Another WWE Departure Quietly Confirmed
A former WWE talent has subtly confirmed their release from the wrestling promotion.
Surprisingly, the name of the talent in question did not appear in the recent post-WrestleMania 42 departure list, leaving fans wondering when they were let go.
On April 24, the Stamford promotion released more than 20 names from the company across all brands, including Raw and SmackDown.
The blue brand was the one that endured the most, as the likes of The Wyatt Sicks (Bo Dallas, Joe Gacy, Dexter Lumis, Nikki Cross, and Eric Rowan), Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin), Aleister Black, Zelina Vega, Alba Fyre, and Apollo Crews were made redundant.
On Raw, Kairi Sane and Zoey Stark were the unlucky ones. Both names came as a surprise to fans because Stark was all set to return to action following months of injury, whereas Sane had been involved in a developing storyline for more than a year.
Aria Bennett Confirms WWE Release
Aria Bennett, a former NCAA All-American gymnast, signed with WWE in 2024. She had competed in several matches on the EVOLVE brand, while also making appearances during NXT Live shows.
Her last bout in the company was in April 2025 as part of a tag team, where she teamed up with Chantel Monroe to face Carlee Bright and Kendal Grey at an NXT house show. In July, she underwent surgery for a torn ACL, keeping her from actively performing during events.
On Instagram, Bennett’s description segment reads “former WWE,” confirming that she was no longer employed with the promotion. Aria Bennett also discarded her WWE-specific profile, and her updates now mostly include gymnastics and personal life.
Released WWE Stars Purchase Wrestling Promotion
Nikki Cross, who was released on April 24, converted adversity into an opportunity along with her real-life wrestling partner, Big Damo.
Reports claimed that the couple had acquired PROGRESS Wrestling, a British professional wrestling company which has existed since 2011.
Cross and Damo attended a press conference, announcing their purchase PROGRESS as well as DEFY, which merged with PROGRESS in 2024.
In her statement, Cross shared her excitement as well as promised to bring her experience and insights to take the British wrestling company to new heights.
It is not lost on me that there are few female owners in professional wrestling, so I want to bring my experience and insights to the table and elevate PROGRESS and DEFY to new levels.
We were deeply encouraged by the first PROGRESS Women’s Super Strong Style 16 tournament. Rhio and Gisele competed in an incredible main event, and Rhio proved to be a worthy winner! We will soon be announcing that next year, in 2027, we will host the first stand alone female Super Strong Style 16.
We are also in the process of bringing PROGRESS to new cities across the UK, and will be excited to announce those details soon.
Cross partner, Big Damo, also competed in the Stamford promotion, where he competed under the name Killian Dane and was a member of the SAnitY faction alongside Eric Young, Alexander Wolfe, Sawyer Fulton, and Cross. He was released in June 2021.