WWE stars ‘heartbroken’ by releases as 23 wrestlers get cut

WWE has made sweeping roster cuts with Kairi Sane, Aleister Black, The Wyatt Sicks and more getting released.

Just days after WrestleMania and hours before SmackDown, the global wrestling giant carried out a cull of its rosters across Raw, SmackDown and NXT, with 22 wrestlers set to be let go.

As well as Kairi, all five Wyatt Sicks members and Black, the releases also include his wife Zelina Vega, legendary tag team the Motor City Machine Guns, Alba Fyre, Zoey Stark, Apollo Crews, and the recently rehired Santos Escobar.

The Wyatts were made up of Erick Rowan, Joe Gacy, Dexter Lumis, Nikki Cross and Bo Dallas, AKA Uncle Howdy, but the entire faction has been released now.

Meanwhile, Starks has been out of action for months due to injury, but Fightful reports she had recently been cleared to return.

Typically, main roster talent – the aforementioned stars – are given a 90-day period when they remain under contract and are unable to work elsewhere.

For NXT talent, that is 30 days, with Malik Blade, Andre Chase, Dante Chen, Luca Crusifino, Tyson Dupont, Tyriek Igwe and Olympian Tayra Mae Steel all getting released on Friday.

The Wyatt Sicks was a group honouring the late, great Bray Wyatt, who had brought his real-life brother Dallas into the fold in 2022 as the sinister Uncle Howdy.

He carried his brother’s lantern and legacy with the faction, which had recently stalled in a months-long rivalry with Solo Sikoa and the MFT group.

The two teams collided in a wild Street Fight on April 17 to kick off WrestleMania weekend, while the Wyatts took part in fan meet and greets at WWE World during the week.

Fyre hasn’t appeared as much lately with her allies Piper Niven and Chelsea Green out of action for unrelated injuries, but she was present at the media junket on Thursday in Las Vegas, as were Motor City Machine Guns, Zelina and Black, while others made meet and greet appearances.

Some, like MCMG, Zelina, Black and Escobar, had either been brought back or signed within the last 18 months.

Full list of WWE superstar releases in April 2026

Kairi Sane
Alex Shelley
Chris Sabin
Aleister Black
Zelina Vega
Nikki Cross
Uncle Howdy/Bo Dallas
Erick Rowan
Dexter Lumis
Santos Escobar
Zoey Stark
Apollo Crews
Malik Blade
Dante Chen
Andre Chase
Luca Crusifino
Tyson Dupont
Tyriek Igwe
Tayra Mae Steel

While Metro didn’t speak to her at the event, Fyre – who signed with WWE in January 2019 and moved from NXT UK to NXT and SmackDown over the years – appeared in good spirits as she chatted to some of the press on site.

Referencing her name before WWE, she wrote on X: ‘Kay Lee Ray would batter Alba Fyre.

Just saying….’
She wasn’t the only former women’s tag champ to address the end of her time with the company.

Nikki wrote: ‘Goodbye and Thank you WWE.

‘I’m really excited for whatever my next chapter will hold.

Thank you all for the continued love and support.

‘Special thank you to Robbie Brookside and  William Regal for helping this dream come true.

‘Thank you to the wrestlers, coaches, producers and all the backstage crew who make all this possible.

‘To the amazing girls in locker room ❤️’

WWE makes baffling releases to major stars

Metro’s WWE expert Alistair McGeorge assesses the latest cuts
Every year, fans are left reeling by WWE’s post-WrestleMania roster cuts, and this is no different.

Although some names on this week’s list haven’t been used as much or as prominently as you’d hope, it’s never easy to see anyone losing their jobs, and some of the decisions are truly baffling.

Kairi Sane has been involved in a major storyline with Asuka and Iyo Sky for months, while Aleister Black reappeared from AEW a year ago today, months after Zelina Vega made her own return.

Throw in Wyatt Sicks having a prominent spot, and the Motor City Machine Guns signing less than 18 months ago to much fanfare, and it’s hard to wrap my head around some of these decisions.

Thankfully, companies like AEW, TNA Wrestling, New Japan and the indies provide options for the stars now looking for work, and there are some talented people here with the world at their feet.

Of course, megastars like Drew McIntyre and Chelsea Green show this isn’t the end, and a return to WWE is always a possibility, even if some of these cuts suggest even that isn’t a certainty anymore.

Meanwhile, Zelina posted on X: ‘My fans mean the absolute world to me.

I’ve lost a lot this year and in my life in general… but I gained all of you.

Thank you.

Your support means more than you’ll ever know.’
Other current WWE superstars have weighed in on the cuts, which fans have branded ‘baffling’ and ‘heartbreaking’.

Responding to Nikki Cross’ post, WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Bella said: ‘Heartbroken.

Love you so much, Nikki!

Going to miss your energy, laugh, and light every time you walked into a room.

Can’t wait to watch this next chapter.

I know it’s going to be the best one yet!!

N ♥️🙏🏼✨🤍🫶🏼’
Chelsea Green, who appeared on screen with Fyre, wrote: ‘You guys didn’t get to see how talented KLR is.

I know you saw bits & pieces, but trust me, there’s so much more to her.

She’s a fearless wrestler…
‘I’m sad to not have her on my side, but this is just the beginning for my girl.

Thank you for having my back, Slaygent A.

Love you!’
And Rhea Ripley described the annual cuts as the ‘worst time of the year’.

She posted: ‘Today’s been a very sad day… Absolutely gutted for my friends and comrades 😔Worst time of the year.

Go prove them all wrong!

❤️’
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