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WWE released over a dozen talent Thursday, including some names who have been with the company for several years, as well as standout stars on both NXT and the main roster.
Following initial reports of the release, The New York Post spoke with sources within the company and revealed at least one name was released due to their vaccination status. According to the report, one of the reasons Nia Jax was released is due to not being vaccinated from COVID-19.
A source with knowledge of WWE’s operations told The Post that one of the reasons Nia Jax, a former WWE Raw women’s champion, was released is that she is unvaccinated.
Andrew Zarian of Mat Men Podcast added to the report, indicating it’s believed that “four of the individuals were released due to not being vaccinated”
Spoke to a source regarding the WWE roster cuts.
It’s believed that possibly 4 individuals were released due to not being vaccinated. https://t.co/WMU8YwkGV2
— Andrew Zarian (@AndrewZarian) November 5, 2021
Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select (subscription required) provided more clarity on the situation, revealing “at least five of the released talent were ‘openly unvaccinated,’ including some very surprising names”.
It should be noted, vaccination status “wasn’t the exclusive reason, and wasn’t the reason across the board for firings”.
Many within the industry became aware of the possibility of WWE releases in the last few weeks, with many expecting them to happen last Friday.