WWE’s February 2025 releases/departures: What’s next for them?
So, WWE has cut a few of their excess talent again. While I think it’s sad for those losing their dream job, it was necessary, as WWE has way too many talents on their roster. Like I always say, it’s better to release talent you don’t have a plan for than to keep them on the bench until their contract runs out just because you’re scared the competition will sign them.
As of now, WWE has parted ways with nine talents and might have a few more on the way. But for now, I will focus mostly on those who are officially released and where I think they might end up. In the end, I might speculate on a few others who I think might receive bad news this weekend.
So, let’s take a look at who is leaving and where they might end up.
1. Cedric Alexander
This was a bit of a surprise since he’s one of Triple H’s guys, and I thought that even if they didn’t have much for him to do, he would always have a spot on the WWE roster. Lately, he was sent back to NXT to feud with Ethan Page.
Now that he’s out of WWE, I feel like he’s AEW-bound. I believe MVP and the rest of the Hurt Syndicate will push hard for Tony Khan to sign him, bringing the last member of the Hurt Business into AEW.
2. Sonya Deville
Again, I was a little surprised that WWE wouldn’t re-sign her after her current contract expired, as she was in a somewhat featured spot with Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark and did pretty well at the Royal Rumble. Plus, having an LGBTQ+ member on your roster doesn’t hurt.
In her case, she’ll probably be able to move on a little earlier since she wasn’t released—WWE is just letting her contract run out. If she stays in wrestling, I could see her going to either TNA or MLW.
3. AOP with Paul Ellering
This one I’m less surprised about since I never understood why WWE brought them back in the first place. The Final Testament was barely a thing, and they were mostly used as fall guys for their opponents.
For them, I think Paul Ellering will go back into retirement, and AOP has so much heat on them for some of the issues they caused before re-signing with WWE that I don’t see anybody wanting to take a chance on them. I wouldn’t be surprised if they fade into obscurity.
4. Blair Davenport
She had a pretty good career in NXT UK before moving to NXT, where she proved herself as one of the top talents. Then, she was called up to SmackDown without any real plan, and that was probably what did her in. The last time she wrestled on TV, she lost in a U.S. Championship qualifier, and that was it—she wasn’t even part of the Royal Rumble this year.
As for where she ends up, I could see either AEW or TNA being interested in her, or she could return to England and wrestle there.
5. Giovanni Vinci
Not the greatest wrestler in the world, but he has a good look. Let’s face it—when they decided to split him up from Gunther and Ludwig Kaiser, you knew the writing was on the wall for him. His two losses to Apollo Crews were the last nails in his coffin.
As for what’s next, this is tricky because he doesn’t fit AEW’s style. I doubt TNA would be interested since they’re in a cost-cutting phase, so it might be a smaller promotion like MLW or NWA—or maybe a trip to Japan.
6. Isla Dawn
Not really surprising, since she wasn’t the featured performer of her tag team—Alba Fyre was usually the one picked for singles matches. At least she got a tag title reign before leaving.
As for what’s next, she could be a nice addition to either the TNA or AEW women’s division, but both seem like long shots. I feel like she might return to Europe and wrestle on the indies until WWE needs talent for the rumored NXT Europe project.
7. Gallows and Anderson
Quite frankly, I’m surprised they weren’t released earlier, as they haven’t done much since the O.C. split up. I feel like Karl Anderson’s injury was the reason WWE didn’t release them in the last round of cuts.
As far as their future goes, let’s be honest—if they want to go to AEW, they have the connections to get a job there as soon as Anderson is ready to return. So, as far as I’m concerned, they are AEW-bound as soon as their 90-day non-compete clause is up and Anderson is healthy.
Possible Future Releases
Here are five other talents I could see getting released.
Apollo Crews – This is a long shot since he just got injured, and I doubt WWE would release someone so soon after an injury, as it would look bad. But if that weren’t the case, I could see him getting cut, as he has been floundering for a while now, and WWE clearly doesn’t have any plans for him.
Kiana James – Let’s be honest, WWE didn’t seem to have a plan for her when they called her up, and she got injured so quickly that we almost forgot she was still on the roster. It might be time to cut their losses and let her focus on whatever else she wants to do.
Katana Chance & Kayden Carter – I know they just moved to SmackDown, but it felt so anticlimactic that they could have stayed on Raw and nobody would have noticed. In the end, it’s always harder for a women’s tag team to get the spotlight, especially in WWE, and they are the perfect example of that. So don’t be surprised if WWE decides to let them go.
Alba Fyre – This one pains me a bit, as I’m a big fan of Alba and feel like she deserved a lot more than what she got after moving to the main roster. But the fact that Isla Dawn got released makes me feel like Alba could be close to getting cut as well.
Ashante “Thee” Adonis – Let’s face it—when the biggest thing happening in your career is playing the boyfriend of Karmen Petrovic, you know your career is going downhill, and your days are numbered.