Backstage Update: Three Factors Behind WWE Releasing Nearly 30 Superstars

Since the conclusion of WrestleMania 42 weekend, WWE has conducted a surprisingly long list of roster cuts.

The first portion of the cuts began on Apr. 24, when 23 superstars were let go. That group included former Intercontinental and United States Champion Apollo Crews, the entire Wyatt Sicks stable, former NXT Champion Aleister Black, Zelina Vega and former NXT Women's Champion Kairi Sane.

Eight days later, the most stunning part of the roster cuts cametha when WWE released The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods). The group's other member, Big E, had retired after suffering a career-ending neck injury during a 2022 match.

It was the timing of the cuts that largely surprised fans. The company decided to act after WrestleMania, the biggest show of the year. WWE is also running three premium live events this month, so the releases of nearly 30 superstars leaves them short-handed, at least temporarily.

On Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t WrestlingNews.co), Dave Meltzer explained that there were two main reasons for WWE's decision to cut so many wrestlers. Meltzer said that TKO held back on roster cuts last year because they wanted to look like "good guys" to the WWE superstars.

Having avoided major roster cuts last year, WWE decided to play "catch-up" following WrestleMania, according to Meltzer.

"The story on the cuts being so many, there's a couple of reasons behind it," Meltzer said. What happened is essentially, last year, because they had basically just taken over the company and they were trying to be good guys, so they didn't order a lot of cuts last year, they kinda held back. So it's kinda like a catch-up."

Meltzer added that with so many superstars moving up from NXT to the main roster, WWE had more wrestlers than needed. With limited television time to play with, especially on SmackDown, WWE decided to move on from wrestlers who didn't fit the creative team's long-term plans.

Released WWE Talents Will Be Able to Sign Elsewhere in the Summer

Standard WWE contracts carry 90-day non-compete clauses. If that's the case, the recently released WWE talents will be able to sign with another promotion in late July or early August.

Of course, one can only assume that Tony Khan and AEW will move quickly to recruit some of the former WWE stars. AEW has had great success maximizing the talents of some superstars who got limited time in WWE, after all.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 7, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published May 7, 2026 at 5:09 PM.