WWE released roughly 25 talents on Friday, April 24, 2026, in a sweeping post-WrestleMania 42 roster reset. The cuts span the main roster, NXT, and WWE’s developmental system, and include the entirety of the Wyatt Sicks faction. Some of the exits may technically be contract expirations rather than outright releases. WWE has not issued an official statement.
Below is the full list of talents who departed the company today.
Main Roster Releases
Aleister Black
Aleister Black returned to WWE last April after a four-year run in AEW (where he wrestled as Malakai Black) and was placed in a long-running rivalry with Damian Priest that never produced a clear payoff. Black never gained meaningful momentum during his second WWE run despite being one of the most distinctive characters on the roster. He is married to Zelina Vega.
Zelina Vega
Vega had been with WWE on her second tour with the company since 2017 after originally being signed in 2014. She held the Queen of the Ring crown, won the Women’s United States Championship, and was a regular on the SmackDown roster as a multi-faceted in-ring competitor and manager. Her release comes alongside her husband Aleister Black.
Kairi Sane
Sane returned to WWE at Crown Jewel 2023 after a stint in STARDOM and NJPW, where she became the inaugural IWGP Women’s Champion. Back in WWE, she reunited with Asuka as the Kabuki Warriors and won the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship for a third time. The duo lost the titles to Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky on the January 5, 2026 episode of Raw. Sane was in the middle of a storyline with Iyo Sky and Asuka that did not make the WrestleMania 42 card.
Alex Shelley
Shelley signed with WWE alongside tag team partner Chris Sabin in September 2024 as the Motor City Machine Guns and made his WWE debut on the October 18, 2024 episode of SmackDown. The team won the WWE Tag Team Championship in just their second week with the company before losing the titles to #DIY in December 2024. Shelley spent two decades winning championships in TNA, ROH, and NJPW before finally arriving in WWE.
Chris Sabin
Sabin signed with WWE alongside Alex Shelley in September 2024 as the Motor City Machine Guns. Like Shelley, Sabin had a long, decorated career in TNA, ROH, and NJPW before joining WWE. Their WWE Tag Team Championship win in their second week with the company was widely considered one of the more memorable debuts of recent years, but the team’s run on television was shorter than fans expected.
Santos Escobar
Escobar reportedly signed a new contract with WWE in the fall of 2025 but suffered multiple injuries afterward that limited his on-screen presence. He was the leader of Legado del Fantasma on SmackDown and previously held the NXT Cruiserweight Championship and the NXT North American Championship during his developmental run. He had been with WWE since 2019.
Apollo Crews
Crews originally signed with WWE in 2015 and was a 13-year veteran of the company at the time of his release. He held the United States Championship and the Intercontinental Championship during his run, captured the NXT North American Championship, and most recently competed on the Raw brand. Crews had not been featured in a major storyline for some time.
Wyatt Sicks Faction (Five Releases)
The entire Wyatt Sicks faction has been dissolved with the releases of all five members. The group formed in June 2024 after Bo Dallas returned as Uncle Howdy to honor his late brother Bray Wyatt, who passed away in August 2023. The faction had been operating on SmackDown for the better part of two years.
Bo Dallas (Uncle Howdy)
Dallas portrayed the Uncle Howdy character and served as the faction’s leader. He returned to WWE in 2024 specifically to launch the Wyatt Sicks following his brother Bray Wyatt’s death. Dallas had previously wrestled as Bo Dallas with WWE from 2008 through 2021. The Wyatt Sicks dropped their concluding match against Solo Sikoa’s faction less than a week before Dallas’s release.
Joe Gacy
Gacy held the WWE Tag Team Championship as part of the Wyatt Sicks alongside Dexter Lumis for 196 days before losing the titles to Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga earlier this year on SmackDown. He portrayed Mercy the Buzzard. Gacy originally signed with WWE in 2021.
Dexter Lumis
Lumis held the WWE Tag Team Championship alongside Joe Gacy as part of the Wyatt Sicks. This is Lumis’s second exit from WWE — he was previously released in April 2022 before being brought back later that year. He spent his most recent run as Huskus the Pigboy in the Wyatt Sicks.
Erick Rowan
Rowan was a long-time member of the original Wyatt Family alongside Bray Wyatt and was brought back to WWE specifically to be part of the Wyatt Sicks. He portrayed Ramblin’ Rabbit. Rowan had been with WWE off and on dating back to 2010.
Nikki Cross
Cross portrayed Abby the Witch in the Wyatt Sicks and was the only original Wyatt Family member outside of Rowan to be part of the new faction. She originally signed with WWE in 2017 and held the Women’s Tag Team Championship and SmackDown Women’s Championship during her run. Cross was among the first of today’s releases to confirm her exit publicly on X.
Zoey Stark
Stark’s release was confirmed by Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp. She had been injured for nearly a year following a serious knee injury suffered in May 2025, though it was reported she had recently been medically cleared to return. Stark came up through NXT, where she held the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship alongside Iyo Sky.
Alba Fyre
Fyre, also known as Kay Lee Ray, reigned as NXT UK Women’s Champion for 649 days and held the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship with Isla Dawn. She had most recently been aligned with Chelsea Green’s Secret Hervice on SmackDown before Piper Niven’s neck injury and Green’s ankle injury left the group without active members. Her last televised match came on the February 20 episode of SmackDown.
NXT Releases
Andre Chase
Chase confirmed his release in a emotional video posted to social media and credited fan support for turning him into an on-screen star after initially being told he would never appear on television. He won the NXT Tag Team Championship twice during his run and had just revived the Chase U brand on the April 22 episode of NXT before today’s news. He is available for bookings starting in June.
Dante Chen
Chen, the first Singaporean-born WWE Superstar, confirmed his exit after five years and 147 matches with the company. He signed in September 2021 and worked primarily in NXT, NXT Level Up, and WWE EVOLVE.
Developmental Releases
Tyson DuPont
DuPont signed with WWE in 2023 after a track and field career at the University of South Alabama and was part of the High Ryze faction alongside Tyriek Igwe. His last match came at an NXT live event in February. He had been dealing with a lingering hip injury since 2025 and recently announced he would undergo surgery.
Tyriek Igwe
Igwe signed with WWE in 2023 and joined Tyson DuPont as the other half of High Ryze. The faction was previously a trio with Wes Lee until Lee’s release in October 2025. Igwe last wrestled at an NXT live event on March 20 and his most recent televised appearance came in December during a crossover with TNA Wrestling.
Luca Crusifino
Crusifino signed with WWE on April 6, 2022 after a football career with the Duquesne Dukes and debuted with an on-screen lawyer gimmick before transitioning into a full in-ring role. He was a member of The D’Angelo Family on NXT and most recently competed on the April 22 episode of WWE EVOLVE.
Tyra Mae Steele
Steele, a 2020 Tokyo Olympic gold medalist in women’s freestyle wrestling, signed with WWE in May 2023. She was a co-winner of the inaugural season of WWE LFG in 2025. Her last televised NXT appearance was a November loss to Kelani Jordan, after which she was sent to EVOLVE where she pursued the EVOLVE Women’s Championship.
Malik Blade
Blade was part of the original NXT 2.0 group, having signed with WWE in 2021. He formed a regular tag team with Edris Enofe and was a fixture on NXT, NXT Level Up, and WWE Main Event. Blade had been sidelined since October 2024 after suffering a torn ACL.
Chris Island
Island signed with WWE in late 2024 and was featured in all three seasons of WWE LFG. He had not yet made a televised debut for the company.
Sirena Linton
Linton, a former gymnast at the University of Arizona, signed with WWE in 2025. She was part of the first season of WWE LFG but never made a televised debut. She last competed at an NXT live event in February and challenged for the WWE Women’s Speed Championship at a live event the same month.
Trill London
London came through the WWE ID program and debuted for the company in 2025 as part of the EVOLVE roster. He was featured in seasons two and three of WWE LFG. Before wrestling, he played football at Syracuse and had brief NFL stints with the New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins. London last wrestled on the March 11 episode of EVOLVE.
Francois Prinsloo
Prinsloo’s release was reported by ProWrestling.Net.
Non-Compete Clause Details
For WWE Superstars on the main roster, their non-compete clauses last 90 days. NXT performers are bound by 30-day non-competes. Any of the talents whose contracts simply expired rather than being formally released can sign with another company immediately.
