Aleister Black was released for the second time by WWE. (Credit: Kevin Sabitus/WWE via Getty Images)
WWE via Getty Images
Nearly a dozen former WWE stars are now officially free agents.
According to PWInsider, 11 now-ex-WWE talents who were released by the company in April are now free to sign elsewhere after the expiration of their 90-day non-compete clauses. The list of free agents includes numerous members of the Wyatt Six, a decorated tag team and a trio of talented women’s wrestlers:
- Aleister Black
- Bo Dallas
- Dexter Lumis
- Erick Rowan
- Joe Gacy
- Kairi Sane
- Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin)
- Santos Escobar
- Zelina Vega
- Zoey Stark
All of the aforementioned stars were released during WWE’s sweeping “spring cleaning” layoffs after WrestleMania in April. This has become the custom for WWE over the past several years, with the company typically cutting lose seldom used mid and lower card performers.
Several of these ex-WWE stars have already taken measures to set themselves up for success outside of the company. Vega, who was let go by WWE for the second time and informed of her departure by parent company TKO, recently filed a trademark for the name “Xelina.” She is expected to be one of the most sought after free agents of this crop along with Saine.
Saine was released in the middle of a significant storyline with Asuka and Iyo Sky, and despite reports she could show up at WWE Backlash in May to wrap up that storyline, that never materialized. Instead, Saine, one of the best in-ring performers in the world, hits the market as a potential target of numerous promotions, including TNA and AEW, which could use as a star of her caliber.
Other stars who figure to be targeted by AEW include the Motor City Machine Guns, one of the greatest tag teams of all-time and a duo that would be an excellent fit in AEW’s tag team division alongside teams like The Young Bucks as well as Christian Cage and Adam Copeland. TNA, where MCMG has their most success, would make sense for the tag team as well, though it remains to be seen how TNA and WWE’s cross-promotion might complicate that.
Most of WWE’s other released stars could have difficulty finding a spot in a major promotion. There are several factors that could inhibit their abilities to find work, including WWE’s current working relationship with TNA, New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s recent struggles, AEW’s bloated roster and the overall declining state of the independent wrestling scene.
What’s more, accomplished ex-WWE stars The New Day and Sheamus, are among the high-profile stars who will soon also be available on the free agent market. The duo of Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston is perhaps the greatest tag team in WWE history while Sheamus is a former multi-time world champion, which will make that trio highly desirable to AEW, TNA and other major promotions.
Under TKO’s leadership, WWE has shown no qualms about releasing or not re-signing major stars on big deals, even reportedly asking top stars to take significant pay cuts to remain with the company earlier this year. With that being WWE’s new reality, the free agent market figures to become more saturated more often with ex-WWE names. Likewise, TNA, NJPW and AEW all become even more attractive to stars who were let go by WWE.
Even with marketable names and elite in-ring performers like Black now available to sign elsewhere, WWE will continue to move forward with its current roster, which includes a slew of recent NXT call-ups.