A series of wrestlers were just released from WWE. The news of more than 15 Superstars being released came on May 2. The day before, reports first started to surface of company budget cuts surrounding staff in a non-wrestling capacity. It was reported that at least 10-12 staffers were let go from the company, potentially more. Among them is Christine Lubrano, the former Senior Vice President of Creative Writing Operations.
The following day, reports slowly started to surface that revealed that WWE had started to cut Superstars from the internal roster across all brands. Individual names - many of whom would confirm their releases on social media - were reported upon throughout the day. This is the updated full list of WWE Superstars released on May 2, 2025, and in the following days:
- Braun Strowman
- Cora Jade
- Dakota Kai
- Dani Palmer
- Eddy Thorpe
- Gigi Dolin
- Jakara Jackson
- Javier Bernal
- Joe Coffey
- Katana Chance
- Kayden Carter
- Keanu Carver
- Mark Coffey
- Oro Mensah
- Riley Osborne
- Shayna Baszler
- Shotzi
- Wolfgang
Fans online continue to mourn the exit of their favorites, while also remaining shocked at some of the more unexpected names on the list. Others eagerly anticipate what's next for each of these wrestlers.
WWE Releases More Than 15 Wrestlers From the Roster
Developmental Talent and Former World Champions Get Cut By WWE
A large bulk of the released talents were rookies from WWE's developmental system. Names like Jakara Jackson and Oro Mensah were of the NXT roster, while Keanu Carver had been making most of his appearances on WWE's new developmental streaming-exclusive series, Evolve. Speaking of Jackson and Mensah, both were of NXT's Meta-Four stable alongside Lash Legend and the NXT Heritage Cup Champion Noam Dar. It's worth noting that Meta-Four had a breakup angle this past Tuesday, which potentially set the stage for Mensah and Jackson's releases and indicating just how long WWE had these releases planned.
For the main roster, WWE fans were shocked to see many of the candidates up for release. Braun Strowman may arguably be the most shocking for some, as he's a former World Champion in the company who spent the last year in high-profile feuds with Jacob Fatu and, working relationship with WWE.
Why Were These WWE Talents Cut?
WWE Conducts Budget Cuts Around This Time Every Year
While it's impossible to pinpoint why WWE chose these particular Superstars to release without insider knowledge, readers may wonder why WWE decided to conduct mass firings to begin with. Typically, every year after WrestleMania, WWE tends to conduct budget cuts. Mere weeks removed from WrestleMania 41, now is such the time. Ultimately, these wrestlers were simply removed from the internal roster as a means of thinning budgetary constraints, as per usual.
One thing that fans didn't fail to notice is that the majority of these Superstars are female. This will have a significant impact on WWE's women's division, especially the midcard and tag team scene. While it is always unfortunate for someone to lose their job, many of these talents have bright futures away from WWE that could take them elsewhere, such as AEW, the indies, or even non-wrestling ambitions.
