Fired WWE Star Breaks Silence On Release

A former WWE star has reflected on their departure.

For the first time in 2025, WWE made a series of cuts to its talent roster, with several former champions among those moved on. Stars such as Cedric Alexander, Paul Ellering, Akam, Rezar, and Blair Davenport, were all released, while Sonya Deville has been informed her contract will not be renewed.

It was then confirmed that Giovanni Vinci, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, and Isla Dawn had also been let go.

In a post on Instagram, Vinci has now addressed his departure, thanking fans for their support.

Thank you to the WWE Universe, @WWE, and everyone I had the pleasure of working with.

Vinci signed with WWE in 2017 after taking part in the Cruiserweight Classic a year earlier. After teaming with Marcel Barthel, now known as Ludwig Kaiser, the duo joined Imperium and featured regularly across NXT UK and NXT.

However, Vinci left the group before they debuted on the main roster, and he was repackaged in NXT. But it wasn’t long before he was back with Kaiser and Gunther, rejoining the faction at Clash at The Castle.

In April 2024, Vinci left the group for a second time and was moved to SmackDown as part of the draft. On the blue brand, the star gradually slid down the card and on-screen appearances became few and far between.

According to one report, some within WWE were high on Giovanni Vinci after creating vignettes for him in 2024. But this didn’t translate to television, and there was a belief he was pushed down the card knowing he would be let go.

Another WWE Star Departs

On February 9, it was reported that WWE had also released Elektra Lopez.

Lopez signed with the company in early 2021 and in August of that year, she aligned herself with Legado del Fantasma. Following a split that led to the LWO taking in Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro, Legado del Fantasma regrouped with Escobar, Angel, and Berto. Lopez rejoined the group on SmackDown in January 2024.

Despite her joining the blue brand, Lopez only competed in two matches on SmackDown in 2024.