Update regarding the WWE releases from June 25th 2021
As previously noted, WWE released 14 wrestlers from the NXT and 205 Live brands.
There were an initial report about WWE President Nick Khan’s role in the releases but Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com received an update regarding the matter…
“WWE sources have contacted me to deny Nick Khan as the driving force behind the releases.”
Sapp also said the following about 205 Live…
“I can tell you that gutting 205 Live was not one of the plans NXT had to further emphasize the Cruiserweight division.”
Tony Nese, who was one of the WWE stars released, commented on how “no one in-house even watches 205” while responding to fans…
I love that my Mania moment left an impression on some of you. I suggest watching the rematch vs @WWE_Murphy from the 205live after. That was the match we really wanted to give you but weren't allowed. Good thing is, no one in-house even watches 205 so we just did it then 😉.
— Tony Nese (@TonyNese) June 26, 2021
Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline.com commented on the releases and Vince McMahon’s thought process about who the company is pushing…
“Whenever that happens you know Vince is always going to go back to his intuition that they need bigger guys and the younger guys is something that they probably do need to focus on. One of the big problems is that they have no young guys.”
In regards to Killian Dain, Meltzer said the following…
“Yeah, but that’s not Vince’s type of guy, and he had been through it, and I think that just, obviously, they didn’t just think, you know they have got 300-pound guys, and I think they just didn’t feel he was one that they were going to push.” (quotes courtesy of RingsideNews.com)