WWE released multiple superstars on Thursday, just days after the merger with UFC to form TKO became official on Sept. 12.
Many of the releases were wrestlers who had rarely if ever been featured on WWE television in the last couple of years. Some others were people who were signed to WWE’s developmental brand NXT.
The full list of releases is as follows:
- Mustafa Ali
- Emma
- Elias
- Top Dolla
- Rick Boogs
- Riddick Moss
- Aliyah
- Shelton Benjamin
- Dolph Ziggler
- MACE
- Mansoor
- Dana Brooke (NXT)
- Commander Azeez aka Dabba-Kato (NXT)
- Shanky (NXT)
- Quincy Elliott (NXT)
- Bryson Montana (NXT)
- Yulisa Leon (NXT)
- Daniel McArthur (NXT)
- Kevin Ventura-Cortez (NXT)
- Alexis Gray (NXT)
Dolph Ziggler was the longest-tenured name on the list, as he had worked for the promotion since 2005 and was one of just a handful of “Triple Crown Champions” in WWE history. A Triple Crown champion is a wrestler who wins the World Championship, a Tag Team Championship, and the Intercontinental or United States Championship.
Dana Brooke had been with the company since 2013 and won the company’s now-defunct 24/7 Championship 15 times, tying her for second-most all time.
WWE releases come with a 90-day non-compete clause meaning none of the wrestlers that were released Thursday are able to sign with another wrestling company until Dec. 20, when the 90-day period run out.