WWE: Braun Strowman, Aleister Black, Ruby Riott, and others released

Stunning releases have impacted the WWE multiple times since the COVID-19 global pandemic impacted the wrestling community. Whether those cuts were needed or not is one conversation, but there are still men and women in front of and behind the camera impacted. On Wednesday, more cuts were announced, and the names released were surprising.

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful was the first to report that Braun Strowman, Aleister Black, Ruby Riott, Lana, Santana Garrett, and Buddy Murphy were among the first names announced. More cuts were expected throughout the day and the list will be updated as they are announced. It was surprising to see so many big names within the WWE released from the promotion unceremoniously.

Strowman was last seen back at WWE WrestleMania Backlash where he lost to Bobby Lashley during a triple threat match for the WWE Championship that included Drew McIntyre. He had a tenuous run with the promotion, suffering from frequent stops and starts with booking, with many believing he was not leveraged to the fullest of his capabilities.

Black had just returned to television, appearing to be headed for a big feud with Big E on WWE SmackDown. He was off television for the majority of 2021, especially after his wife Thea Trinidad (Zelina Vega) was released from the WWE due to the WWE’s change on third-party platforms. What makes this situation even odder is that Vega was recently at the WWE Performance Center where her return is being planned.

Ruby Riott is another name that fans were behind, but WWE did not utilize heavily on television. She and Liv Morgan were working very well together as the Riott Squad, where many fans wanted to see them as champions. She was last on television this past Friday where she and Morgan lost to the current women’s tag champions, Tamina and Natalya.

Lana was in a similar position, recently losing to those champions on this week’s edition of Monday Night Raw. After a 2019-2020 where she was booked in a questionable angle with Bobby Lashley, she was steadily improving in the ring.

Buddy Murphy is yet another name on the long list of individuals that showed their talent on television but were not leveraged by the promotion. Murphy’s feud with Mustafa Ali for the WWE Cruiserweight title was some of the best matches in the company in recent memory, but ever since the end of his angle with the Mysterio family, Murphy has not been on television.

Santana Garrett was used sparingly during her time with the WWE, as she had appearances in both NXT and on the main roster. Her last match was in January as she took part in the 2021 Women’s’ Royal Rumble.

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