WWE reportedly not renewing former SmackDown star's contract; departure imminent

The WWE Universe was shocked by the latest round of talent releases. Over the past 24 hours, more than 15 superstars have been released from their contracts. Braun Strowman, Cora Jade, Dakota Kai, and many other prominent performers were let go by the company. A new report suggests that the promotion will not renew a former SmackDown star’s contract, confirming their departure.

The former SmackDown star in question is Shotzi. Gigi Dolin, who worked closely with Shotzi in NXT, was recently released by the company. Since then, fans have been speculating about the 33-year-old's future with World Wrestling Entertainment. Meanwhile, the former NXT Women's Tag Team Champion was moved to the Alumni section on WWE’s official website.

Later, Shotzi shared an emotional X/Twitter post, confirming her departure from the wrestling giant. She thanked her fans for always supporting her and vowed to kick off a new journey.

Following Shotzi’s tweet, many assumed she was also released by the company alongside other NXT stars such as Jakara Jackson and Cora Jade. However, according to Fightful Select, the California native “hasn’t been released.” The Stamford-based promotion informed the NXT Superstar that her contract would not be renewed.

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Fightful is unaware of when her deal is set to expire. However, the report indicates her departure from the company is imminent.

The former WWE SmackDown star made a promise to her fans

Despite suffering a setback, former WWE SmackDown star Shotzi is seemingly in high spirits. She has been actively engaging with her fans on social media.

The 33-year-old recently shared a tweet and informed fans that she was thrilled for the next chapter of her career and was eager to see how it would unfold. Shotzi promised her supporters that she would make them all proud.

“I am more than grateful for the wild ride! Can’t wait to see where this crazy journey takes me next! I hope to make all my believers proud.”

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It will be interesting to see what plans Shotzi has for her post-WWE career. Will she sign with a big promotion like TNA or AEW? Only time will tell.

About the author

Nayan is a WWE News and Features writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling. After completing his bachelor's degree in Mass Communication from Poddar International, he began working as a YouTube script writer. Nayan then transitioned to Pinkvilla as a combat sports writer. He gained valuable experience there before finally coming under the banner of Sportskeeda.

Within 1.5 years, Nayan has written over 1,000 articles, interviewed MFN promotion owners, and conducted a Twitter campaign that gained over 50k retweets and more. He puts fact-checking and mindful journalism above everything by applying a three-check method, where he tries to verify reports from reliable sources and cross-check whether other major publications have covered them.

Looking back at his association with pro wrestling, Nayan recalls being hooked on the sport after watching Shawn Michael vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania 24. Since then, the product has been an inseparable part of his life.

Apart from The Heartbreak Kid being Nayan's favorite wrestler for his confidence and charisma, he is also a fan of Brock Lesnar due to The Beast's "work speaks louder than words" attitude.

Nayan can be found performing mixed martial arts and reading true crime in his free time.

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Edited by Pratik Singh