WWE has begun releasing wrestlers following WrestleMania 42, with notable names included in the cuts. This mass release comes less than a week after the event in Las Vegas.
Key points
WWE started releasing wrestlers on April 24, 2025.
The releases follow WrestleMania 42 held in Las Vegas.
Notable names among the released include former champions.
WWE typically conducts mass releases annually.
The last mass release occurred in February 2025.
Mentioned in this story
WWE
WrestleMania 42
After taking the wrestling world by storm with WrestleMania 42, WWE has started letting stars go.
The company began releasing wrestlers on Friday, April 24, less than one week after holding its flagship event in Las Vegas. While some wrestlers leave throughout the year — whether on their own terms or not — WWE typically does a mass release on a yearly basis, last done in February 2025. With the proverbial calendar turning the page into a new season following WrestleMania, WWE is making roster moves now.
There have been notable names that have reportedly been released or they have confirmed it themselves. The list includes former champions and people that just were in the ring in the past month. Here are all the updates as WWE departures are underway:
WrestleMania showcases a mix of high‑profile matchups and crowd‑driven moments across its biggest stages.
See scenes from WrestleMania as competition unfolds and post‑match celebrations follow.
Above, LA Knight celebrates alongside The Usos following their pinfall victory over The Vision and IShowSpeed on Night One of WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on April 18, 2026.
Q&A
What notable wrestlers were released by WWE after WrestleMania 42?
Several notable names have been released, including former champions and wrestlers who participated in the event.
When did WWE start releasing wrestlers in 2025?
WWE began releasing wrestlers on Friday, April 24, 2025, shortly after WrestleMania 42.
Why does WWE typically conduct mass releases?
WWE typically conducts mass releases annually to adjust its roster, often following major events like WrestleMania.
What was the last mass release by WWE before April 2025?
The last mass release by WWE occurred in February 2025.
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LA Knight lands a punch against Logan Paul on night one of WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium on April 18, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Austin Theory, IShowSpeed and Logan Paul enter the arena during the first night of WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium on April 18, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
LA Knight enters the ring on the first night of WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium on April 18, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Usos enters the ring during the first night of WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium on April 18, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
John Cena enters the ring at the start of the first night to host WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium on April 18, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Building wraps for WrestleMania 42 are shown on the exterior of Allegiant Stadium on April 17, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The WWE's flagship event will be held at the venue on April 18th and 19th.
1 / 7
WrestleMania 42 delivers the biggest WWE moments, wins and emotion
WrestleMania showcases a mix of high‑profile matchups and crowd‑driven moments across its biggest stages.
See scenes from WrestleMania as competition unfolds and post‑match celebrations follow.
Above, LA Knight celebrates alongside The Usos following their pinfall victory over The Vision and IShowSpeed on Night One of WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on April 18, 2026.
1 / 7
WrestleMania 42 delivers the biggest WWE moments, wins and emotion
WrestleMania showcases a mix of high‑profile matchups and crowd‑driven moments across its biggest stages.
See scenes from WrestleMania as competition unfolds and post‑match celebrations follow.
Above, LA Knight celebrates alongside The Usos following their pinfall victory over The Vision and IShowSpeed on Night One of WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on April 18, 2026.
2 / 7
WrestleMania 42 delivers the biggest WWE moments, wins and emotion
LA Knight lands a punch against Logan Paul on night one of WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium on April 18, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
3 / 7
WrestleMania 42 delivers the biggest WWE moments, wins and emotion
Austin Theory, IShowSpeed and Logan Paul enter the arena during the first night of WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium on April 18, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
4 / 7
WrestleMania 42 delivers the biggest WWE moments, wins and emotion
LA Knight enters the ring on the first night of WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium on April 18, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
5 / 7
WrestleMania 42 delivers the biggest WWE moments, wins and emotion
The Usos enters the ring during the first night of WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium on April 18, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
6 / 7
WrestleMania 42 delivers the biggest WWE moments, wins and emotion
John Cena enters the ring at the start of the first night to host WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium on April 18, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
7 / 7
WrestleMania 42 delivers the biggest WWE moments, wins and emotion
Building wraps for WrestleMania 42 are shown on the exterior of Allegiant Stadium on April 17, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The WWE's flagship event will be held at the venue on April 18th and 19th.
WWE stars released
Here is a list of people released as of 7 p.m. ET:
Bo Dallas (Uncle Howdy)
Nikki Cross
Joe Gacy
Erick Rowan
Dexter Lumis
Zoey Stark
Alba Fyre
Andre Chase
WWE releases 2026 updates
Wyatt Sicks: Bo Dallas (Uncle Howdy) and group let go
One of the major releases are all the members of the Wyatt Sicks, according to Fightful.
The group was formed in honor of Bray Wyatt, real name Windham Rotunda and Dallas' brother, who created the characters of the group before he died in August 2023. After weeks of teasing, the group debuted in June 2024 as a way to honor Wyatt, with his brother leading the charge as Uncle Howdy in an electric segment.
"The world gets the chance to see that even though (Wyatt's) gone, his ideas and legacy are still going through," Dallas told USA TODAY Sports in October 2024. "Everything that's going on up to this date and then going forward, if it's not Windham’s idea, it has a piece of Windham’s idea in it."
With Dallas, Cross, Gacy, Dexter Lumis and Erick Rowan, the Wyatt Sicks were one-time WWE Tag Team Champions, and just wrapped up a feud with MFT on the April 17 episode of SmackDown, one day before WrestleMania.
The Wyatt Sicks enter the dring during SmackDown at T-Mobile Arena on April 17, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Wyatt Sicks enter the dring during SmackDown at T-Mobile Arena on April 17, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
A former NXT Women's Tag Team Champion, Stark had a storyline with Trish Stratus when she moved to the main roster in 2023. She was then part of Pure Fusion Collective for a few month before fellow members Sonya Deville and Shayna Baszler were released.
In May, she faced Rhea Ripley and Kairi Sane in a triple threat Money in the Bank qualifying match. During the match, she leaped from the top rope and landed awkwardly on her right knee in immediate pain. She was removed from the match and she ended up tearing her ACL, MCL, and meniscus in the move. She had been recovering and hadn't wrestled since then.