Tag: Zelina Vega

Backstage Talk Emerges About WWE’s Reported Shift Away From Supernatural Characters

WWE’s recent wave of roster cuts has sparked plenty of discussion among fans, but one particular backstage rumor is now gaining attention regarding the company’s creative direction under TKO Group Holdings.

According to a report from PWInsider, there has been internal speculation within WWE that certain decision-makers connected to TKO may not be especially interested in darker or supernatural-style wrestling characters. While nothing has been officially confirmed, that belief has reportedly become a talking point backstage following several surprising departures.

Among the names being linked to that theory are The Wyatt Sicks, Aleister Black, and Zelina Vega. Fans immediately questioned the release of The Wyatt Sicks due to the group’s strong connection to Bray Wyatt’s legacy and WWE’s continued emphasis on cinematic storytelling in recent years.

Aleister Black has also long been associated with darker presentation and occult-inspired character work, making his release another example some within the company are pointing toward when discussing the rumored shift in philosophy.

The report further notes that one person even referenced The Undertaker’s recent WWE appearances, suggesting that his increased use of the “American Badass” persona instead of the supernatural “Deadman” character may align with this broader creative preference.

Of course, it’s important to note that these discussions are currently speculation and have not been publicly addressed by WWE or TKO executives. WWE roster decisions are typically influenced by multiple factors, including creative plans, budget considerations, and long-term branding strategies.

Still, the conversation has fueled debate among wrestling fans about whether WWE could be moving away from some of the supernatural elements that have been part of the company’s identity for decades.

For now, the reported backstage chatter remains just that — internal speculation — but it has certainly added another layer to the discussion surrounding WWE’s latest releases.

WWE Releases Multiple Superstars Across Main Roster and NXT in Major Talent Cuts

WWE has reportedly made another round of roster cuts, with a wide range of talent—from established main roster names to rising NXT prospects—being let go from the company.

As of now, the list of releases includes several recognizable names who have played key roles on WWE programming in recent years. Among the أبرز departures are Kairi Sane, Aleister Black, Zelina Vega, and Santos Escobar, all of whom have had significant runs on the main roster. The exits of Uncle Howdy (Bo Dallas), Nikki Cross, Dexter Lumis, and Erick Rowan also stand out, especially given their ties to various factions and storylines over the past few years.

The tag team division has also taken a hit, with the Motor City Machine Guns reportedly parting ways with WWE. Meanwhile, Joe Gacy and Andre Chase—both heavily featured during their time in NXT—are also included in the cuts.

On the women’s side, Zoey Stark and Alba Fyre are among those released, along with developmental names like Tyra Mae Steele and Sirena Linton.

The list extends deep into NXT, with several newer or lesser-known talents also being let go, including Tyson Dupont, Tyriek Igwe, Chris Island, Dante Chen, Malik Blade, Trill London, and Luca Crusifino.

At this stage, there’s no official word on whether more releases are expected, but the scope of the cuts suggests a significant shake-up behind the scenes. Situations like this often point to roster restructuring, budget considerations, or shifts in creative direction, particularly as WWE continues to evolve its talent pipeline between NXT and the main roster.

As always, talent releases can open the door for fresh opportunities elsewhere in the wrestling world, and it’ll be interesting to see where these performers land next. For now, though, the WWE roster looks noticeably different following this latest wave of departures.

As it stands, the following names have been released (so far):

  • Kairi Sane
  • Aleister Black
  • Zelina Vega
  • Uncle Howdy/Bo Dallas
  • Nikki Cross
  • Santos Escobar
  • Motor City Machine Guns
  • Dexter Lumis
  • Erick Rowan
  • Joe Gacy
  • Andre Chase
  • Zoey Stark
  • Alba Fyre
  • Tyra Mae Steele
  • Sirena Linton
  • Tyson Dupont
  • Tyriek Igwe
  • Chris Island
  • Dante Chen
  • Malik Blade
  • Trill London
  • Luca Crusifino
  • Carlee Bright 

Backstage News On Queen Zelina Vega’s Absence From WWE TV

Queen Zelina Vega recently suffered an in-ring injury for which she required surgery, according to PWInsider.

The report didn’t specify the type of surgery or when Vega got hurt, but she was last seen on the April 11 episode of Raw. Prior to that appearance, Vega and Carmella dropped their Women’s Tag Team Titles at “WrestleMania 38” in a Fatal Four Way Match.

Vega is expected to be out of action for another 6-8 weeks, which would mean she’d be available to return in time for the July 30 “SummerSlam” premium live event.

The report added there’s been talk within WWE creative about Vega receiving a push upon her return. The Queens native has reportedly been praised backstage for her “willingness to do what was requested of her” and for her work ethic.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Mick Foley reacts to WWE cutting Zelina Vega’s match from SmackDown on the eve of 9/11

WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley reacted to the news that Zelina Vega’s match was cut from last night’s episode of Friday Night SmackDown.

Vega was in her gear and ready to wrestle in a tag team match but due to time constraints, the match was pulled from the show. Vega was trending last night and this morning after that news got out since she is the daughter of a 9/11 victim.

Foley’s Twitter post reads, “So @TheaTrinidad’s match was cut for time at @TheGarden on the eve of 9/11? That hurts ME – I can only imagine how Thea felt. Stay strong, my friend.”

Foley has been very outspoken about WWE’s creative issues while praising what AEW has been doing with their show. However, WWE’s creative issues mean nothing in comparison in the grand scale of things. Not including Vega on the show on the eve of the 20th anniversary of 9/11 in Madison Square Garden is mindboggling.

https://twitter.com/RealMickFoley/status/1436844772795224064

Vega honored her father Michael Angel Trinidad at the 9/11 memorial.

Source: WrestlingNewsCo

Zelina Vega Returns To WWE on SmackDown, Enters Money In The Bank Match

Seven months after being released, Zelina Vega returned to WWE television on the latest edition of SmackDown.

Zelina Vega is back on the WWE payroll seven months after she parted ways with the company.

Vega made her surprise return on the most edition of SmackDown after Sonya Deville revealed that Vega would be entering the upcoming Women’s Money In The Bank ladder match.

As you might recall, Zelina Vega was released by WWE in November of 2020 following a dispute regarding her personal Twitch channel which occurred soon after the company introduced new policies regarding employees’ use of third-party sites.

“I’m sad and I’m completely heartbroken,” Zelina said of her release shortly after it was made official. “Obviously, this isn’t the last that you are gonna see of me…I love you all though and I’m really really thankful to every single one of you. If I go down as someone who stood up for themselves, so be it. I’m still thankful, I’m not angry. I’m just heartbroken because doing this, being a wrestler is all I ever wanted to do. I don’t really know what to say, there’s so many things I want to say but I don’t know how.”

Following her release, there were rumors that Vega could be heading to AEW, which heated up after AEW’s president Tony Khan confirmed that he had been waiting for her 90-day non-compete clause to lapse before reaching out to her.

Vega’s real-life husband Tommy End (aka Aleister Black) was released by WWE last month as a result of budget cuts necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Vega, real name Thea Trinidad Büdgen, started out on the independent and had a stint with Impact between 2011-2013. She made sporadic appearances for WWE before signing a contract in 2017. She performed on the NXT brand as an in-ring performer as Andrade’s manager. Andrade captured the NXT Championship under Vega’s guidance.

Vega has signed a long-term deal with WWE.

PWInsider has since revealed more details regarding Vega’s deal and how it came about. Apparently, the returning star has penned a long-term deal and won’t just be sticking around for a little while providing all goes to plan. She was also backstage on SmackDown last week but not used. Kudos to WWE for managing to keep Vega’s imminent return under wraps.

Vega has since tweeted a reaction to her own return. “I’m back. I’m going to be in the MITB ladder match. ..and I will win. Period. Everything else is irrelevant,” Vega tweeted. Presumably a message to anyone who might want to know the finer details of how her return came about and how long it has been in the works that she isn’t going to be talking about it publicly.

Vega was spotted at the WWE Performance Center two months ago, fueling rumors that she might have struck up a new deal with the company. However, her husband Aleister Black has been released since then and there has been no mention of a Vega return since, official or otherwise. Clearly, Black’s release didn’t sour the repaired relationship between WWE and Vega.

While it was never confirmed that a disagreement over the new regulations was why Vega left, that’s assumed to be the case as Vega tweeted that she supported unionization as news of her release made headlines. That is now all water under the bridge and it will be interesting to see if Vega’s work on Twitch continues now that she is once again under a WWE contract.

Source: The Sportster

Zelina Vega Reportedly Escorted Out Of Building After WWE Release

WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon reportedly passed on talking with Zelina Vega after she was released from her contract last Friday.

Vega was informed of her release last Friday by WWE’s Senior Director of Talent Relations, Mark Carrano. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter adds that Vega asked to talk to McMahon, but Carrano told her that Vince did not want to talk to her, and she was then escorted out of the building.

As noted, Vega was released last Friday due to reasons related to WWE’s new edict on third party content with sites such as Cameo and Twitch, which Vega is active on. WWE later confirmed with Sports Illustrated that Vega was released due to a breach of contract.

McMahon was reportedly unhappy with Vega for opening up an OnlyFans account, which she was using for cosplay content under a different name, even after WWE issued the third party edict. The feeling was that Vega’s actions boxed the company into a difficult situation. It was noted that Vega’s release was done as a reminder to all talents that the new third party policy will be strictly enforced.

Vega appeared on the “Table Talk” podcast with WWE Hall of Famer & Producer D-Von Dudley back in September and recalled how Vince had previously told her that she was one of his favorite talents, comparing her to his daughter, WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon.

“It’s weird because I think that too and I’m like, you know what? If quarantine didn’t happen – not saying that I wouldn’t have had these opportunities – but maybe it would have taken a little bit longer,” Vega told Dudley. “And also, Becky’s having her baby so there are people that are not here so that just leaves spots to fill and for me, I’m like, ‘Give me the ball! If I drop it, screw me!’ But you lose nothing and I was always ready for that and I think it started with Drew [McIntyre] when we had that back and forth. I was like, ‘Man, he’s like my other promo half.’ It was just perfect.

“Whenever it happened, it was just magic with him and it’s interesting because before even quarantine happened, Vince would always say, ‘You’re one of my favorites. You’re one of the reasons that I watch RAW. I love your character.’ It was such an honor to hear that because one of the things that he used to say to me was, ‘You remind me of Stephanie because she was always working out there. You’re a cutaway machine. I love that about you’ and first of all, I was like, ‘Are you serious?’ Legit, I was going to cry. I love Stephanie. She’s a huge inspiration when it comes to me and the Zelina character, but it’s wild to think that if this quarantine didn’t happen, I wonder where I would be. I wonder if I’d be getting a RAW Women’s Title shot against Asuka.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Zelina Vega Fired From WWE

The news of Zelina Vega’s abrupt release from WWE on Friday caught the attention of labor union leaders and politicians, and was covered by mainstream media outlets.

Vega reportedly failed to comply with the third party edict handed out by WWE last month and proceeded to open a new OnlyFans account, which did not help her case among WWE brass, according to Dave Meltzer on the latest Wrestling Observer Radio.

Meltzer noted that Vega was adamant in her position to continue with her Twitch account and the backstory is that she was among “a couple of women who were making more money through social media than their WWE contracts.” Vega was supposedly “making a lot of money on Twitch” prior to WWE asking talents to cease activity on third party platforms.

For Vega, it boiled down to choosing between WWE and Twitch, and she chose the latter, according to Meltzer.

“She made her choice and WWE had no option but to fire her,” he said.

Meltzer mentioned that since the old way of making money in WWE through house shows and PPV paydays is no longer available to talents, they are looking at other revenue sources while working only 5-6 times a month since the start of the pandemic.

Previously, talents who had low guarantees on their contracts were heavily reliant on paydays from house shows and PPVs. While talents who signed contracts pre-AEW are most unhappy due to lower guarantees, talents who got bigger contracts post-AEW have been less vocal about the developing situation.

With WWE taking away the talents’ ability to make money off streaming platforms, there is growing resentment in the locker room, added Meltzer.

“With no house shows or PPVs, they need a way to augment the past money and WWE took it away from them.”

On the flipside, WWE maintains that it should get a slice of the revenue that talents make by utilizing their WWE names, albeit in third party platforms.

WWE is reportedly in the process of doing their own Twitch deal and giving a percentage of that revenue to talents. The percentage will be counted against downside guarantees, which is another bit of information that hasn’t sat well with some talents.

Vega returned to her Twitch feed on Friday within a few hours of her WWE release. She is presently serving the customary 90-day non-compete clause, which prevents her from appearing on TV for any other wrestling promotion until mid-February 2021.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE Closing Twitch & Cameo Pages?, AJ Styles Reacts, Paige Talks Unionization

It looks like WWE is in the process of shutting down Twitch & Mixer streaming channels owned by several Superstars. Cameo accounts are also being deactivated.

AJ Styles took to Discord this afternoon and announced that he was suspending his “Stylesclash” accounts on Mixer and Twitch due to WWE’s new policy on unauthorized third party platform activity. Styles thanked his fans for the support and memories. He also said he will be leaving his Discord server up to keep in touch with fans for future happenings.

“@everyone, I want to thank you for all the greatest memories on Mixer and Twitch,” AJ wrote. “I will cherish these memories and I love everyone of you that have made this possible and supported me. As many of you know WWE is making some changes that involve streaming. We will see what the future holds in that regard.

“With that being said I will be suspending Stylesclash stream. This isn’t good bye, but this is see you sometime in the future. We will leave discord open, but since it won’t be monitored we will be making changes. Chris or I will let you know what that looks like once we figure it out. If you see me at the arenas or wherever be sure to let me know you’re part of the phenomenal family. Again this isn’t the end it’s just a pause. Thank you again for your support.”

Mia Yim (Reckoning of RETRIBUTION) announced on Twitter that her “ItsMeSYB” Twitch stream is also being pulled down, right before her scheduled gameplay with Jessamyn Duke.

“Sorry guys, no more stream for the time being. Thank you for making these past few difficult months manageable. It’s not goodbye, it’s see you later. [blue heart emoji],” Yim wrote.

Cesaro announced that he was suspending his “Claudio’s Cafe” channel on Twitch today during a stream.

“Well I appreciate everybody spending some time here with me,” Cesaro said. “I don’t know when the next stream is gonna be… I’ll definitely let you guys know. … Thank everybody for spending your time with me here. Thanks for the subs, thanks for the gifts, thanks for the follows. I really do appreciate it. I hope I’ll be back soon, but when? I don’t know. So, yeah… one last race, who are we gonna race today? So yeah, I don’t know when I’ll be back.”

Paige got emotional during one of her Twitch streams this afternoon on her “Saraya Official” channel after finding out about co-workers shutting down their platforms.

“You guys. We have to make this… you guys. There may be a time where I have to stop streaming,” Paige said. “So, I just think in case I walk away, if I have to walk away, let’s make these next two streams crazy. I have to go off. If I have to leave, we make today and Saturday f–king crazy before I have to leave, because it might have to come to that.

Paige continued texting, apparently with co-workers on her phone, and came back to the camera. She was more emotional as she went back to addressing her viewers. She then commented that she “cannot deal” with WWE anymore. She also blamed the company for over-working her, to the point that she suffered the career-ending neck injury during a WWE live event match in December 2017.

“I’ve honestly got to the point where I cannot deal with this company anymore,” Paige said. “So now I have to make a very important decision. I’m f–king tired, man. I broke my f–king neck twice, twice for this company, over f–king worked. I broke my neck twice for this company and all I wanted was to… they don’t realize that this community isn’t just about f–king subs. It isn’t about that. It isn’t about that. We built a wonderful community, a wonderful f–king family where this is an escape for a lot of people, including myself.

“I can’t wrestle anymore, I was worked so hard in WWE that I can’t wrestle anymore. My neck is f–ked, my whole dream got taken away from me, dude, and I had to have something that fulfilled even a small part of that huge f–king void that I lost with wrestling. A huge f–king void. I couldn’t wrestle anymore, something I lived, breathed, f–king s–t wrestling since I was a fetus, dude, and it got ripped away from me, and I had to find something that even filled a little bit of that. Twitch was such a wonderful thing for me, it’s such a wonderful place for me.”

Paige continued and wondered why WWE is taking away her platform while she just sits at home, unable to wrestle.

“And I understand,” Paige said. “I understand if they’re like, ‘Hey, if you’re wrestling every day, if you’re doing shows every day, if you’re on TV constantly.’ That’s fine, but I’m a f–king injured wrestler. I can’t wrestle anymore. I get used for media stuff sometimes, you know? But at the end of the day I’m in my f–king house. I’m going f–king crazy, dude. I need something to keep me sane, man, and Twitch was my escape from that, you know? Right now I’m just sitting on my f–king ass.”

Paige also brought up her private photos & videos that were leaked on the internet a few years ago, and her failed drug tests, and relationship with former WWE Champion Alberto Del Rio. She also accused WWE of treating her bad.

“I had a terrible couple of years where I had tapes leaked about me, where I popped a couple of drug tests because I was in an abusive f–king relationship, dude,” Paige said. “And that’s the only thing I could f–king do. See, people think I should be thankful that I still have a f–king job, right? And I am, but it doesn’t mean I should be treated like f–king s–t.”

Paige said at one point that she would keep streaming because her neck was taken away twice and she won’t allow WWE to take away her Twitch next. She also mentioned potential unionization in pro wrestling, revealing that she’s been in touch with a unionization lawyer.

“People don’t realize I’m outspoken as f–k,” Paige said. I will say how I feel. I don’t care who you are. I will say how I feel because I don’t like being walked all over. … You know what? I’m gonna start looking more into unionization. I’ve been learning about it by a unionization lawyer.

“This is bigger than Twitch, it’s about taking f–king control of your own life and not being controlled by anyone. I gave ten years, man. I poured my f–king heart and soul into this. I had a bad couple of years like every motherf–ker has. I’m not the only one who is f–king controversial around here, I’m not the only one. It’s f–king louder when it comes to me because I’m a f–king female. I hate using that because I’m a woman but it’s because I’m a woman and women don’t usually stand up for themselves.”

Paige went on and said she will continue to stream for her fans, and see how the situation plays out. Paige said she loves WWE but doesn’t agree with what is being done in regards to the third party activity. She noted that she understands that this is a business decision, and nothing personal, but she still doesn’t have to agree with it. She also noted that she felt sad at first, but now she feels empowered after speaking out on the latest stream. She told fans that she will be speaking out with more of what’s on her mind over the next couple of days.

WWE couple Zelina Vega and Aleister Black also discussed the situation on their “AtoZ” Twitch channel. They reiterated that they are not 100% sure of what will happen to the account as they have not talked to “the office” but they know there will be a conversation on the matter at SmackDown on Friday.

“In all fairness, we don’t know,” Black said. “We don’t know but it’s starting to look like, obviously that this might be the last one for a while. We haven’t been told anything, but obviously tomorrow is TV, and I know that there’s going to be a conversation tomorrow. But, like, it’s not definite, it’s not like this is the last final stream ever.”

Vega added, “Although it could be. I want you to be prepared for that, too.”

Black continued, “It could be but we don’t think it is, but you never know. I think what’s happening is they’re trying to find a way to make it coexist within the WWE Universe and whatever way that they want to do that, I don’t know, and if we agree to that, I don’t know. I literally can’t tell you anything because we don’t know anything.”

“Only because we haven’t been told anything from the office,” Vega added.

Black and Vega acknowledged the statements by Styles and Yim, and said they made those because they were told separately. Vega said it’s their business and she’s not sure if Yim and Styles have had conversations with the office, but she and Black have not.

“I think you can definitely say this is the last one for a while, for at least a while, and I don’t know how long that while is. Obviously tomorrow [at SmackDown] we’re going to get a little more clarity on things, but I don’t know,” Black said.

Like Styles, Black and Vega plan to keep their Discord server open so they can interact with fans.

“I’m just going to be candid,” Vega said. “And just like, we don’t know but we have a good idea, and there’s the whole ‘trying to make it work for everybody’ stage that we’re in right now, and we’re hoping that there is some kind of middle ground. Is there? There may not be because the thing is, that sounds great, you know? And I hope there is. It sounds like middle ground would be awesome, but I also want to prepare people.”

She added, “Because I don’t want to give you guys hope and then slap you guys in the face and go, ‘Sorry!’ You know what I mean?”

“We’re preparing you for both,” Vega said. “We’re preparing you for the, ‘Hey we figured out something and it’s kind of going to be different and it’s going to work somehow.’ But it’s not going to be exactly what this is because I don’t think it’ll ever be this, it’ll be different if there is that, but there’s also the side of, ‘We just have to stop.’ I want you guys to be prepared for both. I just want to be 100% honest with you.”

Black and Vega acknowledged Paige being upfront and honest with her viewers, and not holding anything back. Vega recalled how Paige also said officials have not said anything concrete to her either, but Vega is sure something will happen to the third party activity. Black and Vega also commented on how they built their platform together, with the fans, despite Black being a very private person.

On a related note, several WWE Superstars have deactivated their Cameo accounts as well, and are no longer taking requests from fans. RSN discovered that Big E, Riddle, Kevin Owens and others have all deactivated their Cameo accounts, which were big earners for some wrestlers. There are some WWE Superstars who remain on Cameo, such as Lacey Evans and Mandy Rose, among others. It remains to be seen if their accounts will be deactivated soon like the others.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Former NXT Cruiserweight Champion Angel Garza Debuts On RAW (VIDEO)

Angel Garza, who recently lost the NXT Cruiserweight Championship, made his debut on WWE RAW last night alongside Zelina Vega.

The segment began with Humberto Carrillo in the ring as his feud with Andrade was recapped. Commentary noted Andrade would be out indefinitely due to the events of last week on RAW, which was done to cover for his absence due to a suspension.

Zelina Vega then made her entrance accompanied by Garza and explained how he was not only one of the hottest latino prospects in WWE, but also Carrillo’s cousin.

After a back and forth promo, Angel attacked Humberto and it led to Rey Mysterio making the save. Mysterio and Garza then had a match which ended with Garza hitting a Hammerlock DDT on the exposed concrete, causing a DQ finish.

As you’ll recall, Garza lost the NXT Cruiserweight title to Jordan Devlin at Worlds Collide.

WWE Tag Teams Splits Up, WWE Quietly Moves New RAW Superstars Back To SmackDown

WWE has apparently changed their minds on a few roster moves made during the 2019 Superstar Shakeup last week.

Andrade and Zelina Vega are now listed as SmackDown Superstars on the WWE website. They were moved to RAW in the Shakeup last Monday and Andrade picked up a non-title win over WWE Intercontinental Champion Finn Balor, who was sent to the blue brand the next night. Vega and Andrade had cut several promos on social media and video to warn the red brand that they were the new faces of the show.

It looks like Aleister Black could be going from RAW to SmackDown as well. Black, who is married to Vega, had been floating between shows since his call-up from WWE NXT, but he and partner Ricochet were confirmed for the red brand in the Shakeup last week. Black is now listed on the SmackDown roster on the official WWE website and his name has the SmackDown logo next to it. Ricochet is still listed for the RAW brand, so that tag team is apparently done.

Andrade and Charlotte Flair were one of the real-life WWE couples affected by the Superstar Shakeup, but that appears to have been rectified. Black and Vega were also kept together on the same brand, but the Black and Ricochet tag team appears to be done.

It will be interesting to see if the Andrade, Vega and Black roster changes are addressed on tonight’s RAW episode.

As we’ve noted, it’s believed that WWE United States Champion Samoa Joe will join the red brand on tonight’s show. Joe had been scheduled to bring the title to RAW on last week’s Shakeup edition of RAW but he was very sick, so sick that his segment was pulled from the show. WWE did not quietly announce Joe’s roster change as they did with other Superstars because they were saving it for tonight as they have an angle planned.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

UPDATE:

Cesaro has been moved to RAW. This means The Bar has split up as Sheamus appears to be staying on SmackDown Live

UPDATE: 4/23/19

It was revealed on 4/23/19 edition of SmackDown Live that, Jinder Mahal and the Singh Brothers has been moved to SmackDown Live.