Kamal Ghorui
WWE has carried out a wide round of roster changes in the days following WrestleMania 42, with at least 18 to 23 talents reported to have exited the company on April 24. As of writing, the list continues to evolve, with some departures confirmed as releases and others understood to be contract expirations. The changes span the main roster, NXT and developmental, and were first widely reported by Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful, alongside multiple follow-up reports and confirmations. As is typical after WrestleMania, WWE has moved into a new cycle, making significant roster adjustments less than a week after its flagship event in Las Vegas.
Full list of reported departures
As of April 24, the following names have been reported as part of the latest wave of exits:
- Aleister Black
-
Zelina Vega - Kairi Sane
- Bo Dallas (
Uncle Howdy ) - Nikki Cross
- Santos Escobar
-
Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) - Dexter Lumis
- Apollo Crews
- Erick Rowan
- Joe Gacy
- Andre Chase
-
Zoey Stark - Alba Fyre
- Tyra Mae Steele
- Sirena Linton
-
Tyson Dupont - Tyriek Igwe
- Chris Island
- Malik Blade
- Trill London
- Luca Crusifino
- Dante Chen
Many of the main roster names, along with Andre Chase, have already been moved to the WWE Alumni section on WWE.com, indicating confirmed exits. Several wrestlers have also addressed their departures publicly, while others have been acknowledged by colleagues on social media.
Wyatt Sicks faction released
One of the most notable developments in this round of releases is the exit of all five members of the Wyatt Sicks faction. The group included Bo Dallas (performing as Uncle Howdy), Nikki Cross, Joe Gacy, Dexter Lumis and Erick Rowan. The faction was formed in June 2024 as a tribute to Bray Wyatt (Windham Rotunda), who created the concept before his death in August 2023. Led by his brother Bo Dallas, the group debuted after weeks of build-up and was positioned around a dark, psychological theme. They were former WWE Tag Team Champions and had only recently concluded a feud with MFT on the April 17 episode of SmackDown, just one day before WrestleMania 42, making their release one of the more immediate and notable changes.
Kairi Sane
Kairi Sane leaves shortly after her most recent appearance on television. A former NXT Women’s Champion, she returned to WWE in 2023 and aligned with Damage CTRL, reforming the Kabuki Warriors alongside Asuka. She competed at WrestleMania 40 and was part of the Raw after WrestleMania 42, where the Kabuki Warriors faced Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky. Over the past year, she became a three-time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion. Sane had missed time earlier in the year due to injury before returning in May, making her exit less than a week after her latest match.
Motor City Machine Guns
The tag team of Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley, known as Motor City Machine Guns, depart after less than two years in WWE. They debuted in October 2024 and won the WWE Tag Team Championship in just their second match. That reign would be their only one, though they remained active contenders, including a high-profile appearance in the Six Pack Tables, Ladders and Chairs match at SummerSlam 2025.
Aleister Black and Zelina Vega
Real-life couple Aleister Black and Zelina Vega are among the most high-profile departures. Vega returned to WWE in 2021 and was part of the Latino World Order (LWO). She reached a major milestone in April 2025 when she became the second Women’s United States Champion, her first singles title. Black returned to WWE in April 2025 after time in AEW, later forming an on-screen partnership with Vega in October. The pair competed together in December against Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest.
Santos Escobar
Santos Escobar, leader of Legado Del Fantasma, has also exited the company. A former NXT Cruiserweight Champion, Escobar led the faction through several key storylines, including a feud with LWO that culminated at WrestleMania 40. More recently, he and his group had been competing in Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide.
Zoey Stark
Zoey Stark confirmed her departure following a period sidelined by injury. A former NXT Women’s Tag Team Champion, Stark moved to the main roster in 2023 and was involved in a storyline with Trish Stratus. She later joined the Pure Fusion Collective before that group was disrupted by further releases. Her last match came in a Money in the Bank qualifying triple threat against Rhea Ripley and Kairi Sane, where she suffered a serious knee injury, tearing her ACL, MCL and meniscus. She wrote: “Thank you WWE, you made a young girls dream come true. You could not have been better and more supportive during my healing and I will be forever grateful.”
Alba Fyre
Alba Fyre departs after seven years with WWE. A former NXT UK Women’s Champion, she was best known for her tag team with Isla Dawn as The Unholy Union, with their peak moment coming at Clash at the Castle: Scotland in June 2024, where they won the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship. After Dawn’s release in February 2025, Fyre was repackaged as part of Chelsea Green’s group while Green held the Women’s United States Championship. Her last televised match came in February. Chelsea Green later posted a tribute, saying she was “sad to not have her on my side.”
Apollo Crews
Apollo Crews exits after a long run with WWE that began in 2014. He won the United States Championship in 2020 and later captured the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 37 under a Nigerian royalty character. He remained active across multiple WWE programmes in the years since.
Andre Chase
Andre Chase confirmed his release, bringing an end to his time as the leader of the Chase U faction in NXT. His university-style character became popular with fans, who adopted the “U” gesture during shows. A two-time NXT Tag Team Champion, he reflected on his time in WWE by saying: “Thank you to everybody who threw up the ‘U’ at the shows. Just know that you truly helped make something out of nothing. When I signed with WWE, on the first day, it was made abundantly clear I was never going to be on television, I was never meant to be a superstar. “But then something changed, and it was because of your support and the connection we had.”
Dante Chen
Dante Chen also confirmed his departure. He was the first Singaporean-born WWE star and spent five years with the company, primarily in NXT and Evolve. He made a single main roster appearance in February 2024, losing to Bron Breakker.
Developmental departures
Several names from WWE’s developmental system were also released. These include Tyra Mae Steele, Sirena Linton, Tyson Dupont, Tyriek Igwe, Chris Island, Malik Blade, Trill London and Luca Crusifino. Steele is a notable name among them, having won a gold medal at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics and later winning WWE LFG. Crusifino had been associated with The D’Angelo Family in NXT.
Current situation
The scale of the releases reflects WWE’s usual post-WrestleMania reset, where roster changes follow the conclusion of major storylines and the beginning of a new cycle. As of now, the list remains subject to updates, with further confirmations or additional departures still possible
