WWE Superstars Released 2026 — Full List Of All WWE Releases After WrestleMania 42

WWE superstars released 2026 — here is the complete and updated list of every wrestler let go by WWE following WrestleMania 42. A total of 25 superstars were released on April 24, including Aleister Black, Zelina Vega, Kairi Sane, the entire Wyatt Sicks faction, Motor City Machine Guns, and Alba Fyre, in one of the largest single-day roster cuts in recent WWE history.

The WWE releases 2026 came just days after WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas, continuing the company’s post-WrestleMania tradition of trimming its roster. Several of the released superstars had appeared on WWE programming in the days and weeks before their departure, making the cuts particularly surprising. Some exits may be contract expirations rather than outright releases — WWE has not issued an official statement.

This list of WWE superstars released 2026 will be updated if further departures are announced.

For the latest on how the post-WrestleMania era is shaping up on Monday nights, see our WWE Raw April 27 2026 match card and preview.

(updated on May 6, 2026)

WWE Releases 2026: Complete List At A Glance

Full List Of WWE Superstars Released 2026 After WrestleMania 42

Here is every WWE superstar released in the days following WrestleMania 42, organised by roster:

Main Roster Releases

1. Aleister Black — The Dutch striker had returned to WWE in April 2025 after a four-year run in AEW (where he competed as Malakai Black), kicking off a second run on SmackDown. Black was featured regularly on weekly programming, feuded with Damian Priest, and won his last three matches — beating Sami Zayn, Randy Orton, and Matt Cardona. He competed in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal on the WrestleMania go-home SmackDown just one week before being released. His wife Zelina Vega was also released.

2. Zelina Vega — Vega confirmed her release during a Twitch stream, revealing that the call came from TKO rather than WWE’s Stamford headquarters. She said the caller ID read TKO and the call arrived at 5:09 PM — expressing frustration at not being able to announce the news herself first. This is the second time Vega has been released by WWE, having previously been let go in November 2020 before returning in 2021. Vega is a former Queen of the Ring and Women’s United States Champion.

3. Kairi Sane — Perhaps the most baffling name on the entire list of WWE releases 2026. Sane was in the middle of an active storyline with Asuka and IYO SKY, one that was originally planned for WrestleMania 42 before being pulled from the card. She competed on the Raw After WrestleMania in a tag match just four days before her release. Sane returned to WWE at Crown Jewel 2023 after a stint in STARDOM and NJPW, where she became the inaugural IWGP Women’s Champion. She won the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship three times as part of the Kabuki Warriors with Asuka.

4. Santos Escobar — The former NXT Cruiserweight Champion and leader of Legado del Fantasma had been a fixture on SmackDown. His release removes one of WWE’s most prominent Latino performers from the roster.

5. Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) — The veteran tag team signed with WWE in September 2024 after decades on the independent circuit and in TNA Wrestling. They debuted on SmackDown on October 18, 2024, and won the WWE Tag Team Championship in just their second week, upsetting The Bloodline. They lost the titles to #DIY in December 2024. A recent storyline involving friction between the two partners and Johnny Gargano was left incomplete. Both Shelley and Sabin were released together.

6. Apollo Crews — The athletic powerhouse had been with WWE since 2015 — a 13-year veteran at the time of his release. Crews held both the United States Championship and the Intercontinental Championship during his run and captured the NXT North American Championship. He had largely been absent from television in recent months.

7. Zoey Stark — Stark tore her ACL and MCL during a match last May and had only recently received medical clearance to return before the news of her release broke. She never got the chance to return to the ring. Stark thanked WWE in an emotional social media post, saying the company “made a young girl’s dream come true.” She had previously teamed with Shayna Baszler on the Raw roster.

8. Alba Fyre — The Scottish wrestler, formerly known as Kay Lee Ray, reigned as NXT UK Women’s Champion for 649 days and won the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship with Isla Dawn. She had most recently been part of the Secret Hervice alongside Chelsea Green and Piper Niven on SmackDown. With Green sidelined with an ankle injury and Niven with a neck injury, the Secret Hervice is now effectively dissolved. Niven, who remains with WWE, posted an emotional tribute calling Fyre “a true pioneer and soon to be remembered as one of the greatest to ever do it.”

The Entire Wyatt Sicks Faction — Released

The most notable group among the WWE superstars released 2026 was the entire Wyatt Sicks faction. All five members were let go, completely dissolving the group that had been formed in June 2024 as a tribute to the late Bray Wyatt. The faction competed in an eight-man street fight against MFT on the WrestleMania go-home SmackDown on April 17 — their final match coming exactly one week before the releases.

9. Bo Dallas (Uncle Howdy) — The leader of The Wyatt Sicks and brother of the late Bray Wyatt. Dallas returned to WWE in 2024 specifically to launch the faction and continue his brother’s legacy following Bray’s death in August 2023. His departure brings a complete end to the Wyatt storyline in WWE.

10. Nikki Cross — Cross posted a farewell message thanking WWE after more than a decade with the company. She had not wrestled a televised match since a holiday tour appearance in December 2024, though she remained a recurring on-screen presence. The Bella Twins responded with supportive messages.ges.

11. Joe Gacy — Gacy held the WWE Tag Team Championship alongside Dexter Lumis for 196 days as part of the Wyatt Sicks before losing the titles to Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga earlier this year. He responded to his release with a simple “lol” on social media.

12. Erick Rowan — The former Wyatt Family member had been with WWE off and on dating back to 2010. He was brought back specifically to be part of the Wyatt Sicks.

13. Dexter Lumis — Lumis held the WWE Tag Team Championship alongside Gacy. This is his second exit from WWE — he was previously released in April 2022 before being brought back later that year. He posted an image on social media without words, consistent with his character, to acknowledge his departure.

NXT And Developmental Releases

The following NXT and developmental talents were also released as part of the roster cuts:

14. Andre Chase — The popular NXT personality and leader of Chase University won the NXT Tag Team Championship twice. He had just revived Chase U on the April 22 episode of NXT, two days before his release. Chase posted an emotional video saying he is available for bookings starting in June, calling it “one last teachable moment.”

15. Dante Chen — The first Singaporean-born WWE superstar thanked the company for five years and 147 matches.

16. Luca Crusifino

17. Malik Blade

18. Tyson Dupont

19. Tyriek Igwe

20. Tyra Mae Steele

21. Chris Island

22. Trill London

23. Sirena Linton

24. Francois Prinsloo

Why Were So Many WWE Superstars Released After WrestleMania 42?

Post-WrestleMania roster cuts have become an annual pattern in WWE. The list of WWE superstars released 2026 is one of the longest in recent years, with 25 confirmed departures in a single day. The company typically uses the period after its biggest event to restructure the roster, clearing space for NXT call-ups and new signings. The first SmackDown after WrestleMania saw multiple NXT debuts — Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, Lainey Reid), with Blake Monroe and Ricky Saints also announced for upcoming episodes.

A notable detail about the WWE releases 2026: multiple released superstars confirmed that the calls came from TKO, WWE’s parent company, rather than from WWE’s Stamford offices. Zelina Vega specifically noted the caller ID said TKO instead of the usual Stamford number. Bodyslam’s Cory Hays reported that all talent departures were communicated directly by TKO. This marks a shift in how WWE handles releases — previously, talent was informed by WWE’s Stamford headquarters directly.

The timing is also connected to WWE’s evolving roster strategy under the Netflix era. With Raw on Netflix and SmackDown on USA Network, WWE has been actively reshaping both rosters with younger, NXT-developed talent while releasing veterans and underutilised performers.

As 25 superstars departed, eight NXT performers moved up — see the full list of WWE NXT call ups in 2026 for every new main roster addition after WrestleMania 42. The roster reset is complete — NXT call-ups like Ricky Saints are now in main event segments, with Saints confronting Cody Rhodes on his SmackDown debut May 1.

The NXT call-ups who replaced the released superstars are already shaping the WWE Backlash 2026 card in Tampa.

While the highest paid WWE superstars earn millions, many of the released performers were on lower-tier contracts — making roster cuts a financial restructuring as much as a creative one. The releases were only part of the story — TKO also asked multiple wrestlers still on the roster to accept WWE pay cuts of up to 50%, with The New Day refusing and choosing to leave.

Which Released WWE Superstars Were Active On TV Before Being Let Go?

What makes the 2026 WWE releases particularly jarring is how many of the released superstars were actively featured on programming in the days before their departure:

Kairi Sane competed in a tag match on the Raw After WrestleMania on April 20 — just four days before being released. She was in an active storyline with IYO SKY and Asuka that never reached its payoff. Aleister Black competed in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal on April 17 and had won his last three televised matches. The Wyatt Sicks (Bo Dallas, Nikki Cross, Joe Gacy, Erick Rowan, Dexter Lumis) competed in an eight-man street fight against MFT on the April 17 SmackDown — their final match coming exactly one week before the releases. Andre Chase revived Chase University on the April 22 NXT — just two days before being released.

The absence of released superstars was felt immediately — during Raw April 27, the Laredo crowd chanted “We Want Kairi” after Asuka attacked IYO SKY, a reminder that Kairi Sane’s release ended the Kabuki Warriors storyline before it could reach its conclusion.

Alba Fyre and Zoey Stark were both regular television performers. Santos Escobar had been a featured SmackDown talent throughout 2025 and into 2026. The Motor City Machine Guns had an active storyline involving friction with Johnny Gargano that was left unfinished.

Where Could The Released WWE Superstars Go Next?

The WWE superstars released 2026 from the main roster typically have a 90-day non-compete clause before they can appear for other promotions. NXT talents have a shorter 30-day non-compete. If any departures were contract expirations rather than outright releases, those performers can sign with any company immediately. Based on the 90-day timeline, the earliest main roster performers could debut elsewhere would be late July 2026.

AEW, TNA Wrestling, and the Japanese promotions (NJPW, Stardom) are the most likely landing spots. Aleister Black previously competed in AEW as Malakai Black and could return there. The Motor City Machine Guns have extensive history in TNA and are widely expected to rejoin the promotion. Kairi Sane is a former Stardom champion and inaugural IWGP Women’s Champion — a return to Japan is a strong possibility. Andre Chase and the NXT talents may appear on the independent circuit, with Chase confirming he is available for bookings starting in June.

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