HeelByNature.com is reader-supported. When you click on links or make purchases through our site, we or our affiliated partners may earn a commission. Additionally, our site features Sponsored Content, which helps us maintain and operate the website.
In a jaw-dropping development on Thursday, September 21, WWE unleashed a flurry of talent releases, marking the most significant roster overhaul since November 2021. This surprising move has been made in the wake of WWE’s game-changing merger with UFC under the TKO Group Holdings banner, an industry-altering fusion.
Among the high-profile talents shown the door by WWE are:
- Dolph Ziggler
- Elias
- Mustafa Ali
- Shelton Benjamin
- Top Dolla
- Riddick Moss
- Emma
- Aliyah
- Rick Boogs
- Quincy Elliott
- Bryson Montana
- Dana Brooke
- Mansoor (Mån.sôör)
- Mace (Ma.çé)
- Shanky
- Dabba-Kato (Also known as Babatunde and Commander Azeez)
- Yulisa Leon
- Daniel McArthur
- Kevin Ventura-Cortez
- Alexis Gray
Following the releases, main roster talents will be subject to a 90-day no-compete clause, restricting their ability to join other wrestling promotions during this period. NXT talent will be subject to a 30-day no-compete clause.
In the midst of these sweeping changes, WWE disclosed that USA Network would become the exclusive home of Friday Night SmackDown, effective October 2024. This colossal five-year deal, reportedly valued at an astonishing $1.4 billion, signifies a financial windfall for the company.
Source: Fightful
