Released NXT Stars Comment After Being Cut From WWE

WWE engaged in several releases from the developmental NXT brand this weekend including the likes of Wendy Choo, Adriana Rizzo, Jasper Troy, Zena Sterling, PJ Vasa, Anya Rune, Braxton Cole, Gary Wilson, Ellen Akesson, and Marcus Brown. 

In the aftermath of this news, several names have made statements regarding their departures from WWE. 

Zena Sterling took to X with the following;

“Chapter’s closed. Zena was a character, I’m Olena now. If that’s who you’re here for, stick around and follow along to what I’m doing next just not in a wrestling ring! If not, no hard feelings! Onto the next :) one last time…”

Adriana Rizzo provided a lengthy statement about her exit from WWE, expressing gratitude for her time in the company. 

"My journey with WWE has come to an end. The last four years have taken me through some of the highest highs and hardest moments of my life, and through all of it, I’m proud that I always remained me. I’m incredibly grateful for my time as part of The D’Angelo Family. They truly became family to me. Becoming Adriana Rizzo was such a unique experience, and I loved every second of bringing her to life. That opportunity showed me that I was capable of so much more than I ever knew. My journey wasn’t an easy one. An Achilles rupture and surgery, followed by an ACL and meniscus surgery, kept me out of the ring for nearly half of my time in NXT. But I fought like hell to come back.

“And I did. What makes this ending difficult is knowing how hard I fought to get back, and not getting the opportunity to show all of you just how much more I had to give. But I’ll never regret the fight it took to get there. If any part of my journey means something to someone who has been knocked down, overlooked, injured, or told they were too far behind, I hope it reminds you to keep going. STAY RESILIENT! Thank you to every coach, producer, teammate, friend, and person who believed in me and helped me along the way. And thank you to everyone who supported Adriana Rizzo. I don’t know exactly where the road takes me from here, but I know there is a lot more of my story left to write. If you want to continue supporting me and what I’ve been building check out https://saltanddaughters.com Onto the next chapter. And remember… Fool me once - I break ya face!"

Lastly, Performance Center athlete Ellen Akesson also commented on her release. 

"I have been released from WWE. I truly loved it here. From the wrestling to the security staff to the coaches to the fans to my friends to the daily small routines like locking my bike at the PC. I am confident that I did everything I could these 6 months. Thank you for the love.”

There has been no current indication of any more WWE releases, per Fightful Select.