Pro Wrestling Contract Season

[TildeGuy~!]

On 5/1/2025 at 10:54 AM, WyattSheepMask said:

Jeff Cobb now seems to have decided to retire rather than go to WWE as previously reported

 

Unless he’s just working of course 

Yea he’s been working Twitter since the rumours of him leaving New Japan started, probably means he’s debuting within a week or 2.

[Callum1993]

As well as a load of backstage staff WWE have started their annual post Mania release of the talent roster. 
 

Thus far:

Braun Strowman
- Kayden Carter
- Katana Chance
- Shayna Baszler
- Dakota Kai
 

Have all been released. Quite surprised that Strowman has gone again considering he was on TV in a featured role up until recently. The others less surprising. 

[Olly1984]

24 minutes ago, Callum1993 said:

As well as a load of backstage staff WWE have started their annual post Mania release of the talent roster. 
 

Thus far:

Braun Strowman
- Kayden Carter
- Katana Chance
- Shayna Baszler
- Dakota Kai
 

Have all been released. Quite surprised that Strowman has gone again considering he was on TV in a featured role up until recently. The others less surprising. 

NXT has also booted 

- Cora Jade

- Gigi Dolin

- Eddy Thorpe and Riley Osborne

[TheBurningRed]

Dakota doesn’t surprise me. She made a comment not long ago about missing wrestling. She would be a great addition to AEW. I hope they snap her up. Not sure what Shayna does now. Probably back to Japan.

Braun Strowman is done tbh. Body is breaking down and not getting back to that level he was at when feuding with Roman, Brock etc however many years back that was.

Gigi surprised me as she’s featured quite heavily on NXT and even on TNA recently. Could possibly end up in TNA. 

[simonworden]

Cora Jade is the only one that surprises me. I thought they were high on her being part of the next "gen" of women moving up the card but I guess with new aquisitions like Giulia rolling up with Roxanne then she became a bit surplus to requirements. Wasn't she injury prone? Says the old bloke with his knee strapped up today. 

[TheBurningRed]

Punk must be heartbroken about Cora Jade. He can’t use going to the performance centre as an excuse to hang around with her now. 

[TheBurningRed]

Jakara Jackson and Gallus are gone. 

[LaGoosh]

Company that regularly brags on television about record breaking live gates fires a bunch of people in the name of budget cuts. Nice. 

I'm not familiar with any of these people outside Braun. Surely none of them are worse than Lexis King?

[TAFKA Jonny Vegas]

To be fair Goosh they're a business not a charity.

You're saying yourself that you're not familiar with anyone bar Strowman, when most of them have been there a good number of years;

Baszler - 8

Dakota Kai - 8

Cora Jade - 4

Jakara Jackson - 4

Gigi Dolin - 4

Katana Chance - 8

Kayden Carter - 7

Gallus - 7

The roster is huge and sadly whilst the cuts are obviously shite for the people losing their jobs, they can't just keep people around forever out of sentiment.

The majority also seem to be NXT women and their women's roster is stacked with talent and prospects so sadly, there does need to be space created for others to come in and get a chance.

I'd like to see Dakota Kai, Cora Jade and Eddy Thorpe elsewhere and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Gallus in TNA for a stint but I think the appeal of any of the others is extremely limited.

 

 

 

 

 

[LaGoosh]

8 minutes ago, TAFKA Jonny Vegas said:

The roster is huge and sadly whilst the cuts are obviously shite for the people losing their jobs, they can't just keep people around forever out of sentiment

Well give them a farewell pay off or just keep them on until their contract expires then don't renew it.

[FLips]

Shocked about Strowman. They drained all the remaining lifeforce out of him this past year, waited til his knees were like wobbly little pepperamis and now they’ve binned him off. Pretty shitty behaviour.
Cora Jade is a surprise too, as she seemed like a big NXT callup name.

[RedTwoster]

Dakota Kai and Katana Chance would be nice additions to either the AEW or WWE women’s rosters.

I suspect Strowman will end up in TNA, although I’d be perfectly happy to see AEW sign him given how different he is from everyone else on their roster. He’s never going to be their world champion, but I think they could make some use of him in a way that feels productive.

Thorpe leaving surprises me, same goes for Gallus. AEW’s roster is already jam-packed, but the tag division could do with a bit more depth, so maybe they’ll end up there or in ROH. TNA seems more likely to me, though. 

EDIT:

Shayna Baszler, Javier Bernal and Oro Mensah are also gone. I’d not be against seeing Baszler in AEW.

Edited May 3, 2025 by RedTwoster

[Arch Stanton]

I always feel bad for the guys and girls losing their jobs, even the really crap ones whose work I don't care for, but there's not really anybody on that list that isn't surplus to requirements right now.

The independent scene has probably never been stronger for wrestlers coming out of WWE, there are fantastic opportunities out there for those ready to put the work in. For some of those released, it could be a blessing in disguise.

There are some good potential pick-ups for TNA's women's division especially.

[TildeGuy~!]

Shotzi posted something on Twitter the other day which looked like she might have been released, not sure she’s been confirmed yet but yeah.

[Supremo]

The Cora Jade one feels the saddest.

Lifelong fan. Finally achieves her dream of getting a contract. Spends the next few years having her knees ground to dust by their drills. Binned off before even making it to the main roster. Grim.

Of all of them, the only one I’d consider worth bringing into AEW is Strowman. There’s still money to be made in the silly Cartoon Hardcore matches he had with the likes of Jacob Fatu and Bronson Reed. I bet Big Bill or Lance Archer could have a great one. Control your narrative.