Andrew Grevas
Welcome back to The Grevas Report. This edition is going to be a little different. Instead of my normal column where I deep dive into a particular subject, this week I’m going to list every single WWE release (2020 & 2021). “Why?” you ask. Because as much as we talk about these releases, there’s a certain power to seeing them all listed next to each other. To get a full picture of all the names that have been let go (or not had their contracts renewed) and to stop and think about how massive of an undertaking this has been by WWE. How this decision to stockpile talent and then let over 100 of them go has changed the business, forever. Because it has. Here’s the list of WWE releases (2020 & 2021).
- Kurt Angle
- Ric Flair
- Bray Wyatt
- Big Show. (Contract expired)
- Andrade
- Braun Strowman
- Aleister Black
- Karl Anderson
- Luke Gallows
- Eric Young
- Deonna Purrazzo
- Mickie James
- Billie Kaye
- Peyton Royce
- Chelsea Green
- Matt Cardona
- Rusev (Miro)
- Renee Young (contract expired)
- Christian Cage (not under performer contract)
- Mark Henry (not under performer contract)
- Karrion Kross
- Scarlett
- Keith Lee
- John Morrison
- Franky Monet
- Lio Rush
- Ethan Carter III
- Mia Yim
- Mercedes Martinez
- Bronson Reed
- Bobby Fish
- Buddy Murphy
- Ruby Riott
- Ember Moon
- Tegan Knox
- Sarah Logan
- Heath Slater
- Tony Nese
- Lana
- Santana Garrett
- Tyler Breeze
- Fandango
- Oney Lorcan
- Curt Hawkins
- Harry Smith
- Kalisto
- Gran Metallik
- Lince Dorado
- Nia Jax
- Drake Maverick
- Mike Kanellis
- Maria Kanellis
- Steve Cutler
- Wesley Blake
- Alexander Wolfe
- Killian Dane
- Erick Rowan
- Kassius Ohno
- Curtis Axel
- Bo Dallas
- Tucker
- The Bollywood Boyz
- B-Fab
- Ashante The Adonis
- Top Dolla
- Isaiah Scott
- Akam and Rezar
- Aiden English
- Shane Thorne aka Slapjack
- No Way Jose
- Jaxson Ryker
- Eva Marie
- The Velveteen Dream
- Ever-Rise
- Cain Velasquez
- Primo and Epico
- Gerald Brisco
- Mike Rotunda
- Mike Chioda
- Cathy Kelley
- Lars Sullivan
- Drake Wuertz
- Ariya Daivari
- Kona Reeves
- Tino Sabbatelli
- Vanessa Borne
- Skyler Story
- Jake Atlas
- Leon Ruff
- Ari Sterling
- Asher Hale
- Desmond Troy
- MJ Jenkins
- Aleksandar Jaksic
- Katrina Cortez
- Jeet Rama
- Trey Baxter
- Jessi Kamea
- Zayda Ramier
- Kavita Devi
- Ezra Judge
- Jessamyn Duke
- Curt Stallion
- August Grey
- Arturo Ruas
- Marina Shafir
- Giant Zanjeer
- Referee Jake Clemons
- Referee Stephon Smith
- Tyler Rust
- Zechariah Smith
This list doesn’t include the countless office staff that was let go or even Samoa Joe or Zelina Vega, both of whom were released and rehired. Let’s take a collective pause to let both the number of names and the individual names themselves that were let go sink in. Then let’s also stop and think about how Ring of Honor is letting their entire roster go in the coming months, moving to a business model where nobody will be under contract.
Now let’s think about how many jobs in the wrestling business actually exist. A lot of these names have caught on with AEW, Impact, or elsewhere by now. There were advantages to being let go first. But looking at this list, there’s a lot of names you don’t see working anywhere yet. Some of them are still under no-compete clauses and we’ll see them turn up somewhere eventually. But when you look at the rosters for AEW, Impact, and MLW, they’re full or close to it. They aren’t going to be able to bring in too many more talents.
Which leaves the indies. Sure, you can make a living on the indies but they have a budget too. Only so many names can make decent money. This means that some people currently on the indies are going to start making less money or get fewer bookings because the market has been flooded by WWE and ROH releasing in the neighborhood of 150 wrestlers in less than two years.
And who’s to say that WWE is done releasing talent? By all indications, they aren’t. Where do those talents go? I see a lot of people commenting about how stacked the indies are becoming, which is true to some extent, but unless fans are following talent and not companies (WWE), those stacked independent shows aren’t guaranteed to make enough money to keep paying the big-name talent that used to be on TV. There’s a serious ripple effect stemming from WWE (and Ring of Honor) making these business choices. Unless fans are going to reallocate the money they spend on wrestling and shift it from WWE to a new promotion, we’re looking at a problematic economy in the wrestling business. The end result? Talented wrestlers will have to find work outside of the industry.
Years from now, historians and journalists alike in the wrestling business will study this era. It’s impossible to know how things play out from here or how many more people will be released before this bloodletting is over but this is a generation-defining story that continues to unfold.
