WWE has once again done some house cleaning when it comes to its roster. According to Fightful, WWE has released 10 Superstars from its NXT roster. A few of the Superstars never appeared on TV while one is a former champion. The reason for the releases was not revealed, but in the past WWE revealed the reason being budget cuts.
In March, WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon appeared on The Pat McAfee Show and talked about the releases WWE has gone through over the last couple of years. He said, per WhatCulture: “People always assume that you just have no heart and you do not care at all about any of these people…are any of those decisions more difficult than others, or is it just always what will make the best show in your eyes?”
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McMahon continued: “Sometimes athletes…when they’re not given the opportunity, or even if they are and it doesn’t work, people from all walks of life seldom look in the mirror and say, you know what, I was the guy who f— up. It was on me. Instead, everyone has a million excuses to why things didn’t work. And generally speaking, the heat has to go some place, the old blame game, and I’m the bad guy. That’s a part of the job.” Here’s a look at the 10 NXT stars who were cut.
Dakota Kai
Dakota Kai signed with WWE in 2015 and had success during her time in NXT. She won the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship twice with Raquel Rodriguez. Her last appearance on NXT was on April 12 when she lost to NXT Women’s Championship.
Dexter Lumis
Dexter Lumis signed with WWE in 2019 and became a fan favorite. One of the more notable storylines in NXT history is his on-screen marriage to Indi Hartwell. His last appearance on NXT was on April 19 when he teamed with Duke Hudson to take on NXT Tag Team Champions Pretty Deadly.
Malcolm Bivens
Malcolm Bivens signed with WWE in 2019 and was used as a manager. He led the Diamond Mine stable which was led by Roderick Strong. The group also featured The Creed Brothers, Ivy Nile, and Tatum Paxley.
Harland (Parker Boudreaux)
Harland signed with WWE in 2021 and was aligned with Joe Gacy. He last competed on March 3 when he defeated Draco Anthony. At one point, Harland was drawing comparisons to Brock Lesnar because of how he looked.
Persia Pirotta (Steph De Lander)
Persia Pirotta signed with WWE in 2021 and was teaming with Indi Hartwell. Before joining NXT, Pirotta was competing in Australia which is where she is from. She is the inaugural women’s champion of Melbourne City Wrestling.
Draco Anthony (Reginald Chase Crews)
Draco Anthony signed with WWE in 2021 and last wrestled on March 3. He studied under WWE Hall of Famer Booker T and is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. Anthony had memorable matches against Roderick Strong and Pete Dunne who now goes by Butch.
The Rest
Here’s a look at the rest of the releases:
Paige Prinzivalli (Blair Baldwin)
Vish Kanya (Sanjana George)
Raelyn Divine (Jaylen Williams)
Mila Malani (Kellie Morga)
These four wrestlers never made their television debut.
