All 44 WWE Wrestlers Released In 2022
The past few years have been tough for WWE talent. Although the wrestling promotion typically has annual layoffs over the course of a week. The company has released over 100 wrestlers over the past two years, which is unprecedented. With Vince McMahon stepping down as CEO and Paul Levesque taking over creative--and rehiring released wrestlers--many thought that these releases would have stopped. Well, they haven't.
Hours after the announcement that WWE is creating NXT Europe, which seems like a replacement of NXT UK, current stars of NXT UK were released from their contracts. Sources have confirmed to GameSpot that these wrestlers from NXT UK have all been released.
Last year, we saw 80 wrestlers get released due to reported budget cuts. 2022 has been quieter. However, just days after winning the NXT Tag Team Championship at Stand and Deliver, sources have confirmed to GameSpot that MSK member Nash Carter has been released. Leading up to the release, Nash's wife Kimber Lee has accused him of domestic abuse and posted a picture of him doing a Nazi salute (via Ringside News). This is the first major WWE release since mid-February.
Fan favorite Cesaro left the company back on February 24--which wasn't a release, but still important--and he showed up in AEW at the Forbidden Door PPV. The King of Swing had been working with WWE for 11 years, but he's not the most tenured on-screen presence to leave the company. Spanish announced Carlos Cabrera was fired one week prior. He has been on WWE television since 1993.
Overall, WWE has been releasing plenty of on-air talent, from wrestlers, to referees, to general managers. These releases have been especially devastating for NXT, seeing the releases of both William Regal and Jesse James. Throughout the year, we'll keep you updated with wrestler releases as they happen. We'll also keep you updated on wrestlers who are granted their releases.
As of this writing, this list is at 44. Typically, we're only including in-ring talent releases for this list, so backstage employees, producers, writers, and coaches won't be added, unless they were used as wrestlers or were extremely notable.
William Regal
Released: January 5
Started with WWE: 1998-99, 2000-2022
Regal now works for AEW.
Timothy Thatcher
Released: January 5
Started with WWE: February 2020 (NXT)
Danny Burch
Released: January 5
Started with WWE: July 2015 (NXT)
Scott Armstrong
Released: January 5
Started with WWE: July 2006
Referee Armstrong was furloughed from WWE on April 15, 2020 until October 4 because of COVID-19 cutbacks.
Hideki Suzuki
Released: January 5
Started with WWE: April 2021 (NXT)
Suzuki is currently with Pro Wrestling Noah in Japan.
Jesse James
Released: January 6
Started with WWE: August 1994-2001, 2011-2022
Samoa Joe
Released: January 6
Started with WWE: May 20, 2015 (NXT)
Samoa Joe was released on April 15, 2021 then rehired to NXT shortly after.
Joe now works with AEW/ROH.
Brian Kendrick
Granted his release: February 1
Started with WWE: Been on and off with the company since 2002.
Carlos Cabrera
Released: February 17
Started with WWE: 1993
Nash Carter
Released: April 6
Started with WWE: December 2020 (NXT)
Carter was released after winning the tag titles at NXT: Stand and Deliver after allegations of abuse.
Kushida
Left: April 18
Started with WWE: 2019 (NXT)
Kushida has returned to NJPW.
Malcolm Bivens (NXT)
Released: April 29
Started with WWE: March 2019
Bivens is now in AEW under the name Stokely Hathaway.
Dakota Kai (NXT)
Released: April 29
Started with WWE: December 2016
Dakota Kai has returned to WWE.
Blair Baldwin (NXT Referee)
Released: April 29
Parker Boudreaux (NXT)
Released: April 29
Started with WWE: February 2021
Parker has signed with AEW.
Vish Kanya (NXT)
Released: April 29
Started with WWE: July 2021
Draco Anthony (NXT)
Released: April 29
Started with WWE: 2021
Mila Malani (NXT)
Released: April 29
Started with WWE: 2021
Raelyn Divine (NXT)
Released: April 29
Dexter Lumis (NXT)
Released: April 29
Started with WWE: February 2019
Lumis has returned to WWE.
Persia Pirotta (NXT)
Released: April 29
Started with WWE: March 2021
Ashton Smith (NXT UK)
Released: August 18
Started with WWE: June 2018
Dani Luna (NXT UK)
Released: August 18
Started with WWE: March 2020
Dave Mastiff (NXT UK)
Released: August 18
Started with WWE: June 2018
Emilia McKenzie (NXT UK)
Released: August 18
Started with WWE: April 2021
Flash Morgan Webster (NXT UK)
Released: August 18
Started with WWE: April 2018
Mark Andrews (NXT UK)
Released: August 18
Started with WWE: January 2017
Jack Starz (NXT UK)
Released: August 18
Started with WWE: November 2018
Nina Samuels (NXT UK)
Released: August 18
Started with WWE: August 2018
Primate (NXT UK)
Released: August 18
Started with WWE: November 2018
Sha Samuels (NXT UK)
Released: August 18
Started with WWE: January 2018
Wild Boar (NXT UK)
Released: August 18
Started with WWE: June 2018
Rohan Raja (NXT UK)
Released: August 18
Started with WWE: April 2021
Kenny Williams (NXT UK)
Released: August 18
Started with WWE: June 2018
Amir Jordan (NXT UK)
Released: August 18
Started with WWE: November 2018
Amale (NXT UK)
Released: August 18
Started with WWE: November 2019
Sam Gradwell (NXT UK)
Released: August 18
Started with WWE: July 2018
Sid Scala (NXT UK)
Released: August 18
Started with WWE: July 2018
Trent Seven (NXT UK)
Released: August 18
Started with WWE: January 2017
T-Bone (NXT UK)
Released: August 18
Started with WWE: January 2017
Teoman (NXT UK)
Released: August 18
Started with WWE: March 2021
Xia Brookside (NXT UK)
Released: August 18
Started with WWE: August 2018
Eddie Dennis (NXT UK)
Released: August 18
Started with WWE: August 2018
Saxon Huxley (NXT UK)
Released: August 18
Started with WWE: January 2017