Image: WWE
WWE announced Thursday that nine wrestlers have been released from the company.
In a statement posted on WWE.com, WWE announced that Samoa Joe, Billie Kay, Peyton Royce, Mickie James, Chelsea Green, Tucker, Kalisto, Bo Dallas and Wesley Blake were released: ‘WWE has reached the release . of Samoa Joe, Billie Kay, Peyton Royce, Mickie James, Chelsea Green, Tucker, Kalisto, Bo Dallas and Wesley Blake from today 15 April 2021. We wish them all the best in all their future endeavors. “
It was announced on Monday that Joe was no longer part of the Raw commentary team, but that he would remain on the WWE talent list. He has not struggled since February 2020 due to concussion, but said earlier this year that he does not believe his career is over.
Royce & Kay were previously WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions as The IIconics. Their team was split in August last year. Kay was in action one night at WrestleMania this past Saturday and worked with Carmella in the Tag Team Turmoil contest won by Natalya & Tamina.
James was part of the preview panel for NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver nights one and two last week and also commented on the games before the event. James tweeted about her release: “Grateful for the memories. Grateful for the dressing room. Grateful for the fans. Grateful for these little keys to my golden shackles. You can never expect others’ vision of you to be as big as your own dreams. Thank you @VinceMcMahon # AlwaysBlessedAndThankful “
While Green made her SmackDown debut in November last year, Green had a broken wrist. She posted a photo last month while she was behind the scenes at SmackDown, but did not appear in the program.
Tucker was previously part of Heavy Machinery before the tag team broke up, while Kalisto was previously part of The Lucha House Party and Blake was previously a member of The Forgotten Sons and Baron Corbin’s Knights of The Lone Wolf. Blake’s teammate Steve Cutler was released by WWE in February. Dallas’ former teammate Curtis Axel was released last year.
Tucker tweeted after his release was announced: “Freedom baby !!” He too tweeted: “Looking forward to telling my story.”
Today’s releases were announced at the one – year anniversary of WWE’s pandemic – related schedule cuts in April 2020.