Backstage Update on Latest WWE Releases, Creative Plans for Nia Jax, Eva Marie and Others

– Fightful Select has an update on the latest wave of WWE cuts that took place last Thursday. As noted, former Raw Women’s champion and tag team champion Nia Jax said she was released during a mental health break and that WWE did not respond to her request for an extension.

Fightful reports that Jax did ask for time off and was originally scheduled to return for mid-November before she later asked for additional time away. WWE reportedly had tentative plans for Jax upon her return, but there were apparently no long-term creative plans in the works for her.

Eva Marie had not appeared on WWE programming since late September when she was attacked by Shayna Baszler during Raw when she was released on Thursday. She’s recently been out filming a new movie role. WWE reportedly did not have long-term creative plans for Eva Marie either, and this was also the case when she was brought back to the company. Eva Marie had initially agreed to return to WWE in October of last year. She was backstage at WWE event in December, and the creative team had started making plans for her and Doudrop by March 2021. However, Eva marie didn’t start actually appearing in vignettes to advertise her return until May.

Additionally, Fightful noted that the pandemic and the age of Jeet Rama worked against him in what caused his release. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic specifically has slowed WWE’s plans to expand into territories such as India, along with WWE’s efforts to globalize with Superstars who hail from those territories. With Rama about to turn 41 soon, and no creative plans in place for him, WWE officials reportedly saw the wrestler as expendable.

Last September, it was reported that Gran Metalik had requested his release from WWE. He was also on the list of released Superstars. Meanwhile, Lince Dorado told Fightful he had not personally asked for his release from WWE before he was cut on Thursday. He was said to have been in good spirits despite the news.

Finally, Oney Lorcan (aka Biff Busick) had requested his WWE release back in October 2019. At the time, it was denied. He did go on to team with Danny Burch, and the two won the NXT tag team titles from Breezango in October 2020. They were later forced to vacate the tag titles after Burch suffered a shoulder injury last March. Lorcan was also released on Thursday.