The following WWE releases were made this evening, according to PWInsider:
* Shanky. Trained by WWE Hall of Famer The Great Khali, Shanky was signed along with two other Indian wrestlers in January 2020 after working the WWE tryouts from Dubai in 2017. He debuted at Superstar Spectacle in January 2021, teaming with Giant Zanjeer, Ricochet and WWE Hall of Famer & United States Champion Rey Mysterio to defeat Dolph Ziggler, Baron Corbin, Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro (aka Claudio Castagnoli). Shanky was then brought to RAW in May 2021 with Veer and Jinder Mahal, but Mahal and Shanky were sent to SmackDown in the WWE Draft that year. WWE teased a gimmick change with Shanky but the team with Mahal didn’t go far and they were last seen on the July 22, 2022 SmackDown after losing to The Viking Raiders. Shanky then returned at the Superstar Spectacle tapings in India earlier this month, where he lost to WWE Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER.
* Bryson Montana. A United States Navy veteran, Montana was signed after working the 2021 tryouts during SummerSlam Weekend. He debuted on the May 20 NXT Level Up episode with a loss to Javier Bernal. Montana worked 22 televised and non-televised matches for WWE and only came out on top once – when he defeated Ru Feng on the July 22, 2022 Level Up show. Montana’s last match came at the July 7 NXT live event in Largo, where he and Antoine Frazier took a loss to Hank Walker and Tank Ledger. His last TV appearance was a loss to Boa on the June 16 Level Up show.
* Yulisa Leon. A second generation talent as her father wrestled in Mexico as Bronco, Leon signed with WWE in February 2021 after undergoing testing and a tryout in December 2019. WWE announced her arrival along with other Performance Center recruits in April 2021. She debuted on 205 Live in October 2021, and ended up forming a tag team in NXT with Valentina Feroz. Leon suffered a torn ACL in September 2022, but returned on May 19 of this year, making her SmackDown debut with Feroz in a loss to then-NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre. Leon’s last match came on the August 1 NXT show as she and Feroz came up short against Elektra Lopez and Lola Vice.
* Dabba-Kato. Kato was signed in April 2016 to work NXT and train at the WWE Performance Center. He debuted in a Battle Royal at a non-televised NXT live event on September 30 of that year. His TV debut came in April 2018 at Greatest Royal Rumble. Kato then came to RAW in August 2020 to work RAW Underground, where he was pushed. He was drafted to RAW in 2020 but never appeared, then went to SmackDown and debuted there as Apollo Crew’s muscle at WrestleMania 37. The duo went to RAW in the 2021 Draft, but were then sent to NXT in June 2022. Kato disappeared for a bit but came back this past February to begin a feud with Crews. He also feuded with Axiom and Scrypts, but lost a 2-on-1 Handicap Match on the June 13 NXT show. Kato was recently feuding with Tyler Bate. WWE began hyping Kato up with NXT vignettes, but his last appearance was a loss to Bate on the September 5 episode.
As noted, WWE also released the following Superstars today – Dolph Ziggler, Mustafa Ali, Elias, Shelton Benjamin, Rick Boogs, Riddick Moss, Emma, Aliyah, “Top Dolla” AJ Francis, Dana Brooke, Mansoor, Mace, and Quincy Elliott.
Below are links to our previous reports:
* Two More WWE Releases Revealed from Thursday
* Three More WWE Talents Released, Wrestlers React to Being Let Go Today
* Four More WWE Superstars Released This Evening
* Several More WWE Superstars Released This Evening
* John Cena and Matt Cardona Shout Out Dolph Ziggler For WWE Run, Cardona Comments On WWE Cuts
* Backstage News On This Morning’s WWE Releases, Talent Frustrated, Non-Compete Clauses Confirmed
* Big E and Trinity Comment On Dolph Ziggler Getting Released By WWE
* Elias Breaks Silence On WWE Release: “It’s Been A Blast”
Stay tuned to WrestlingHeadlines.com for more.
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