The latest wave of WWE releasing stars is underway with 10 reported departures since Friday night, including some former champions and a WWE Hall of Famer.
The reported releases include, as of Saturday afternoon:
- Authors of Pain (Akam and Rezar)
- Paul Ellering
- Cedric Alexander
- Sonya Deville
- Blair Davenport
- Isla Dawn
- Giovanni Vinci
- Good Brothers (Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows)
The mass releases is the first WWE has done since November, although that was only three stars. The releases come as the company begins its road to WrestleMania 41, arguably its most critical time period of the calendar.
Here is more information on the stars leaving WWE:
Authors of Pain (Akam and Rezar)
The team of Akam and Rezar was released by WWE, according to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful. A one-time NXT Tag Team Champions and Raw Tag Team Champions, the pair returned to WWE in 2024 as a part of The Final Testament alongside Karrion Cross and Scarlett. The Final Testament competed at WrestleMania 40.
The last match the pair had was Dec. 30 on WWE Main Event.
Paul Ellering
The manager of Authors of Pain has been released by WWE, according to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful. A WWE Hall of Famer who managed the Road Warriors decades ago, Ellering returned to the company with the Authors of Pain in 2024 to join the Final Testament.
Cedric Alexander
One of the stars of the Cruiserweight division, Alexander announced his departure from WWE on Friday night.
‘Being a professional wrestler has been a dream of mine since I could form memories and I will continue to do so till the good Lord says otherwise,’ he said.
Alexander had been with WWE since 2016, spending time in the Cruiserweight Division, NXT and the main roster. He was also part of The Hurt Business from 2020-23. He is a one-time Cruiserweight Champion and Raw Tag Team Champion.
Sonya Deville
The leader of Pure Fusion Collective will be leaving WWE as her contract will be not be renewed, according to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful. A tag team specialist, Deville won the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship with Chelsea Green in 2023, but had to release her title after suffering an ACL injury. She returned in May 2024 and former PFC alongside Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark.
Deville last competed in the 2025 women’s Royal Rumble match last week.
Blair Davenport
Davenport has been released by WWE, according to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful. Known for her time wrestling internationally, Davenport joined NXT in 2021 and was added to the main roster in 2024. However, she sparingly was in the ring with only six televised matches last year.
Isla Dawn
Dawn announced her release from WWE on Instagram, writing, ‘here for a good time not a long time. See you in 90.’
After debuting in NXT in 2018, Dawn rose to prominence as a tag team partner with Alba Fyre in 2022 to form The Unholy Union. The team was promoted to the main roster in 2023 and their signature moment came at Clash at the Castle: Scotland in June when they won the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship in their home country.
Giovanni Vinci
Vinci was released by WWE, according to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful. A founding member of Imperium, Vinci won the NXT Tag Team Championship twice with Ludwig Kaiser. After he was kicked out of Imperium in April, Vinci debuted as a singles competitor in September, infamously losing in three seconds to Apollo Crews. He had only three televised matches before his release.
Good Brothers (Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows)
Wrestling veterans Anderson and Gallows were released by WWE, according to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful. Also known as part of the The OC alongside AJ Styles, the Good Brothers returned to WWE in 2022 and had recently spent most of their time in NXT. Their last televised match came in September. Over the course of their seven years with WWE, they are two-time Raw Tag Team Champions.
