WWE has a notorious reputation when it comes to signing, misusing, and in the end firing wrestlers. Now, The franchise has decided to release several wrestlers and on-air talents from contracts. They have received lots of criticism for their mass firings as of late, but have released yet some more as a part of their annual spring cleaning.
The company has let go a dozen of wrestlers in 2021 even though still being profitable. WWE cited the coronavirus pandemic as one of the reasons for the mass firings since 2020. They released superstars even amidst the pandemic while their competitor AEW did nothing of such sort.
Though WWE Chief Executive Officer Vince McMahon seems to be unaffected by the hate from fans recently. With deciding to go ahead and firing more wrestlers. Former WWE Champion Braun Strowman and Aleister Black’s release has shocked WWE fans worldwide.
LATEST LIST OF WWE WRESTLERS RELEASED IN JUNE 2021
Here’s a look at the complete list of wrestlers released in 2021:
1) Braun Strowman
This is probably the most surprising name on the list. After years of training, Braun Strowman signed with WWE in 2013. He made his debut as part of The Wyatt Family. He went on to win the Greatest Royal Rumble and Money in the Bank events. Also captured the Raw Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania. Strowman also defeated Goldberg to capture the Universal Championship and won the Intercontinental Title once.
Despite his impressive resume and reputation, Strowman is being let go by WWE.
2) Aleister Black
Black’s firing was another strange move, he had just recently returned to WWE TV after a long absence. Though Black’s career in WWE was largely a bust, he returned after a successful career in NXT. After being kept away for 6 months in 2020, fans were expecting to see some action from the NXT star but only to disappointed with his firing.
3) Lana
Lana made her debut in WWE in 2013, as former WWE star Rusev’s manager. The duo went on to stay together for several years and eventually married in 2016 in real life as well. She joined the main roster in 2018. After Rusev’s release by WWE in 2020 during the pandemic, she allied herself with Natalya and Naomi.
4) Ruby Riot
Ruby Riott made her debut in WWE in 2016 and was a fan-favorite who joined WWE after a great run independently. She was a rather big deal in NXT and after joining became the leader of the Riott squad. The trio disbanded in 2019 but Ruby and Morgan reunited in 2020 to capture the Tag Team titles on various occasions. Currently, Liv Morgan is the only remaining WWE employee among the three original members of the Riott squad.
5) Buddy Murphy
He joined the franchise in 2013 and had a solid run on the main roster. He also appeared on NXT as a part of the Blake and Murphy tag team for several years, winning the NXT Tag Team Championships. Buddy Murphy, later shortened to just Murphy, also featured on 205 live, where he won the Cruiserweight Championship.
6) Santana Garrett
She also joined WWE in 2013 and was a part of NXT like several stars on the list. Garrett was a longtime indy wrestler before finally joining WWE. Officially signed in 2019, she was largely used as an enhancement talent on NXT. She entered the 2021 Women’s Royal Rumble but failed to make any major impact. She had been away from the spotlight for five months before being released.
A total of 25 wrestlers have been released by WWE this year, just 5 shy of last year’s total. The list includes Andrade, Lars Sullivan, Steve Cutler, Badass Samoa Joe, Peyton Royce, Mickey James, and many more.
