The WWE roster is thinning out following a new television rights announcement in the aftermath of a major merger. Dolph Ziggler and Shelton Benjamin are among the WWE superstars reportedly released following the company’s announcement of a TV deal for SmackDown, according to Sean Ross Sapp.
Ziggler is a former world heavyweight champion who was coming up on 20 years with the company. Benjamin was a multi-time titleholder who confirmed announced his release. Elias, who did not explicitly confirm Sapp’s report, shared a tweet reflecting on his WWE journey.
Mustafa Ali, Emma, Madcap Moss and former WWE women’s tag team champion Aliyah all publicly confirmed their releases on social media. Ali’s release was arguably the most surprising considering he was scheduled to face Dominik Mysterio for the NXT North American championship at the No Mercy event on Sept. 30. More cuts are expected throughout the day. Below is a list of all the confirmed and reported superstar releases that will be updated as news emerges.
Wrestlers released on Thursday
- Dolph Ziggler (reported)
- Shelton Benjamin (announced)
- Elias (reported)
- Mustafa Ali (announced)
- Emma (announced)
- Madcap Moss (announced)
- Aliyah (announced)
- Top Dolla (reported)
- Rick Boogs (reported)
WWE announced Thursday morning that SmackDown would move from Fox to USA Network beginning October 2024 as part of a five-year deal between WWE and NBCUniversal. WWE will also host four NBC primetime network specials as part of the arrangement. USA Network currently airs Monday Night Raw and NXT on Tuesdays, both of which will reportedly move off of the network, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The latest string of releases comes after the launch of TKO. TKO is a media conglomerate created by Endeavor, which merged WWE and UFC parent company Zuffa. WWE and UFC continue to operate as separate entities but do so under the banner of TKO. The new company officially launched on Sept. 12 with a valuation of $21.4 billion. Endeavor controls 51% of TKO and WWE shareholders own a 49% stake.
More than 100 employees, most of whom were off-camera WWE staff, were laid off earlier this month as part of budget cuts, according to PW Insider.
