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If the Super Bowl marks the end of the NFL season, WrestleMania marks the end of the WWE year.
There’s no offseason in WWE, and when waves of departures hit the company, it hits harder than a stab from Gunther.
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Uncle Howdy, Erick Rowan, Dexter Lumis, Joe Gacy and Nikki Cross appear during SmackDown at the First Horizon Center in Savannah, Georgia on May 23, 2025. (Rich Freeda/WWE)
Fightful and BodySlam both reported that several superstars left WWE on Friday before “Friday Night SmackDown.” Some wrestlers confirmed their departure on social media.
Those who left included: 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, Trill London, Tyra Mae Steele, Tyriek Igwe, Tyson Dupont, Zelina Vegas and Zoey. Stark.
The WWE roster is loaded with several NXT stars 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 consisting of Jacy Jayne, Lainey Reid and Fallon Henley took aim at the women’s tag team division on SmackDown on Friday. Ricky Saints and Blake Monroe also had vignettes for their upcoming appearances.
Meanwhile, former NXT Champion Oba Femi has appeared on main WWE programming in recent weeks and defeated Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 42.
Kairi Sane enters the ring on Monday Night RAW at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California on April 13, 2026. (Rich Freeda/WWE)
Aleister Black and Zelina Vega head to the ring during SmackDown at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri on April 3, 2026. (Craig Melvin/WWE)
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This isn’t the end of the road for any of the recent departures. Several former WWE stars have made waves elsewhere. Some even returned over time.
