WWE has decided to move on from a small number of wrestlers. The firm announced on Wednesday that Braun Strowman, Aleister Black, Lana, Murphy, Ruby Riott and Santana Garrett had been given their releases.
Strowman, a former powerful man competitor, signed with the company at 2013 and made his first television appearance in 2014. He held that the WWE universal tournament as well as the intercontinental championship over the duration of his six-year run. Strowman declared in July 2019 that he had signed a new four-year handle the company.
Black debuted with WWE in 2017 after a lengthy run on the independent circuit. He became a fixture NXT for a breakout star and ultimate run in the NXT championship. He also made his debut on the main roster in 2019. Black was showcased in vignettes on SmackDown as recently as late April following a six-month absence.
It’s uncertain if more cuts are on the way at this time. This is not the first time that the company has made cuts like this, either. Just this past year, the company cut 18 wrestlers and more on the producer side to reduce costs under the height of this COVID-19 pandemic.