Last week’s wave of WWE roster cuts saw four superstars — Luke Harper, Sin Cara, and The Ascension (Konnor and Viktor) — get wished the best in their future endeavors, as the company’s website often says when announcing such news. A new report, however, suggests that even more wrestlers might be let go in the coming days or weeks.
On Thursday, WrestlingNews.co cited the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter , where Dave Meltzer wrote that the four performers released last week were not given any advance warning regarding their impending fate with WWE. Given that the general belief backstage is that they won’t be the only ones getting cut, this reportedly means that those who had previously asked to be released might not have any idea of whether or not the company plans to grant their request.
Although it isn’t clear who may be included in the next batch of releases, it was pointed out that all the wrestlers let go last week were at least 39-years-old. Likewise, many of the performers who were dropped earlier in the year — Dustin Runnels aka Goldust (50), Tye Dillinger aka Shawn Spears (38), and Hideo Itami aka KENTA (38) — were among the older wrestlers employed by WWE when their time with the promotion came to an end.
Mike Kanellis , who issued a statement in October confirming he had asked to be let go from his contract, is only 34-years-old, but as WrestlingNews.co noted, he may be among those hoping to get a call granting his request. Earlier this year, Kanellis signed a new five-year contract with WWE despite how he and his wife, Maria, had frequently been rumored to be unhappy with the company and their lack of creative direction.
? Luke Harper ? Sin Cara ? The Ascension
All released from WWE today pic.twitter.com/PLSWSmECVd
— B/R Wrestling (@BRWrestling) December 8, 2019
This isn’t the first time in recent weeks that rumors have hinted at the possibility of more wrestlers leaving WWE in the near future. As recapped by Forbes on Tuesday, this doesn’t just apply to the Monday Night Raw and SmackDown brands but also to NXT, as reports in October claimed that a number of the black-and-gold brand’s talents want out of their contracts due to substandard pay, unhappiness with the creative process, and “broken promises.”
As it stands, WWE owner and chairman Vince McMahon will have the final word on who gets to stay and who gets dropped. Specifically, WrestlingNews.co noted that McMahon is reportedly more willing to part ways with wrestlers who aren’t expected to “make a big difference” if they join rival companies such as All Elite Wrestling.
