WWE Releases Several Stars Including Braun Strowman, Dakota Kai And NXT Talent
Several WWE superstars, including Braun Strowman, Dakota Kai, Shayna Baszler, and others, have been released in the post-WrestleMania cuts.
It has become an annual tradition for WWE to release wrestlers in the weeks after WrestleMania. Even though WWE often brags about record profits and sold-out arenas (and stadiums), it is still letting talent go.
The following main roster talent has been let go. Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful noted that in some cases, WWE may have chosen not to renew a contract that is set to expire.
* Braun Strowman
* Dakota Kai
* Shayna Baszler
* Katana Chance
* Kayden Carter
Braun Strowman and Dakota Kai have both been released before. They were both brought back to the company in 2022 after Triple H took over as the Chief Content Officer.
Strowman recently feuded with Jacob Fatu on SmackDown, and the two men had many good matches together. Kai challenged Lyra Valkyria for the Women’s Intercontinental Title. WWE Universal Champion, Intercontinental Champion, and two-time Tag Team Champion. Strowman initially signed with WWE in 2013. Even though he was featured on TV fairly regularly, he rare competed on PLE shows.
Dakota Kai was originally signed by WWE in 2016 and was let go in 2022 after WrestleMania. That only lasted a few months until she was brought back by Triple H and put in Bayley’s Damage CTRL group. Kai is a former two-time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion and two-time NXT Women’s Tag Team Champion.
Shayna Baszler has worked for WWE since 2017. She had a lot of success in NXT as a former NXT Women’s Champion and was a three-time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion.
Kayden Carter and Katana Chance are former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions and NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions. They were both hired in July 2018. They were not used as much over the last year.
There have also been many wrestlers from NXT that were released.
* Gigi Dolin
* Cora Jade
* Eddy Thorpe
* Riley Osborne
* Jakara Jackson
* Mark Coffey of Gallus
* Joe Coffey of Gallus
* Wolfgang of Gallus
* Javier Bernal
* Oro Mensah
It is believed that the wrestlers on the main roster will have a 90-day non-compete clause after their releases while the NXT talent will have a 30 day no-compete clause on their contracts.
Released WWE Talent React To Releases
Some of the talent who got released, including Baszler, Kai, and Jade, had social media reactions.
No one can offer what I have to offer. Reality. Let the Galaxy burn.
— Shayna Baszler (@QoSBaszler) May 2, 2025
— 𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖑𝖎𝖊𝖌𝖎𝖗𝖑 🎮 (@ImKingKota) May 2, 2025
Thankful for all the childhood dreams I got to live out! I have a lot to say in due time. Stay tuned xoxo
— Elayna Black (@CoraJadeWWE) May 2, 2025
WWE also let some office staff go on Friday, including Christine Lubrano, who had been working as Senior Vice President, Creative Writing Operations.
Thank you to PWInsider and Fightful for the information regarding the released talent.