The professional wrestling scene is hotter than it’s ever been, and plenty of talent are jumping between companies as they see fit to better suit their own talents and lifestyles.
Other times, stars are deemed just not a good fit for WWE, and are released to go figure things out on their own, whether that be in AEW, or on the independent scene. Sometimes, as we’ve seen in previous years, budget reasons are cited for mass cuts, and oftentimes, these rounds of cuts are sadly predictable, like in the days and weeks following WrestleMania, despite the event’s success.
Multiple stars have been released from either their main roster or “WWE NXT” deals this year, and some have departed WWE following the end of their contracts. While some talent have 90-day non-compete clauses following their departures, or 30 days for developmental talent, more often than not, if a contract expires, a talent is free to go where they chose immediately, which has been the case already this year.
Here is every WWE departure of 2026 thus far.
Brinley Reece
“WWE NXT” and “WWE EVOLVE” talent Brinley Reece was the first star to announce their departure from the company in 2026. The high-energy Reece was often paired on “NXT” with Edris Enofe, who departed the company last year, and Malik Blade, and she faced the also-departure Zayda Steel in her “EVOLVE” debut last April.
Reece, who originally signed with WWE in 2022, revealed in May 2025 she had undergone shoulder surgery. Her final match before she was injured was a “NXT” live event, where she was defeated by Karmen Petrovic. Her last televised “NXT” match was a loss to Zaria in October 2024. She had been working live events and “EVOLVE” matches prior to undergoing surgery.
She announced her departure from WWE on January 5. Reece said she made her decision after navigating personal health challenges, and cited her surgery. She thanked her supporters in her statement and wrote that WWE allowed her to grow as both a wrestler and a person.
Tommaso Ciampa
After a few days of rumors that rocked the internet wrestling community, former NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa announced his departure from WWE on January 21. In a lengthy statement, Ciampa said that the first 10 years of his career had been spent traveling the world on the independent scene, and the second 10 years traveling the globe with WWE. He said he had one decade left in the business, and he was excited to see where it took him.
Turns out, the journey would quickly take him to AEW, where he debuted on an episode of “AEW Dynamite” on January 28 to face-off against Mark Briscoe. The following Saturday on “AEW Collision,” he would capture the TNT Championship from the star.
Ciampa’s first stint with WWE lasted from the summer of 2005, when he appeared as Muhammad Hassan’s lawyer on “WWE SmackDown,” through 2007. Following some time on the indies and in ROH, Ciampa returned to the company in 2015 to partner with Johnny Gargano in the Dusty Rhodes Classic. His “NXT” run proved to be much more successful than his time on the main roster, despite being sidelined following neck surgery for eight months. He was a two-time NXT Champion, as well as a NXT Tag Team Champion alongside Gargano.
Ava
Simone Johnson, daughter of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, once known as Ava Raine, then simply Ava in “WWE NXT” announced she would not be re-signing a WWE contract on January 30. Ava had been the on-screen manager for the developmental brand for two years.
Ava’s departure seemed abrupt, and according to Dave Meltzer, the general consensus in WWE was that she “didn’t want to do it anymore” and would likely go on to work at the studio owned by her mother, Dany Garcia, and her father. Meltzer also said that Ava’s girlfriend, Tatyane Dumas, a developmental talent who did not often appear on “NXT” television, had been cut in previous weeks.
The star tried her hand at in-ring competition, despite undergoing knee surgery prior to signing with WWE in February 2020, and was aligned with Joe Gacy in The Schism during the beginnings of her career. She wrestled only six matches, and just three were televised.
Following the breakup of The Schism, she became the on-screen assistant to Shawn Michaels, and was promoted to general manager in January 2024.
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