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So far, WWE has released a lot of talent this year, some of whom were former champions or top prospects.
There have been five groups of talent releases this year, with the most recent occurring on November 4th. A large number of releases has caused quite a stir in the wrestling world.
Here's a list of the biggest shock from every set of releases.
#5. WWE releases Samoa Joe/Mickie James
We start the list with a tie. Both Samoa Joe and Mickie James have had similar careers. Both are storied veterans who experienced great success outside WWE, and both seemed like they were going to see out the rest of their careers in WWE.
But, both were suddenly released from Vince McMahon's company on 15th April during the customary post-WrestleMania talent releases. Both releases caused so much confusion that WWE ended up re-signing Samoa Joe, although they'd firmly burnt their bridges with Micke James.
#4. Velveteen Dream is released by WWE
The next set of WWE releases took place on 19th May with a few notable names like referee Drake Wuertz, former SAnitY member Alexander Wolfem and Jessamyn Duke.
But perhaps the most surprising name was Velveteen Dream. The former NXT North American Champion was virtually guaranteed to be a huge star following his debut and subsequent impressive appearances, but backstage controversy saw him spurn his immense talent and charisma.
Admittedly, his release is less shocking than the others given his behavior outside the ring, but what makes his release shocking is the amount of talent he had.
#3. Braun Strowman released by WWE
The 2nd June releases were the most shocking. No one was expecting a third set of releases, and many top stars were let go.
Buddy Murphy, Aleister Black, Lana, and Ruby Riott were all surprising, but the biggest shock was the letting go of Braun Strowman, a former Universal Champion.
#2. Fandango and Tyler Breeze
June 25th saw even more talent releases. This time the majority of 205 Live stars were let go from the company, as well as a handful of NXT talent. But there was one WWE act whose release was a surprise.
Tyler Breeze and Fandango were WWE stalwarts and a fantastic comedy tag-team but, after returning to NXT, they were just starting to cement themselves as a legitimate tag team. That was until they were released.
#1. Karrion Kross and Scarlett
The most recent set of releases featured names that many believed to be the next big thing in WWE. Names like Trey Baxter, Keith Lee, and Nia Jax were certainly shocking, but not the most shocking.
That honor goes to the joint releases of the most dominant NXT Champion we've seen in several years and the incredible woman by his side. Karrion Kross and Scarlett were a sure-thing for many, but WWE managed to squander it until their eventual release.
