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If the Super Bowl marks the end of the NFL season, WrestleMania is when WWE’s year is over.
There is no offseason in WWE, and when waves of departures hit the company, it hits harder than a Gunther knife edge.
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Uncle Howdy, Erick Rowan, Dexter Lumis, Joe Gacy and Nikki Cross will appear on SmackDown at the First Horizon Center in Savannah, Ga., on May 23, 2025. (Rich Freeda/WWE)
Fightful and BodySlam both reported on several superstars leaving WWE on Friday ahead of “Friday Night SmackDown.” Some wrestlers confirmed their departures on social media.
Those who left were: Alba Fyre, Aleister Black, Alex Shelley, Andre Chase, Apollo Crews, Bo Dallas, Chris Island, Chris Sabin, Dante Chen, Dexter Lumis, Erick Rowan, Joe Gacy, Kairi Sane, Luca Crusifino, Malik Blade, Nikki Cross, Santos Escobar, Sirena Linton, I Tyregle London, Tygele London, Tygele London, Tygele London, Tygele Dupont, Zelina Vegas and Zoey Stark.
The WWE roster is loaded as it is with several NXT stars being called up this week.
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Sol Ruca made her presence felt on Raw on Monday when she challenged Women’s Champion Liv Morgan. The Fatal Influence faction of Jacy Jayne, Lainey Reid and Fallon Henley took aim at the women’s tag team division on SmackDown last Friday. Ricky Saints and Blake Monroe also had vignettes for their upcoming performances.
Meanwhile, former NXT Champion Oba Femi has been headlining WWE programming for the past few weeks, beating Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 42.
Kairi Sane enters the ring during Monday Night RAW at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California on April 13, 2026. (Rich Freeda/WWE)
Aleister Black and Zelina Vega come to the ring during SmackDown at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri, on April 3, 2026. (Craig Melvin/WWE)
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It is not the end of the road for any of the recent departures. Several former WWE stars have made waves elsewhere. Some have even returned over time.
