Ex-WWE Star Had Several Years Left On Contract At Time Of Release

A former WWE star has looked back on their departure from the company.

Shayna Baszler was released by WWE in May 2025, ending her eight-year run with the company.

Baszler originally signed with WWE in 2017 after a spell on the independent scene. The star had only turned her hand to pro wrestling two years earlier after competing as an MMA fighter.

While with the company, Baszler became a two-time NXT Women’s Champion and three-time Women’s Tag Team Champion.

Back in July, it was reported that Shayna Baszler had been working as a producer in NXT, but hadn’t taken on a permanent role. The belief is that the arrangement was something of a stopgap until her non-compete clause expired in early August.

Shayna Baszler Expected WWE Release

In a new interview with Ariel Helwani, Baszler confirmed that she’d been released by WWE rather than having her deal run out. She added that she had not long signed an extension before her exit, meaning she had three years to run on her contract at the time of her exit.

Diving into the decision itself, the former NXT Women’s Champion said she wasn’t especially surprised to be let go.

“I had like three more years…

It’s kind of funny because it’s never a good feeling, but it was not unexpected. As far as Zoey (Stark) and I, and with Sonya (Deville) being released, they didn’t renew her contract. From that time, Zoey and I just weren’t on TV.

You kind of get this feeling…we were trying to pitch stories and ideas and doing our own stuff on social media and that sort of thing. Nothing was hitting with creative. It’s a bummer in that moment, but I kind of knew where we were at.”

Zoey Stark is still out of action after suffering a major knee injury during a match on Raw back in May. Following the incident, the star quickly underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus.

In an update on August 9, Stark admitted that her recovery so far has been frustrating, but she’s now walking again.

During an interview back in July, Sonya Deville slammed the Pure Fusion Collective name, describing it as terrible. She added that despite that, the trio still did their best to make it work, although the faction ultimately came to nothing. Deville was informed that her contract wouldn’t be renewed back in February.

H/t to Fightful