Update on Otis’ WWE absence (Exclusive)

WWE Superstar Otis is a very popular and well-loved character amongst WWE fans. The Alpha Academy member plays a lovable, sweet, big guy that fans want to cheer for, making him the perfect foil for any heel. Since returning to WWE, Rusev targeted the Alpha Academy for weeks and assaulted Otis following his match against Chad Gable's former number one guy.

He has been off TV for the last few weeks, and WrestleVotes recently provided an update on the former Heavy Machinery member. Addressing Otis' absence on the latest episode of WrestleVotes Q&A on Sportskeeda WrestleBinge, it was revealed that he wasn't available for weekly television at the moment.

WrestleVotes revealed that WWE maintains an internal roster of talent who are available for weekly television and can be included in storylines. However, Otis' name isn't on that roster currently, although the exact reason for that hasn't been revealed.

"Yeah, Joe, I believe he's out of action, don't know if it's an injury or personal reasons. You know, we speak about this roster that shows up. (...) Otis is currently not on the roster, which means they're not available. For whatever reason, personal or injury, I don't know, I don't wanna speculate. However, they're just not available for weekly TV at the moment," he said. [From 9:33 onwards]

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Otis has been a member of the Alpha Academy since Chad Gable took him under his wings back in 2020. Since then, the former Mr. Money in the Bank has gone on to become the 'leader' of the group that has now seemingly added Natalya as a mentor for Maxxine Dupri and Akira Tozawa.

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About the author

Faiz is a WWE writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling. He is a BBA graduate who is passionate about sports and wants to make a career in that field. This passion led to a postgraduate degree in Journalism, which helped him pivot into becoming a sports writer. When writing, he puts the utmost importance on accuracy and thorough research.

Faiz has six years of work experience across four companies. He started his career with Zomato and then moved to Amazon. He shifted to becoming a football writer at TV9 Digital and is now with Sportskeeda. He covered the Wrestling Xtreme Mania event in Gurgaon in 2025, where he had the opportunity to interview Raj The Maharaja, fka Jinder Mahal. At the same event, he also got quick interviews with former WWE Superstar Dijak and Japanese Joshi legend Emi Sakura.

When it comes to his favourite wrestlers, Faiz has two names in mind. He loved to watch Triple H before the current WWE CCO retired, and he is a huge fan of Roman Reigns. Being a loyal fan since the Tribal Chief's SHIELD days, Faiz credits Roman's mic skills and unmatched in-ring storytelling for his mega success. When he was young, one in-ring story left a lasting impression on his mind and eventually got him hooked on WWE. That match was Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair at WrestleMania 24. Apart from that, he is also a fan of RAW.

When Faiz is not writing for Sportskeeda, he loves to keep up with other sports. He is an avid cricket and football fan, a huge gamer, and loves playing some RPGs on the PlayStation.

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Edited by Harish Raj S