Due to the Endeavor merger, WWE has began releasing several wrestlers from their deals as of September 21, 2023 to save on costs. WWE released a few more names on September 22 and 23.

We will be updating this page with the latest names. This does not currently include names of upper management who were let go earlier in the week:

9/21

• Dolph Ziggler
• Elias
• Aliyah
• Rick Boogs
• Riddick Moss
• Emma
• Top Dolla
• Shelton Benjamin
• Dana Brooke
• Mustafa Ali
• Mansoor
• Mace
• Shanky
• Dabba Kato / Commander Azeez / Babatunde (NXT)
• Quincy Elliot (NXT)
• Bryson Montana (NXT)
• Yulisa Leon (NXT)
• Daniel McArthur (NIL)
• Kevin Ventura-Cortez (NIL)
• Alexis Gray (NIL)
• Brooklyn Barlow (NIL)

9/22

• Matt Riddle
• Ikeman Jiro (NXT)
• Abule Abadi-Fitzgerald (NIL)

9/23

• Melanie Brzezinski (NIL)

Matt Riddle is gone from WWE.

In a statement released on Twitter, Riddle announced his departure and thanked his fans for all the years of memories. The move follows mass talent cuts by WWE on Thursday, when the promotion released at least 22 stars or prospective stars in the way of its acquisition by Endeavor and merger with Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Just wanted to inform everyone that I’m no longer with WWE. Thank you for the memories and opportunities also thank you to all the fans for the support and love you give me every time I go out to the ring. See you all soon 🤙 pic.twitter.com/fpuQkIJAFx

— Matthew Riddle (@SuperKingofBros) September 22, 2023

Riddle, himself a former UFC fighter, began training as a professional wrestler almost a decade ago and signed with WWE in 2018. Over the course of his career, he won the “NXT” Tag Team Championship with Pete Dunne (now known as Butch), the “Raw” Tag Team Championship with Randy Orton, and the WWE United States Championship. His WWE run was also characterized by prominent accusations against him during the #SpeakingOut movement, his real-life feud with Seth Rollins, and his multiple drug suspensions, the most recent of which came in 2022 and resulting in him being removed from television. Riddle returned on the “WWE Raw” after WrestleMania 39, but with a somewhat diminished role in the absence of his injured partner, Orton.

Riddle made headlines earlier this month for an incident at JFK airport and hadn’t been seen on television since. Despite reports that his absence was not related to the airport altercation and that he was making his return to “WWE Raw” this week, Fightful Select is now reporting that Riddle hasn’t been backstage or on the road with WWE since he was pulled from weekend events and the September 11 episode of “Raw.” Fightful claims Riddle was not planned for a return and not part of WWE’s creative plans following the incident, despite the fact that he was in the middle of a storyline that had seen him teaming up with Drew McIntyre, and says one source cited Riddle as having “burned through too many chances while in WWE.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Yesterday WWE released several members of their roster, including Mustafa Ali, Emma, Rick Boogs, Aliyah, Riddick Moss, Top Dolla, Elias and Shelton Benjamin.

Update:

WWE also released the following:

• Dana Brooke
• Mansoor
• Mace
• Shanky
• Dabba Kato / Commander Azeez / Babatunde (NXT)
• Quincy Elliot (NXT)
• Bryson Montana (NXT)
• Yulisa Leon (NXT)
• Daniel McArthur (NIL)
• Kevin Ventura-Cortez (NIL)
• Alexis Gray (NIL)
• Brooklyn Barlow (NIL)
• Abule Abadi-Fitzgerald

The company was looking to cut back on $50 million to $100 million in expenses following the merger with UFC to form the TKO Holdings Group.

Dave Meltzer reported the following in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

“The key to the releases were talent making main roster money but not being used on the main roster and with the idea that they were not going to be used in the future,” Meltzer wrote.

“It’s time in vs. how much money you are paid vs. return on investment,” said one WWE official regarding the talent cuts.”