Every WWE Star Released In 2022

Published: Jan 6, 2022 by Liam | Last Updated: Dec 15, 2022 by Liam

Liam has been reporting & analyzing wrestling news for over eight years, and is currently the Managing Editor at WrestleTalk.com. Immersed in wrestling for 18 years, he has over 11,000 published articles in addition to leading and overseeing WrestleTalk.com's coverage.

We’re keeping track of every WWE star who was released during the year of 2022. This will be updated with every new release as they happen.

Contract expirations are also listed and are labelled as such.

1. Road Dogg

Signed: October 2011

Released: January 5, 2022

Reason for release: Continuation of the restructuring of NXT

2. William Regal

Signed: 2000

Released: January 5, 2022

Reason for release: Continuation of the restructuring of NXT

3. Timothy Thatcher

Signed: February 2020

Released: January 5, 2022

Reason for release: Continuation of the restructuring of NXT

4. Danny Burch

Signed: April 2018

Released: January 5, 2022

Reason for release: Continuation of the restructuring of NXT

5. Hachiman

Signed: April 2021

Released: January 5, 2022

Reason for release: Continuation of the restructuring of NXT

6. Samoa Joe

Signed: June 2021

Released: January 5, 2022

Reason for release: Continuation of the restructuring of NXT

7. Brian Kendrick

Signed: 2015

Released: February 1, 2022

Reason for release: Requested his release a number of weeks earlier before it was granted

8. Carlos Cabrera

Signed: 1993

Released: February 17, 2022

Reason for release: Age

9. Cesaro

Signed: 2011

Released: February 2022

Reason for release: Contract expired, WWE made him an offer but he rejected it

10. Nash Carter

Signed: December 2, 2020

Released: April 6, 2022

Reason for release: Allegations of abuse were made on social media by Kimber Lee, along with an image from years prior of what appeared to be him performing a Nazi salute having shaved his facial hair to resemble Adolf Hitler

11. Kushida

Signed: April 2019

Released: April 19, 2022

Reason for release: Contract expired

12. Dakota Kai

Signed: December 2016

Released: April 29, 2022

Reason for release: ‘Budget cuts’, had indicated to the company that she wasn’t planning to re-sign

13. Malcolm Bivens

Signed: March 2019

Released: April 29, 2022

Reason for release: ‘Budget cuts’, had indicated to the company that he wasn’t planning to re-sign

14. Harland

Signed: February 2021

Released: April 29, 2022

Reason for release: ‘Budget cuts’, coaches believed he wasn’t progressing enough in the ring