WWE Releases 2025: List of Stars & Names Released from Contract
WWE has continued its yearly trend of releasing talent, and 2025 has already seen several surprising departures. From veterans and popular stars to developmental talent, the cuts have affected every division. As someone covering WWE since 2018 — including past release cycles like 2020 and 2021 — we have seen how WWE make these decisions either to trim down the roster size due to budgetary preferences, or due to creative reasons. Also, many a times, the wrestlers themselves decide not to renew their contracts.
Below you can find the complete list of wrestlers released in 2025 or who left the company after their contracts expired, along with brief context and analysis.
WWE Releases in 2025
January 2025
- Duke Hudson – Released after WWE determined he was not a long-term “main roster” fit at age 34.
- Greg Miller – Released after WWE decided not to renew the show he was hosting.
These early releases set the tone for the year, targeting talent not fitting WWE’s long-term creative direction.
February 2025
- Cedric Alexander, Akam, Rezar, Paul Ellering, Blair Davenport, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, Giovanni Vinci, Isla Dawn, Elektra Lopez – Released due to creative stagnation and performance issues.
Most of the WWE departures in February 2025 were wrestlers who were re-signed back by WWE upon Triple H/Paul Levesque’s promotion to Head of WWE Creative. Only Cedric Alexander and Isla Dawn were the two names who were released by WWE for the first time. This shows that Triple H is also not gonna hang onto some names when they do not fit their plan going forward even if they were brought back by him.
May 2025
- Ryan Pappolla – Part of staff cuts.
- Braun Strowman, Dakota Kai, Shayna Baszler, Oro Mensah, Wolfgang, Mark Coffey, Joe Coffey, Riley Osbourne, Jakara Jackson, Cora Jade, Eddy Thorpe, Gigi Dolin, Katana Chance, Kayden Carter, Javier Bernal, Dani Palmer – Released as part of broader cuts citing lack of creative direction and performance concerns.
The May 2025 releases once again showed WWE’s willingness to move on from proven names if there were no creative plans. Established stars like Braun Strowman and Shayna Baszler were big examples along iwth NXT top performers like Cora Jade and The Gallus.
September 2025
- Andrade – Released due to violation of WWE’s wellness policy (failure to provide or pass a banned substance test).
Andrade’s release drew major attention as wellness violations continue to play a role in sudden contract terminations.
WWE Contracts Expired in 2025
February 2025
- Sonya Deville – Chose not to renew her contract.
- Carmella – Left after contract expiry.
June 2025
- Shotzi
- R-Truth (re-signed later with WWE)
- Carlito
- Sarah Logan / Valhalla
August 2025
- Karrion Kross
- Scarlett
See Also
Year-wise WWE releases lists:
FAQs on WWE Releases 2025
Why does WWE release wrestlers?
WWE releases wrestlers mainly due to budget cuts, lack of creative direction, performance issues, or policy violations.
Who was the biggest WWE release in 2025?
Braun Strowman, Shayna Baszler and Andrade were among the biggest names released in 2025, drawing major attention from fans and media.
What happens when a WWE contract expires?
If not renewed, wrestlers become free agents and can sign with other promotions. Some, like R-Truth in 2025, re-signed after short gaps.
WWE always hires too many performers, then doesn’t know what to do with them.