NXT performer Dani Palmer took to social media on Saturday morning, May 3rd, to confirm she was part of the significant WWE talent releases that occurred this week. In her statement, Palmer indicated that her departure also marks the end of her athletic career, likely due to injuries sustained during her tenure.
Posting on Instagram, Palmer expressed gratitude for her time with the company and optimism for the future:
“Thank you WWE for bringing me to the love of my life🤍 the past 3 years have been amazing! It’s a bittersweet feeling to be officially closing out my athletic career, but I can truly say I went til the wheels fell off.. literally lol. Our bodies are a gift and mine has been so kind to me. I look forward to this next chapter!! Gods been giving me some big dreams with bringing my business back and I couldn’t be more stoked about it! Thank you all for the support❤️❤️”
Palmer, real name AJ Amrhein, signed with WWE in 2022 after a background in acrobatics and tumbling. She primarily competed on the NXT Level Up program. Her comment about going “til the wheels fell off” likely references the serious double hip surgery she required in early 2024 following an injury, which had kept her sidelined for an extended period and seemingly necessitated the end of her in-ring career at a young age.
Palmer is the latest name added to a growing list of performers released by WWE over the past two days amid ongoing restructuring under TKO Group Holdings. The talent cuts include main roster names Braun Strowman, Dakota Kai, Shayna Baszler, Kayden Carter, and Katana Chance, as well as NXT talents Cora Jade, Gigi Dolin, Eddy Thorpe, Riley Osborne, Jakara Jackson, Javier Bernal, Oro Mensah, and the members of Gallus (Joe Coffey, Mark Coffey, Wolfgang). These followed office/staff cuts on May 1st that included digital host Ryan Pappolla and SVP Christine Lubrano.
While expressing the “bittersweet” nature of her WWE exit and athletic retirement, Palmer’s message focused on gratitude and excitement for pursuing her business aspirations in her “next chapter.”
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