5 Most surprising WWE releases of 2021 so far
It's almost halfway through 2021 and already, WWE has made some interesting cuts to their main roster, backstage staff, and to NXT.
In recent months, the company has been forced into its annual culling and there were many surprise names on the list.
The releases began at the beginning of the year and even though it's only May, 14 WWE Superstars have already been released from the company's main roster. There have also been several releases from the broadcast team and a handful of stars departing from NXT.
WWE's cuts have even gone as far as their backstage staff and several Performance Center recruits who were never able to appear on TV.
Velveteen Dream, Alexander Wolfe, Jessamyn Duke, Vanessa Borne, and Drake Wuertz headlined the most recent list of releases last week.
The following list looks at just five of the most surprising releases from WWE over the past six months.
#5. Former WWE Superstar Lars Sullivan
Lars Sullivan was the first superstar released from WWE in 2021 when the story of his departure was leaked back in February. Unlike many of the other stars who make up this list, WWE didn't announce that the company had parted ways with Sullivan.
It was reported that Sullivan was released much earlier in the year after spending time away from the company after a stint on SmackDown. Sullivan had some issues after being promoted from NXT alongside numerous other names a few years prior.
While the likes of Lacey Evans, Nikki Cross, and Heavy Machinery were all finding their feet on the main roster, Sullivan was struggling with mental health issues. When Sullivan was finally able to debut, his run was short-lived as he suffered a knee injury and was sidelined once again.
Sullivan later returned as part of the 2020 Draft, where he was moved over to SmackDown but this run was short-lived. He was taken off TV once again and eventually released.
Sullivan's release came as a surprise to the WWE Universe since there were reports of big plans for the former NXT star. It appeared as though he could become one of SmackDown's big heels if he was booked correctly, but the company decided to release Sullivan instead at his own request.