On September 21, 2023, WWE began its latest round of talent cuts, releasing over 100 office employees and several wrestlers from the main roster and NXT. More releases followed on December 1st. The cuts come just months after the company’s merger with UFC was confirmed, and just hours after WWE announced a new TV deal worth $1.4 billion.
While the company may have a new owner, one of WWE’s longest-running traditions is unfortunately continuing. The company tends to go through the roster cut process at least once a year. This year is no different. Following the acquisition by TKO Group, WWE laid off a number of employees last week who worked outside of the ring. Now, the company has turned to several roster cuts.
While WWE has reevaluated its roster over the years, the COVID pandemic led to dozens of releases between 2020 and 2022. Will 2023 follow that same trajectory? Thus far, the list of talent released is quite a bit smaller than in recent years. However, there is no telling how many more rounds of cuts the company will experience before the end of 2023.
Let’s take a look at the wrestlers from WWE in 2023…
Dolph Ziggler
Dolph Ziggler was the biggest name announced in the first round of September 21st cuts and definitely a surprising one. A true WWE veteran, and seemed to be would be there until he hung up the boots. He was with the company for over 18 years and accomplished a lot during that time. Yet despite having held numerous championships, including the World Heavyweight Championship, his WWE career did not reach the heights it should have.
Ziggler’s WWE career began in 2004 when he signed with the company and quickly found himself on the main roster. A lengthy run as a member of the Spirit Squad saw him mix it up with DX and the McMahons. But it wasn’t until his re-debut as Dolph Ziggler in 2008 that he truly established himself as a singles star.
He became a mainstay of Raw and SmackDown, winning both the Intercontinental and United States Championship. He seemed destined for the main event after a successful spell on the mid-card. A feud with Edge saw him briefly capture the World Heavyweight Championship in 2011, but his big break came the following year when he won the Money in the Bank contract. While carrying the briefcase he entered feuds with the likes of Chris Jericho, Randy Orton and John Cena before cashing it in on Alberto Del Rio to win the World Heavyweight Title. However, his reign lasted just 69 days and regardless of fan support, he never got back to that level.
Ziggler possessed every attribute required to be a megastar within the company, but for some reason or another that push and main event run failed to materialize. He had a great look, an exciting in-ring style and an excellent ability to sell offence, all of which drew lofty comparisons to Shawn Michaels and Mr Perfect Curt Hennig. As it turned out, Ziggler’s career path would emulate Hennig’s by being both excellent workhorse wrestlers who had lauded tenures but never reached the main event level. Despite the years of being underutilized, Ziggler will go down as one of the most decorated and talented superstars in WWE history.
Matt Riddle
Matt Riddle was another big name recently released from his WWE contract after a controversial 5-year career. The former UFC fighter made his WWE debut in October 2018 on the NXT brand. He brought with him a tonne of MMA and indie kudos, which combined with his stoner surf-bro character he quickly connected with fans.
He was promoted to the main roster in 2020 and his popularity continued. Championships followed. Riddle won the United States Championship in February 2021, but it wasn’t until he formed a tag team with Randy Orton known as RK-Bro. The duo became a popular tag team and went on to hold the Raw Tag Team Championship for over six months. A longtime injury to Orton resulted in the team disbanding and Riddle’s place on the card suffered because of it.
Things didn’t improve as he was suspended for 60 days after failing WWE’s wellness policy for a second time. Following his return he briefly teamed with Drew McIntyre before announcing his departure from WWE on social media on September 22, 2023.
Mustafa Ali
Mustafa Ali was another eyebrow-raising addition to the list of released talent, which ended his rollercoaster tenure with the company. Ali’s time with WWE was one filled with highs and lows. Like many on this list, Ali’s WWE career was one of highs and lows, missed opportunities and unfulfilled potential.
Ali made his WWE debut in 2016, competing in the Cruiserweight Classic tournament before being assigned to the 205 Live brand, where he won the Cruiserweight Championship during an excellent rivalry with Buddy Murphy.
In 2018, Ali was hand-picked to challenge WWE Champion Daniel Bryan. He joined the SmackDown roster and was immediately inserted into the title scene by confronting and then pinning Bryan in a tag team match. His push continued and he was set to compete in the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match, but an ill-timed injury forced him to withdraw. It was reported that he was the choice to challenge Bryan for the title at WrestleMania 35, but the injury derailed those plans and Kofi Kingston was given the opportunity instead.
Further pain followed when it was rumoured he was set to win the Money in the Bank ladder match in 2019 and return to the title picture, but Brock Lesnar’s unexpected involvement in the match caused a last-minute change to the outcome and resulted in Ali losing another main event push.
In 2020, Ali became the leader of a group of masked insurgents known as Retribution. However, they were heavily criticised by fans, and the faction was disbanded. Ali returned to singles competition but lacked direction and in January of 2022, he publically requested his release from the company, which was denied. Ali then headed to NXT and was set to face Dominik Mysterio for the North American Champion at No Mercy but was released before that match took place.
Despite the challenges he faced, Ali always put on great performances while looking at ways to improve his character. He remained in the good graces of the fans, who didn’t want to see his talent go to waste and reach his full potential.
Shelton Benjamin
Shelton Benjamin was released for the second time on September 21st and joins the list of most talented WWE Superstars to never win a world title. During his first run with the company, he proved himself to be one of the most talented wrestlers in the world. He had a successful tag team and singles career, winning the WWE Tag Team, Intercontinental and United States Championships. He was released from WWE in 2010 and returned in 2017.
He had a memorable run as part of the Hurt Business stable alongside Bobby Lashley, MVP, and Cedric Alexander. The Hurt Business was one of the most popular factions in WWE at the time, and Benjamin played a key role in their success. Despite the faction’s popularity and success they prematurely disbanded after Lashley won the WWE Championship, which unfortunately left Benjamin and Alexander without a clear direction ever since.
Benjamin’s WWE career has been a mixed bag. He has achieved a lot and held multiple championships, but he has also been underutilized at times. This was certainly the case following the end of the Hurt Business and Benjamin found himself competing on Main Event and in multiple losing efforts on Raw
Rick Boogs
Rick Boogs was released on September 21st after a short stint on the main roster where he found success with his electric guitar-playing gimmick. Through his outlandish rockstar character and partnership with Shinsuke Nakamura, Boogs was embraced by the fans.
His role as Nakamura’s musician evolved into a tag team partner and they challenged The Usos for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania 38. However, Boogs suffered a torn quadriceps/patellar tendon injury during the match, and after undergoing surgery had a lengthy time on the sidelines.
After a nine-month absence, he made his comeback but failed to find his past success and was released following WWE’s merger with UFC. Due to his character and connection with the audience, he was a surprise addition to the roster cuts and has since come out stating that it was a political powerplay that led to his release.
Emma
On September 21st not only was Emma released from her WWE contract for the second time, but it happened just minutes after she expressed her excitement for the Elimination Chamber PLE being held in her native Australia.
Emma returned to WWE in June of 2022 after her first run with the company ended in 2017. Her comeback was a huge surprise and many viewed it as a chance for her to establish herself as the standout name she was back in her NXT days. But alas that was not to be. She appeared on both Raw and SmackDown and competed in several matches but failed to make her mark on the women’s division.
Aliyah
Aliyah was released from WWE following a lengthy but uneventful career in the company. She signed a developmental contract in 2015 and made her in-ring debut for NXT in 2016. She initially competed mostly on Live shows and some NXT television, where she worked as an enhancement talent for names like Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan, Asuka, and Carmella.
Aliyah was a surprise name drafted to SmackDown in 2021 where her most notable achievement was teaming with Raquel Rodriguez to win the Women’s Tag Team Championships. Since then she mostly appeared in dark matches and on live shows. After such a long WWE tenure and without the potential to evolve it seems that the company didn’t see any more room for improvement and cut her free.
Elias
Elias getting released was a big shock due to his previous popularity as both a heel and babyface. Elias had been with WWE for eight years, and he had become a popular act on the main roster. He was known for his musical skills, his comedic timing, and his ability to get a crowd reaction.
Upon his Raw debut in 2017, he antagonized the fans with his musical performances and songs where he would ridicule them and their sports teams eliciting deafening jeers. He then became a hit with fans when used his musical taunts against other wrestlers often getting the crowd to chant his catchphrase, “Who wants to walk with Elias?”
In late 2021, Elias took a hiatus from WWE. He returned in April 2022, but as his younger brother named Ezekiel. The Ezekiel character was a short-lived experiment, and Elias returned to performing in 2022. However, his return to WWE was short-lived and he was hardly seen in 2023. Following his release he took to social to write:
From Drifting onto the scene..
To WrestleMania with John Cena & The Undertaker..
To Millions around the world for years Walking With Elias..
A #1 ITunes Album
& To being my own younger brother (ZEKE)
while traveling the world..
It’s been a blast.
God is Good!
Riddick Moss
Riddick Moss was among the crop of WWE talent let go from the company on September 21st. Moss has been with the company since 2014. He worked the majority of his tenure in NXT where he was largely known for his tag team work with partner Tino Sabbatelli.
Moss made his main roster debut in 2020 and won the 24/7 Championship but a torn ACL sidelined him for a year. Upon his return, Moss was aligned with Happy Corbin playing the role of Corbin’s lackey, under the name Madcap Moss. As this character, he would entertain Corbin with jokes and insults at his opponent’s expense.
Moss continued to compete with the major highlight of his career of winning the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal in 2022. But despite being a gifted athlete he couldn’t forge any solid in-ring momentum and found himself wrestling regularly in dark matches and on Main Event.
Top Dolla
Top Dolla was another talent whose name was on the chopping block on September 21st. The member of Hit Row had only returned to the company a year earlier following his first release in 2021. However, the stable’s comeback failed to make the same impact due to the lack of it’s former leader Swerve Strickland, who is now with AEW.
Alongside Ashante “Thee” Adonis and B-Fab the only thing of note upon his return was unsuccessfully challenging The Usos for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships and botching a dive over the top rope, which led to a feud with Michael Cole.
A run of quick defeats saw Hit Row fall further and further down the pecking order while Dolla’s last televised match was a 2-minute loss to LA Knight, which seemingly spelled the end of the WWE career.
Dana Brooke
Dana Brooke is another longtime talent let go from WWE. Brooke had been with WWE for a decade when she signed a contract in 2013. Brooke had her time on both Raw and SmackDown after being called up from NXT in 2016. She initially joined Raw as a tag team with Emma before having a brief run as Charlotte Flair’s protege.
Brooke competed in multiple Royal Rumble, and Money in the Bank matches but she is best known for her time as a 15-time WWE 24/7 Champion. She recently returned to NXT to reignite her career but it seems WWE decided to cut bait rather than allow her to do so.
Mace
Mace was another wrestler released that had a tonne of untapped potential. He signed with WWE in 2019 and made his NXT debut under the ring name Dio Maddin.
He was then called up to the main roster as a member of Retribution until they disbanded. He found brief success a Mace of Maximum Male Models, a stable of male models led by Max Dupri. alongside Mansoor, they flourished as the flamboyant models making the most of the opportunity. Yet despite making the most of the comedy gimmick, it seems WWE didn’t see a future for them and let them go.
Mansoor
Mansoor, best known for his run in the Maximum Male Models was released from his WWE contract on September 21st.
After debuting in 2019 Mansoor won a 51-man battle royal at Super ShowDown in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia he then went on to defeat Cesaro at Crown Jewel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in front of his hometown crowd. He became a regular on 205 Live before heading to Raw. In 2022, Mansoor joined the Maximum Male Models stable and paired with Mace. The duo had a fun but short run before becoming surplus to WWE’s requirements.
Dabba-Kato
Dabba-Kato became a former WWE Superstar as the company cut several members of the roster. The imposing giant went through a number of incarnations during his time with the company that failed to become a fixture on the main roster.
He made his NXT debut in 2016 under his real name Babatunde Aiyegbusi before appearing as Dabba-Kato on the short-lived Raw Underground in 2020. The following year he joined forces with Apollo Crews as Commander Azeez. The gimmick saw Azeez act as Crews’ enforcer on SmackDown until he headed back to NXT under his former Dabba-Kato name.
It seems as though this was one name and gimmick change too many and WWE management saw fit to put a stop to the project.
Shanky
On September 21, 2023, Shanky was released from his WWE contract. The Indian star signed with the company in 2020 and made his at the Superstar Spectacle event the following year. Shortly after his debut, Shanky aligned himself with Mahal and Veer.
Best known for dancing his biggest match would be his last – an unsuccessful Intercontinental Championship challenge against Gunther at the 2023 Superstar Spectacle live event.
Yulisa León
Yulisa León was just one of several NXT talents let go from WWE, but according to her, she requested her release and the company granted it.
Leon had been with WWE since 2021 and made her debut in a tag team match on 205 Live. Her first match on NXT was a losing effort against Ivy Nile. Leon suffered an ACL injury in Sept. 2022 that had her out for eight months. Since returning in May from injury, Leon continued to team with Feroz.
Quincy Elliott
Quincy Elliott took to social media to inform the wrestling that they were no longer with WWE. Elliott made their debut on NXT Level Up in 2022 but after hosting Halloween Havoc they disappeared from sight for several months. They returned to action but were released before gaining any momentum.
Bryson Montana
Bryson Montana also announced he was part of the NXT roster cuts. Montana made his in-ring debut on an episode of NXT Level Up in 2022 after signing a developmental deal the year prior but had just one televised match in 2023.
Daniel McArthur
Signed by WWE after the SummerSlam 2022 tryouts, he worked on an episode of WWE Raw, teaming with Javier Bernal in a loss to Indus Sher
Alexis Gray
Former sprinter Alexis Gray was part of the 2023 Performance Center Rookie Class and did not appear in the ring for WWE before her release.
Brookyln Barlow
Brooklyn Barlow announced she was no longer with WWE following a two-year stint with the company. She joined WWE after a tryout at WWE SummerSlam in 2021. She made several appearances on NXT Level Up and only one televised performance on NXT.
Ikeman Jiro
Ikemen Jiro was released by WWE as part of major cuts on September 21st putting an end to a three-year run in NXT. During his time he partnered with KUSHIDA in Jacket Time before performing mostly on NXT house shows and on NXT Level Up.
Melanie Brzezinski
Another lesser-known name released from WWE in 2023 was Melanie Brzezinski. She is a former fitness model who previously studied at the University of Tampa. She joined WWE in Spring 2023 after a successful tryout session the previous December. She made her onscreen debut in August when the company announced its 2023 signings on its official YouTube page. Since then, she has made several appearances as part of Chase University.
Lacey Evans
Lacey Evans confirmed her departure from WWE on August 16th, 2023, after reports broke she was done with the company.
Evans had been with WWE since 2016, after serving in the US Marines for five years. She was initially signed to the company’s developmental territory, NXT, where she quickly rose through the ranks. She made her main roster debut in 2019 and challenged Becky Lynch for the RAW Women’s Championship on two occasions.
Evans’ career took an interesting turn in early 2021 when she was involved in a controversial storyline with Ric Flair. The storyline was eventually cancelled after Evans announced she was pregnant with her second child.
She returned to WWE in April 2022 with a new military-inspired gimmick but left the company a few months later.
McKenzie Mitchell
McKenzie Mitchell took to social media to reveal that she was among those released from their contracts on December 1st. However, despite the bad news, she posted a positive message along with a link to her Headline by MM jewellery business.
Today I was released by WWE. I met my husband, moved cross country from CT to FL for @wwenxt (a place I’ve always considered home), and met friends that became like family. I’ve always said and firmly believe in “when door closes, another opens.”
Mitchell served in a variety of roles in WWE, most recently acting as a backstage interviewer in NXT. She and NXT announcer Vic Joseph announced their engagement in November of 2021 and the couple were married in September of 2022.