Wrestling

WWE Superstar Jeff Hardy told BT Sport's Ariel Helwani that he had to call his brother, AEW wrestler Matt Hardy, and tell him that he loved him after the latter man wrote a heartfelt tweet in appreciation of him.

A @JEFFHARDYBRAND appreciation post ❤️@arielhelwani made sure to read some beautiful words from Jeff's brother Matt and we got his reaction...

"I've got to call him and say 'I love you brother.'"

Family over everything 🙌 pic.twitter.com/FCYDEpg9Jr

— WWE on TNT Sports (@wweontnt) November 20, 2021

Jeff Hardy told Helwani, who read the tweet aloud, that he had not heard or seen his older brother's tweet.

I am so proud of my brother. He’s in an amazing place in his life, both professionally & personally - I hope you support him. I’m fortunate to vicariously relive our childhood together every single day, thru my 3 boys. I’m a blessed man & we’re both blessed to still be wrestling. pic.twitter.com/xWSbyD8T1D

— MATT HARDY (@MATTHARDYBRAND) November 20, 2021

Helwani got a live reaction from Jeff Hardy, who is going to wrestle as part of Team SmackDown in the men's Survivor Series match from New York's Barclays Center on Sunday.

Jeff Hardy has struggled with drug and alcohol addiction and been arrested multiple times.

Thankfully, he is sober now and in a far better place while still performing for fans, having done so for WWE in different stints each of the past four decades.

Matt Hardy has wrestled professionally since 1992, while Jeff Hardy has done so since 1994.

They are best known for their death-defying, high-flying performance as the Hardy Boyz tag team during the WWE Attitude Era, putting on a series of classic matches with the likes of Edge and Christian and the Dudley Boyz.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

Ahead of his massive match against Universal champion Roman Reigns at Survivor Series on Sunday, WWE champion Big E discussed his desire to eventually have matches against Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Goldberg.

In an interview with Alfonso Castillo of Newsday, Big E acknowledged that facing The Rock would greatly interest him. He noted that it is Goldberg, not The Rock, who he has been lobbying to have a match against, however:

“I would love that. If the opportunity comes along, of course, I’m snatching it up. I don't know if I'd lobby for it. The one that I've been lobbying for is the Goldberg match because he was my idol as a kid. But, you don't get any better than The Rock. As far as I know, he's still the biggest box office draw in Hollywood, and he's from WWE. That, in and of itself, is incredible.

"What he did in this company—just being absurdly charismatic and entertaining—he is the blueprint. He broke the mold. You know, when people ask me about my proudest career accomplishment, I often will cite our promo segment with The Rock. It wasn't even a match. We just had a promo segment with The Rock a few years ago. Going out there and taking a Rock Bottom, was pretty wild, pretty cool. So I would absolutely love that match, for sure."

WWE is set to celebrate the 25-year anniversary of The Rock at Survivor Series, as he made his WWE debut under the name Rocky Maivia at Survivor Series 1996.

There has also been a great deal of speculation over the past year about The Rock coming back to WWE for another match, likely against Reigns since they consider themselves cousins and Reigns is doing the best work of his career as a heel.

If The Rock comes back for multiple matches, however, Big E could be a potential opponent since he has established himself as one of the company's top stars along with Reigns.

A more realistic match for Big E, however, may be against Goldberg, who has been a part-time Superstar competing in occasional big matches over the past several years.

Most recently, Goldberg lost a WWE Championship to Bobby Lashley at SummerSlam before getting revenge at Crown Jewel by beating Lashley in a Falls Count Anywhere match.

Big E has long been vocal about his admiration for Goldberg, and it wouldn't be shocking to see them lock horns at the Royal Rumble in January or WrestleMania 38 in April.

Goldberg challenged Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship at this year's Royal Rumble, so the precedent has already been set for Goldberg to be a title challenger at one of WWE's biggest events.

Big E has deservedly reached the top of the mountain in WWE and put himself in the conversation to face legendary performers like The Rock and Goldberg, which is something that can be said for very few others in the company.

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According to Fightful Select (h/t Domenic Marinelli of Ringside News), "many of the major wrestling promotions" are discussing Scott and the possibility of making a play for him.

That could mean promotions like AEW, Impact Wrestling, New Japan Pro-Wrestling and MLW among others will make offers to bring Scott in once his 90-day non-compete clause expires.

Scott was a surprise release Thursday along with fellow Hit Row members Top Dolla and Ashante "Thee" Adonis. Their releases came shortly after Hit Row member B-Fab was let go from her contract as well.

Their release came after they made only a few appearances on SmackDown following their call-up from NXT as part of the WWE Draft.

Hit Row was a highly entertaining group due to their ability to work in the ring, cut promos and even rap, which set them apart from the rest of the roster.

Even before Hit Row came into existence, Scott was a successful wrestler both in WWE and in other promotions.

Prior to signing with WWE in 2019, Scott wrestled for multiple companies, primarily under the name Shane Strickland. He held the world heavyweight titles in both MLW, CZW and Evolve, which made him one of the most sought-after wrestlers on the independent scene.

He also won the Lucha Underground Trios Championship twice under the Killshot gimmick.

In WWE, Scott contended for the Cruiserweight Championship on multiple occasions, and he finally tasted championship gold after the formation of Hit Row when he beat Bronson Reed for the North American Championship.

Scott is the complete package in terms of in-ring work, character and promo ability, and there is no doubt that signing him will be a major coup for whichever company lands him.

     

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

Drew McIntyre joked Friday about WWE Chairman Vince McMahon's unwillingness to lock up with him like he has other wrestlers.

McIntyre discussed the subject in an interview with Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp (h/t Nitish Vashishtha of Ringside News):

After Sapp talked about Kofi Kingston, Kurt Angle and Bobby Lashley telling him that they grappled with McMahon in the past, McIntyre was asked if McMahon had ever tried to take him down, and the Scot responded: "He's not, and hearing that he's done that with all those people, especially Lashley, tells me that he's intimidated by ol' Drew McIntyre. He should be."

McIntyre continued:

"He knows I'm Scottish as well. That Glasgow Kiss that I do, that is a real Scottish thing. Like, if I feel like someone is coming up on me, and trying something with me, it's almost a reflex that I headbutt the nose, instantly, because I just assume everybody in the world is Bruce Lee. No matter what size they [are], it breaks the nose so they can't see, and then go from there in a fighting situation. I think he knows I [Vince] don't wanna go try ol' Drew or he might go for that headbutt real quick."

Many wrestlers have told stories about locking horns with McMahon in a playful way over the years, although it may not be so prevalent nowadays with Vince having turned 76 in August.

McMahon is in remarkable shape for his age, however, and seems to be as engrossed in running the company as ever.

McIntyre has established himself as one of McMahon's top guys over the past couple of years following a failed first run with WWE from 2007-14.

Drew came back with a new look and attitude, and it led to him winning the 2020 Royal Rumble and going on to beat Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 36.

Now, McIntyre is arguably the top babyface on SmackDown, and WWE may be preparing him for an eventual clash with Universal champion Roman Reigns.

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Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).  

The Superstars of Raw and SmackDown will battle for brand supremacy Sunday when WWE Survivor Series emanates from the Big Apple.

A pair of traditional five-on-five elimination matches pitting Raw and SmackDown's male and female stars against each other will highlight the card, as will four champion vs. champion matches.

Chief among them are universal champion Roman Reigns clashing with WWE champion Big E and Raw women's champion Becky Lynch going one-on-one with SmackDown women's champion Charlotte Flair.

Here is a full rundown of when and where to watch Survivor Series, a look at the entire card and in-depth analysis regarding the top matches to watch.

Where: Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York

When: Sunday, Nov. 21 at 8 p.m. ET (Kickoff Show at 7 p.m. ET)

Watch: Peacock

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WWE Survivor Series 2021 Match Card

• Universal champion Roman Reigns vs. WWE champion Big E
• Raw women's champion Becky Lynch vs. SmackDown women's champion Charlotte Flair
• Men's 5-on-5 Elimination match: Team Raw (Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, Kevin Owens, Bobby Lashley, Austin Theory) vs. Team SmackDown (Drew McIntyre, King Xavier Woods, Jeff Hardy, Happy Corbin, Sheamus)
• Women's 5-on-5 Elimination match: Team Raw (Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan, Rhea Ripley, Queen Zelina Vega, Carmella) vs. Team SmackDown (Sasha Banks, Shayna Baszler, Shotzi, Natalya, Toni Storm)
• Raw tag team champions RK-Bro vs. SmackDown tag team champions The Usos
• United States champion Damian Priest vs. Intercontinental champion Shinsuke Nakamura
• 25-Person Dual-Brand Battle Royal

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Top Survivor Series Matches to Watch

Roman Reigns vs. Big E

Reigns and Big E are perhaps the two biggest male stars in WWE currently, and it will be a huge deal when they lock horns at Survivor Series.

WWE has been teasing a potential feud and match between the two men for months dating back to when Big E was in possession of the Money in the Bank contract and teased the possibility of cashing in on The Tribal Chief to Paul Heyman.

Big E successfully cashed in on Bobby Lashley to win the WWE title instead, but that didn't cause his angle with Reigns to fully evaporate.

Recently, the universal titleholder has gotten Big E fired up by targeting his New Day brethren, Kofi Kingston and King Xavier Woods, on SmackDown.

Reigns and The Usos landed Kingston on the shelf with a leg injury after attacking him, and The Tribal Chief essentially stole Woods' crown last week on SmackDown after losing to him by disqualification.

Big E vowed to get revenge on Reigns and the entire Bloodline, which should lead to a heated and physical encounter in the main event of Survivor Series.

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Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair

It can be argued there is no match with more built-in animosity on the Survivor Series card than Lynch vs. Flair.

Rumors have run rampant since last month regarding real-life heat between the former best friends. It all stemmed from a championship belt exchange on SmackDown that seemingly went awry.

The two Superstars have done little to allay the talk of animosity during promos or interviews with other outlets in the weeks since then.

Lynch and Flair are two of the biggest female names in the history of WWE, and few women have accomplished more than they have in professional wrestling.

As members of WWE's Four Horsewomen, The Man and The Queen have faced off many times, and most of those encounters have been memorable ones.

Survivor Series has a chance to be their best yet due to the belief that they truly dislike each other, which ensures there will be a great deal of interest among fans when they go at it on Sunday.

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Men's and Women's 5-on-5 Elimination Matches

Although there is nothing concrete on the line, both the men's and women's five-on-five elimination matches have the chance to be highly entertaining affairs on Sunday.

The talent involved in both matches is immense, and there will be no shortage of combustible elements among wrestlers who are facing each other and teaming up.

On the men's side, Kevin Owens' recent heel turn could create some chaos on Team Raw, especially after he beat teammate Finn Balor in a match this week.

The SmackDown women's team could have some in-fighting as well since Sasha Banks and Shotzi currently find themselves in the midst of a rivalry.

Perhaps the biggest factor worth watching in the men's match will be the performance of Austin Theory. The 24-year-old was a late addition to the team in place of Rey Mysterio and has a chance to make a major statement.

The same can be said for Liv Morgan on the Raw women's team, as she is in search of a big victory ahead of her upcoming title match against Lynch.

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Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

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Heyman Gives His Thoughts on AEW

While diplomatic in his response, WWE's Paul Heyman shared his thoughts regarding AEW during an interview Thursday.

Speaking to Ariel Helwani on BT Sport (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News), Heyman said the following about WWE's chief competition:

They are viable. They are a viable entity. God bless them for being there. However, I am not the target audience. My personal opinion on their product, if I were to sit here and go, 'My God, they are great,' who cares what I think? It is merely a personal opinion and nothing more.

They are not geared towards me. If I went, 'Oh my God, they suck, they are horrible,' I highly doubt they should care about that either. When [UFC President] Dana White gave his opinion on WWE and it was not flattering, I was asked about it, and I went, 'And?' Who gives a f--k? I do not think AEW should give a f--k what I think about them.

Heyman is involved in the best angle in WWE and perhaps all of professional wrestling right now as the special counsel for The Tribal Chief Roman Reigns.

He has been a fairly consistent presence on WWE programming since Brock Lesnar's return to the company in 2012, meaning he is deeply rooted in the company.

Heyman also had a stint as the creative director of Raw, but it only lasted for about a year from June 2019 to June 2020.

Few people in wrestling have a more respected opinion about the business than Heyman due largely to the success he enjoyed with ECW in terms of making it a legitimate third national brand alongside WWE and WCW in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

While Heyman didn't give too much information regarding how he feels about AEW, the advice of focusing on its core audience and attempting to grow it is something AEW's executives would be wise to heed in an effort to become a true competitor to WWE.

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WWE Reportedly Attempting to Re-Sign Gargano

WWE is reportedly making a big play to re-sign NXT star Johnny Gargano before his contract expires.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Mukherjee), Gargano's WWE contract is up on Dec. 3, and while he has not re-signed yet, WWE is "pushing very hard" to keep him.

Meltzer added that WWE made a "very strong offer" with an eye toward keeping him in the company for "a long time."

There is perhaps no wrestler more synonymous with NXT than Gargano, who signed with WWE in 2015 and quickly became a fan favorite within the brand.

Johnny Wrestling started off in a tag team with Tommaso Ciampa before branching off and enjoying a great deal of singles success.

The 34-year-old veteran is a former NXT champion and NXT Tag Team champion in addition to being a three-time North American champion.

On next week's episode of NXT, Gargano and Pete Dunne will challenge North American champion Carmelo Hayes in a Triple Threat match for the title.

NXT has placed far more focus on its younger and less-experienced wrestlers over the past couple of months, but some veterans continue to receive a great deal of television time, including Gargano.

WWE recently found itself in a similar situation with Adam Cole, who opted to sign with AEW rather than re-signing with WWE.

It is unclear if WWE plans to keep Gargano in NXT or call him up to the main roster should he re-sign, but he undoubtedly has some quality options at his disposal with AEW, Impact Wrestling and many other wrestling companies likely to express interest in him as well.

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Recent Releases Surprised Some Within WWE

WWE has released nearly 80 in-ring performers in 2021, and eight more were let go by the company Thursday.

Hit Row members Isaiah "Swerve" Scott, Top Dolla and Ashante "Thee" Adonis were cut from their contracts, as were John Morrison, Tegan Nox, Drake Maverick, Shane Thorne and Jaxson Ryker.

According to Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men Pro Wrestling Podcast, a source said "many within the company were blindsided by this set of releases."

The source also told Zarian, "Unfortunately there are a lot of All-Star players who will never get a chance to get off the bench."

Releases have become a common occurrence for WWE this year, but the latest batch undoubtedly included some shocking names.

Chief among them were Scott, Top Dolla and Adonis who only recently got called up from NXT. Their Hit Row stablemate, B-Fab, got released a couple of weeks ago, which may have been a sign that WWE wasn't fully invested in the act.

Nox was in a similar situation, as she only made a handful of appearances on the main roster after getting called up as Shotzi Blackheart's tag team partner. Tegan and Shotzi were broken up in the WWE Draft, and Nox never appeared after that.

On the other hand, Morrison is a well-respected veteran who returned to WWE in 2019 and enjoyed success as The Miz's tag team partner. They even faced Damian Priest and Bad Bunny at WrestleMania in April.

WWE's spate of releases suggests very few performers are safe, which will likely create even more pressure for those not established as top stars to get over and succeed quickly.

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Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below.

On an AEW roster chock-full of star power, Darby Allin has set himself apart from the pack and established himself as one of the fastest-rising stars in pro wrestling.

The 28-year-old is a former TNT champion in AEW, and he is coming off a widely praised match against MJF at AEW Full Gear last weekend.

Along with MJF, Jungle Boy and Sammy Guevara, Allin is considered one of the young pillars of AEW.

Allin took part in an AMA session with Bleacher Report on Friday, discussing his rivalry with MJF, his partnership with Sting, his admiration for CM Punk, his desire to wrestle Bryan Danielson and much more.

The following is the transcript from the AMA session.

@Tylerarnieri Great match on Saturday! What started your passion for pro wrestling and who would you consider your biggest influence in the industry?

You can get such an adrenaline rush over doing crazy stuff. There's nothing like pro wrestling. As far as a guy that inspired me, maybe you could say Mick Foley. He's not super jacked and by appearance alone, he's more relatable.

@PunkRockPirate Where did your dare-devil style inside and outside the ring come from ? 

I can't even remember. It was from the dawn of time. When I was 3 years old, I shoved car keys through my lip and had this gnarly scar. I can't remember exactly when, but that daredevil interest for me was always there.

@Trevor10 How do you plan on getting back at MJF in the future?

A lights-out match. I would love to get in there because I played his game. I was beating him in his game, but it’s kind of hard to cheat in a lights-out match.

@JGill1220 What is it like to have Sting as a mentor? Was he someone you looked up to coming into the industry? 

He's amazing as a mentor. He's the most humble guy. We sit there all day and just talk. As for being someone I look up to, I was too young when he was killing it at the top of his game, but the older I get the more I'm able to appreciate him.

@Unkown99 Do you think it's maybe time to split up with Sting? 

That's not in the cards yet, ever. It's different when there's two young guys trying to prove to each other they're better, but Sting has done everything twice. He has no ego. There is no reason he'd want to split up.

@RDavis1974 Who would you like to wrestle next?

When we go to Seattle, Bryan Danielson. The fact that he has no ego with us: he can wrestle on Rampage. He can wrestle on Dynamite. He can wrestle on Dark. There's no ego. He's not like the type that's 'I only wrestle on pay-per-views.' It's like, 'No, I'm going to wrestle every single weekend.' I want someone that's hungry like that to wrestle against myself. It's fun, man.

@GovernorChungus What influenced you in making your own vignettes? Do you have free rein to produce the videos you make? 

A life of filmmaking. Before wrestling, I went to film school and dropped out. Yes, I have 100 percent creative freedom. I film it with my personal guy and turn it in. There's no direction. I'm really able to have the freedom to turn in what I want. It was so fun flipping a car the other week.

@Not_JonGruden Who did you look up to in the world of sports (as a kid)? 

I would say just skaters. Tony Hawk, guys like that. I don’t get nervous or excited when I meet wrestlers, but whenever I meet skateboarders I tend to get starstruck. Tony Hawk and Travis Pastrana, guys like that really inspired me.

@Kahla222 What was the hardest thing to overcome when training to become a wrestler, mentally and physically? 

Mentally, it's just sticking to the course of staying true to yourself. In wrestling, you can be anybody you want to be. I never wanted to be anything outside of myself. Sticking to your guns when people are telling you to change is tricky. Physically, I don't know. I can take an ass-kicking. It was more of a mental challenge than a physical one for me as I was developing. 

@Abdulrahim1 What type of influence has CM Punk brought to you if any? 

I just like the way he carries himself. I like the way he doesn't talk to a lot of people because I don't either. I like letting little people into your personal space. It's very important.

@CurlyBull70 How do you feel about newbies like Bryan Danielson and Jay Lethal coming in and getting title shots almost instantly? 

I feel great about it. It should make you want to step up and improve your game. If you're not willing to step up, your game isn't on point then.

@Manny11mp Other than wrestling, what other sports do you enjoy? Are there any particular teams you follow? 

I don't watch any other sports besides skateboarding.

@ColeTooTurnt Who are some of your favorite bands? Does music have any influence on your wrestling style? 

Music has a lot of influence. DIY and not taking crap from anybody really is the whole ethos of music I listen to. Bands like Craft and a bunch of old anarcho-punk bands from the '70s are my favorite. They just talk about having no authority but yourself and that means a lot to me.

@MikeyKozMinksi How do I prove the doubters wrong that think I'm not good enough to achieve my dream and wrestle for AEW? 

Just do it. To make this work, I didn't want a 9-to-5. I didn't want anything to stop me from being too busy. I said I would do whatever it takes and if it's too much for you, then you weren't meant for it in the first place.

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Rapid-Fire

@ErikaMiller If you could wrestle anyone from the past or present, who would it be?

Dynamite Kid.

@ASnyder501 What's the craziest stunt you've done, in wrestling or outside of it? 

Outside of wrestling is when I jumped off a sculpture from the Space Needle in Seattle and I landed on my back and had internal bleeding. It was a good time.

@A20Gtx If you weren't a wrestler, what do you think you would be doing? 

Skateboarding.

Following the release of eight more wrestlers Thursday night, WWE has now parted ways with 78 Superstars since the start of 2021.

Here is a full rundown of WWE's 2021 releases, courtesy of Ringside News:

• Bray Wyatt
• Braun Strowman
• Aleister Black
• Keith Lee
• Andrade
• Karrion Kross
• Scarlett
• Isaiah "Swerve" Scott
• Top Dolla
• Ashante "Thee" Adonis
• B-Fab
• John Morrison
• Franky Monet
• Tegan Nox
• Mickie James
• Lars Sullivan
• Steve Cutler
• Billie Kay
• Peyton Royce
• Chelsea Green
• Kalisto
• Wesley Blake
• Bo Dallas
• Tucker
• Alexander Wolfe
• Velveteen Dream
• Vanessa Borne
• Kavita Devi
• Ezra Judge
• Skyler Story
• Jessamyn Duke
• Buddy Murphy
• Lana
• Ruby Riott
• Santana Garrett
• Killian Dain
• Tyler Breeze
• Fandango
• Tony Nese
• Ariya Daivari
• Ever-Rise (Matt Martel and Chase Parker)
• Bollywood Boyz (Sunil Singh and Samir Singh)
• Curt Stallion
• August Grey
• Arturo Ruas
• Tino Sabbatelli
• Marina Shafir
• Bobby Fish
• Bronson Reed
• Jake Atlas
• Leon Ruff
• Mercedes Martinez
• Giant Zanjeer
• Ari Sterling
• Kona Reeves
• Asher Hale
• Tyler Rust
• Zechariah Smith
• Desmond Troy
• Eva Marie
• Gran Metalik
• Lince Dorado
• Mia Yim
• Nia Jax
• Ember Moon
• Katrina Cortez
• Oney Lorcan
• Jessi Kamea
• Jeet Rama
• Zayda Ramier
• Trey Baxter
• Harry Smith
• Drake Maverick
• Jaxson Ryker
• Shane Thorne
• Samoa Joe (later re-signed with WWE)

In addition to those releases, WWE let go of some referees, announcers and Hall of Famer Ric Flair, who was serving as a part-time on-screen character before requesting his release from the company.

As reported by Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful, WWE has cited budget cuts as the primary rationale for most of the releases throughout the year.

Many reporters, fans and outside observers have questioned the validity of that reasoning, however, given that WWE enjoyed its highest annual net income ever in 2020 and continues to thrive in that area in 2021.

Some of those released were hugely successful on the main roster, having held the WWE, Universal or Women's Championship, including Bray Wyatt, Braun Strowman, Mickie James and Nia Jax.

Others, such as Aleister Black, Keith Lee, Andrade, Karrion Kross, Hit Row, Velveteen Dream, Bronson Reed and Ember Moon, were NXT standouts who never received a true opportunity to translate their success to the main roster.

The most recent crop of releases came Thursday when WWE cut Hit Row members Isaiah "Swerve" Scott, Top Dolla and Ashante "Thee" Adonis, as well as Tegan Nox, Shane Thorne, Jaxson Ryker, John Morrison and Drake Maverick.

Of those who have been released thus far, many of them have already landed on their feet and enjoyed success in other promotions.

Black, Andrade, Ruby Riott and Bobby Fish are making their mark in All Elite Wrestling, while James, Mercedes Martinez and The IIconics (Billie Kay and Peyton Royce) have beefed up Impact Wrestling's women's division significantly.

Wyatt and Strowman have yet to sign elsewhere despite their non-compete clauses having expired, while Lee, Kross, Hit Row and many others are waiting for the time to run up on their non-compete clauses before making their next move.

WWE is still thriving financially and is firmly at the top of the professional wrestling world in terms of popularity and brand recognition, but AEW is making headway, and there is a ton of talent on the free-agent market that should help improve AEW and other wrestling companies in the United States and across the world.