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With a significant amount of releases, a lot has changed on RAW and SmackDown. Those cuts coincided with Fatal Influence, Sol Ruca, Ethan Page, and Joe Hendry moving up from NXT. With two weeks of information, here are five takeaways from the recent wave of WWE releases.
#5. TKO’s quest to cut costs may lead to huge departures
Recent rumors emerged after the first round of cuts that TKO approached stars to take pay cuts. If that wasn’t enough, the requested cut reportedly could have amounted to 50% of a wrestler’s salary.
Any company that asks an employee to take a pay cut close to half of their salary while the business rakes in profits cares only about the bottom line.
That’s even worse, as WWE is launching Club WWE, a subscription-based service that gives perks to certain members following a tiered model. Cutting nearly half the pay of any star is a huge deal, especially if they’ve been paid a certain way for years.
If these reports are indeed true, and many names have been approached, it could lead to a mass exodus. This was rumored to be an issue with Roman Reigns, arguably the company’s top star, but the report was then walked back.
Whether or not it’s true is a bad look after the last three months. Factor in that Reigns may not have been approached, but others have, and that shows another issue with favoritism.
#4. A lack of depth in tag divisions could lead to titles being unified
Vince McMahon was never a huge fan of tag team wrestling, but he at least booked feuds for the division until his departure. Triple H did a better job up until midway through 2025 after putting the Wyatt Sicks against the MFTs.
The SmackDown division in particular was on fire with amazing matches every week. That was on display on the show before WrestleMania 41, and in a multi-team TLC match at SummerSlam.
RAW had prominent duos in the Vision, New Day, and Judgment Day, and decided to reform the Usos because they didn’t have any new ideas for Jimmy and Jey. They won the titles, but the divisions have been gutted over the last two weeks.
The Motor City Machine Guns, New Day, Wyatt Sicks, DIY, and MFTs are either gone from WWE or have only a few remaining members left. This could lead to a title unification since TKO wants to cut costs where it doesn’t need to.
#3. No payoff for Kairi’s storyline
One of the releases that hit a chord with the WWE Universe the most was Kairi Sane. She wasn’t a former Women’s World Champion, but was an important part of Damage CTRL and ongoing issues with Asuka and IYO SKY.
She was featured regularly on RAW over the last few years. The maddening part was that her angle with Asuka and SKY was leading to the payoff of her turning against The Empress of Tomorrow.
With her release, the moment was taken from her and the fans. Chants of “We Want Kairi” permeated RAW after her release days before.
A recent report claims there’s an outside chance she appears at Backlash this weekend for the payoff to the angle. Take that for what it’s worth.
#2. Revelation about a type of character TKO doesn’t like
Another disappointing report emerged after Aleister Black and the entire Wyatt Sicks’ faction were let go on the Friday after WrestleMania 42. Black should have been pushed differently, as he offered up a ‘stages of evil’ character.
He would passively approach certain heroes like Randy Orton, Sami Zayn, and Matt Cardona to test their resolve. It would escalate when they’d rebuke his claims. The Wyatt Sicks are the spiritual successors of the legendary Bray Wyatt.
Not since the Undertaker had a supernatural gimmick captured the hearts of the WWE Universe. Wrestling is at its best with a variety of characters, and not just personas that are extensions of one’s personality.
There’s only so much room for “I’m better than you” or super confident people like Jade Cargill, Lash Legend, Nia Jax, and Liv Morgan.
Gutting an entire genre shows a lack of foresight from TKO with the business due to the longevity and success of the Phenom, Wyatt, and Rosemary in TNA. If that’s not bad enough, TKO also reportedly wants to keep using celebrities regularly.
#1. Opportunities aren’t handed out equally in WWE
This has always been part of the business, unfortunately, but the recent round of roster cuts/departures has exposed a pretty blatant issue with WWE and its practices with talent and who they release.
Legacy names and those with families tied to the business will be given every opportunity to succeed, so much so that it grabs opportunities from others who have potential.
This isn’t to wish anyone else was cut, only to highlight the lack of consistency and equality with who is/isn’t allowed to grow. Someone like Brooks Jensen, the son of former Bull Buchanan, has been with NXT for over four years.
He was shipped to Evolve last year, but he’s always had trouble getting over on his own. He was not included in the roster cuts. Ava, the Rock’s daughter, proved that she wasn’t cut out for in-ring action.
That’s why she was given the NXT GM spot. She didn’t stand out in that spot, and instead of being cut, she “departed” the company earlier this year. Names like Sirena Linton, Haze Jameson, and Jin Tala were given less than a year to learn the business.
If those stars didn’t work hard or were disrespectful, then the releases are justified. But if they continue to pursue the craft after showing potential one way or another, like those names did on LFG, only to be cut so quickly, it shows the extreme disconnect with opportunity in WWE in 2026.
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