SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE has reportedly cut (or let contracts expire for) over ten wrestlers from the NXT roster, with PWInsider and Fightful first reporting on the names, some of which have been also confirmed via social media posts.
The list includes Julian Baldi, Boa, Valentina Feroz, Trey Bearhill, Keyshawn Leflore, Emma Diaz, Darrell Mason, Ezekiel Balogun, Vlad Pavlenko. and Kiyah Saint.
Gable Steveson and Drew Gulak are also gone from NXT. Paul Levesque said during the Backlash post-event media Q&A that Gulak’s contract expired, he wasn’t cut. Ronda Rousey accused Gulak of inappropriate contact backstage and Gulak hadn’t been used on TV since.
Steveson was a high-profile signing because of his Olympic gold medal on his resume. He wrestled on the NXT Great American Bash last summer and it went poorly as fans heckled and booed him, he looked unsure of himself, and even Booker T’s endorsement turned into a hedge as the match progressed.
Here’s my story on Steveson’s less-than-stellar match on that NXT show:
Excerpt:
Booker T went from saying during Steveson’s entrance that there was a reason for all the hype given his credentials to saying five minutes into the match, “The jury is still out on this kid Gable Steveson as far as I’m concerned.” A minute later, a “Let’s Go Corbin” chant broke out. Vic Joseph, perhaps sensing the rocky start, then said, “We knew it’d be an uphill battle somewhat for Stevenson to try to get used to the environment, to get used to what’s gonna happen inside the squared circle.”
The Steveson news, first reported by the Wrestling Observer, has been covered by major media outlets.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune covered Steveson’s release in a story this weekend, including a quote from me. Read that article here:
Sports Illustrated also covered the news.
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