company has been cleaning house regularly and has released a number of stars this year as well.

Let’s check out the list of names released from WWE this year.

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#32. Dani Palmer

Dani Palmer was part of NXT over the years and made headlines with her work. However, she wasn’t able to grab the attention of fans, and the company also didn’t give her many opportunities to prove herself.

This led to her being released from the company in May, which she announced on social media, along with a list of other names, earlier this year.

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#31. Elektra Lopez

One of the most skilled NXT names that roared all around the world lately was Elektra Lopez. The star was undoubtedly one of the top talents on the roster, but failed to gain momentum after a few high-profile rivalries, which ended up dropping her status week after week.

After a significant decline in her popularity, the star was released on February 7, leaving fans surprised.

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#30. Duke Hudson

One of the first names to be released from the company this year was Duke Hudson. The NXT star garnered a lot of fan attention with his work as part of Chase University, but soon after, Hudson lost all his momentum.

After the faction was disbanded, the lack of creative plans for the star kept him off TV for months before he was released from the roster in January.

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#29. Blair Davenport

Former NXT star Blair Davenport proved her talent to the world and made headlines when she was called up to the main roster in 2024.

After a few appearances in the ring, she was left missing before the news of her release broke out on the internet on February 7, leaving the star, as well as the fans around the world, surprised.

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#28. Cedric Alexander

One of the most athletic and high-flying talents in the entire industry, Cedric Alexander worked with the company for years. While he proved to be a huge in-ring talent, the company couldn’t use him properly, and the lack of proper creative plans led to his release from WWE on February 7.

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#27. Giovanni Vinci

Giovanni Vinci made his name alongside Gunther and Ludwig Kaiser, showcasing massive in-ring talent. WWE tried to make him a big single star, but after giving him one opportunity to garner the attention of fans, the star was abruptly taken off WWE TV before he was released from the company on February 8.

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#26. Isla Dawn

Isla Dawn was a tag team star on the main roster alongside her partner Alba Fyre, and the duo managed to get the fans talking with their work.

While both women did a lot of work together, WWE released only Isla Dawn, which not only took the fans by surprise but also left them wondering if there was a specific reason for her release.

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#25. #24. & #23. The Authors of Pain [Akam, Rezar, and Paul Ellering]

One of the most dominant factions, led by the legendary Paul Ellering, The Authors of Pain, was part of some massive storylines over the years. As part of The Final Testament alongside Karrion Kross, the faction managed to gain the attention of fans but wasn't able to keep up their momentum, which led to the release of Akam, Rezar, and Paul on February 7.

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#22. #21. & #20. Gallus [Joe Coffey, Mark Coffey, and Wolfgang]

One of the most dominant factions in NXT history, Gallus, made headlines with their work in the squared circle. The faction redefined dominance for the brand and also helped train The Rock when he made his in-ring return at WWE WrestleMania XL.

However, after leaving fans in awe with their work, all three members of the faction, Wolfgang, Joe Coffey, and Mark Coffey, were abruptly released by the company on May 2.

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#19. Javier Bernal

One of the most talented names that the Stamford-based company failed to give many chances and storylines was Javier Bernal. The star took over NXT with his in-ring work, but the lack of creative plans from the company led to his release earlier this year.

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#18. Oro Mensah

One of the members of Meta-Four, Oro Mensah, had proved his consistency both in the ring and backstage multiple times over the years. The star was an underdog in NXT and ended up garnering a lot of attention from fans. However, he was abruptly released by the company in May.

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#17. Riley Osborne

One of the biggest underdogs in WWE, Riley Osborne, is among a list of names who had massive talent but ended up finding themselves in the locker room, mainly, thanks to a lack of creative plans. The star was soon released by the company just a couple of years after signing, which took the fans by surprise.

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#16. Jakara Jackson

Another NXT name that couldn’t prove her immense talent to the world is Jakara Jackson. The star managed to get fans by her side, but her lack of creative control led to her absence from TV multiple times. This led to the company releasing her this year, on May 2, among a string of top names.

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#15. Eddy Thorpe

Another top name from NXT who ended up being released by WWE this year is Eddy Thorpe. The star managed to make headlines with his work on NXT, and his work in NJPW was often referenced with his character. However, WWE didn’t have many plans for him, which led to his release.

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#14. Gigi Dolin

One of NXT’s most influential women on the roster, Gigi Dolin’s work with Mandy Rose and Jacy Jayne a few years ago was commendable. Although the faction broke up years ago, that ended up being the jumpstart for her career, making her one of the top names in NXT.

However, over the past few months, the company didn’t have a lot of creative plans for her, which led to her release on May 2.

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#13. Sonya Deville

One of the top female names on the entire roster over the years was Sonya Deville. She tried to capture fans' attention with many new characters and storylines, and she was even featured as a General Manager at one point.

However, the star failed to maintain her momentum, which ultimately led to her release from WWE on February 7, after he contract expired.

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#12. & #11. Katana Chance and Kayden Carter

Former Women’s Tag Team Champions, Katana Chance and Kayden Carter, were undoubtedly two of the most enthusiastic and energetic women on the roster. However, the duo wasn’t able to excite the fans and engage them with their work, which led to the company releasing them this year.

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#10. Cora Jade

A name once hailed as the future of women’s wrestling, Cora Jade’s release from the company left millions around the world disheartened. The star was undoubtedly one of the top talents in the company, but a lack of creative direction led to her skills going to waste.

This ultimately resulted in her release from WWE on May 2, which came as a surprise to many.

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#9. Valhalla

Vahalla was brought back to WWE in 2022 to serve as a manager for The Viking Raiders. She did a great job as their manager, but her role was clearly limited. The star didn’t have many creative plans set for her, which ended up being the reason the company decided not to renew her contract on June 2.

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#8. Dakota Kai

Dakota Kai is another name fans wanted to see with more opportunities, but her injuries ended up taking all the momentum away from her. While fans hoped to see her in the ring, WWE wasn’t able to give her all the opportunities needed, which ended up being the potential reason for her release.

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#7. Former WWE Universal Champion Braun Strowman

The Monster of all Monsters, Braun Strowman, was undoubtedly one of the greatest talents, but he was never regarded as a top star in the company. Although Strowman held the Universal Championship in the past, since his return after recent health issues, he wasn’t able to make it back to the top, which led to his release from the company.

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#6. Carlito

Former Judgment Day member Carlito was doing a brilliant job making fans laugh with his work in the company. While the star rarely competed in the squared circle, he managed to mark excellence with his work backstage as a member of The Judgment Day.

The star was one of the last few releases by the company, and fans still hope WWE will bring him back for another run someday.

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#5. & #4. The Good Brothers [Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson]

One of the greatest tag teams in the history of the entire industry, the duo of Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, has had multiple runs in WWE. Their recent stint ended earlier this year after the duo was released by the company along with several other stars.

The duo has rejoined the independent circuit and has been reaching new heights with their performances over the past few months.

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#3. Andrade

Another recent departure that caught fans off guard was that of Andrade. The former United States Champion has been one of the top names in the company over the years and has made headlines with his work in the company.

However, after not getting proper opportunities to feature his talent on TV, the star was suddenly released on September 13.

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#2. & #1. Karrion Kross and Scarlett

One of the most talked-about releases by the company this year was the release of Karrion Kross and his wife, Scarlett. The couple made headlines with their backstage segments but rarely got a chance to showcase these skills in the squared circle.

After months of absence from the ring, Kross finally got an opportunity to face Sami Zayn, which marked his last match in the company. The former NXT Champion and his on-screen manager were released after their contracts expired.