Lance Anoa’i, a member of the Anoa’i wrestling family, announced on Friday, October 10, that he is officially departing from WWE. He shared the news via a post on his X account, stating he is ready to return to work on the independent circuit.
“I would officially announce my departure from WWE!” Anoa’i wrote. “I didn’t have the best of luck since I arrived! I will not let this stop me from achieving to be great! I’ve worked hard on the indies for 15 years! Now let’s get back to work! 30days.” He also provided an email address for bookings, indicating he is ready to take independent dates.
The “30 days” mentioned in his post likely refers to a 30-day non-compete clause, which is standard for talent under WWE NXT contracts. This would make him a free agent and able to appear for other promotions in early November.
Anoa’i is a third-generation wrestler. His father is Samula AnoaÊ»i, who wrestled in the WWF as Samu of The Wild Samoans and The Headshrinkers, and his grandfather is WWE Hall of Famer Afa AnoaÊ»i. He made his professional debut in 2010 and spent many years in his grandfather’s World Xtreme Wrestling (WXW) promotion and on the independent circuit for companies like Maryland Championship Wrestling (MCW) and House of Hardcore (HOH).
Prior to signing with WWE, Anoa’i had a notable run in Major League Wrestling (MLW) from 2018 to 2023. As a member of the Samoan SWAT Team with Juicy Finau, he held the MLW World Tag Team Championship for 182 days in 2023. He also competed for Pro Wrestling Noah in Japan during this period.
Anoa’i had several sporadic appearances for WWE over the years, including enhancement matches on SmackDown in 2015 and NXT in 2017. His most prominent early appearance was on the May 27, 2019, episode of Raw, where he faced Shane McMahon in a losing effort before being saved by his cousin, Roman Reigns. Anoa’i officially signed with WWE in the summer of 2024 and was assigned to the NXT brand, but had yet to make his debut due to an injury. In January 2025, he was listed as part of the WWE ID program and was slated to be part of the WWE Evolve roster.
I would officially announce my departure from WWE! I didn’t have the best of luck since I arrived! I will not let this stop me from achieving to be great! I’ve worked hard on the indies for 15 years! Now let’s get back to work! 30days
Accepting bookings booklanceanoai@gmail.com— Lance Anoa’i (@lanceanoai) October 10, 2025
