More Details On NXT Releases, Talent Surprised By Some

A new report has additional details on Wednesday’s NXT releases, some of which were surprising backstage. As previously reported, the company reportedly released Alexander Wolfe, Skyler Story, Ezra Judge, Kavita Devi, Jessamyn Duke, Vanessa Borne, and referees Drake Wuertz and Jake Clemons. PWInsider reports that the cuts were all done for budgetary reasons and the initial plan was to do the cuts about three weeks ago, which would have been shortly after the main roster releases. However, the decision was made to wait and the cuts began at 11 AM this morning.

The site notes the followiing details on the talents released:

* Bourne’s release surprised some people, as she had been moved to the Raw roster though she had never actually debuted. She had not been seen at the Performance Center for some time but had been at some of the NXT tapings.

* Clemons’ release was the one that surprised the most, as he was well liked backstage.

* Devi has been in India since she returned home to deal with a family matter, and the belief was that she wasn’t going to return anytime soon. Devi had noted on social media in May that her mother had passed away.

* Duke is well-liked in WWE according to a source, and it is believed that she would likely get another look down the line if she continues to improved. She was praised for her work on the UpUpDownDown channel, where she was part of the BRE group that also consisted of Shayna Baszler, Mia Yim, and Dakota Kai.

* Story had never appeared on TV beyond a battle royal appearance, and the belief was that she was on a short-term deal as part of WWE’s purchase of EVOLVE, where she had worked.