Latest news with #U.S.Championship
Forbes
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
WWE Releases 16 Superstars In Surprising Roster Purge–Who's Out?
CINCINNATI, OHIO - FEBRUARY 24: Dakota Kai enters the ring during Monday Night RAW at Heritage Bank ... More Center on February 24, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Michael Marques/WWE via Getty Images) Check WWE's roster page for your favorite mid-carder and randomly featured NXT Superstar—they may have received some tough news on Friday. According to multiple reports, at least 16 WWE Superstars learned they were being separated from the promotion. Here is a breakdown of the Superstars WWE released in their post-WrestleMania purge. WWE Main Roster Releases NXT Releases The most notable inclusions on this list are Braun Strowman, Shayna Baszler, and Dakota Kai. Strowman is a former Universal Champion and a once key cog in the Wyatt Family faction. Most recently, he feuded with Jacob Fatu, featuring a series of brutal matches. Fatu went over in the feud when he defeated Strowman in a Last Man Standing match in March that elevated him into the U.S. Championship picture. Strowman, 41, had become the still-fierce giant whose primary job was to put over strong up-and-comers like Fatu and Bronson Reed before him. As it stands, Reed (who is currently injured) and Fatu remain while Strowman is out. Baszler, 44, a former NXT Women's Champion and WWE Women's Tag Team Champion, had a strong run in the former as a singles star. Unfortunately, she never found it on the main roster. She was cast in the shadows of real-life friend Ronda Rousey and then relegated to more of a sidekick with Pure Fusion Collective. Her release is noteworthy but not surprising considering she hadn't been featured in anything of note for several months. As the oldest of the Superstars WWE released, Baszler may have the most urgent decision to make about her future in the industry. Dakota Kai, 36, has battled injuries for the past few years, which have robbed her of the opportunity to capitalize on the momentum she had when she came up from NXT in 2022. At her peak, Kai was a member of the Bayley-led Damage Control faction, but she never established much as a singles performer. Kayden Carter, 36, and Katana Chance, 35, are former WWE Tag Team Champions. Their high-energy style produced some memorable in-ring performances, but overall they failed to resonate with the WWE Universe. Like others on this list, Carter and Chance had become scarce on WWE programming. On the NXT roster, the release of Cora Jade and Gigi Dolin were the most notable. At one point, it appeared both had an opportunity to make a splash on the main roster. Several of the released Superstars took to social media to comment on their release, including Cora Jade and Shayna Baszler. The NXT Superstars are believed to have a 30-day non-compete clause, while the performers who were on the main roster have a 90-day non-compete clause. There is a chance WWE may still have more names to add to this list ahead of Monday's episode of Raw as we build toward WWE Backlash in St. Louis on May 10.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bay Area U.S. Olympians & ice skating community mourn crash victims
OAKLAND, Calif. - The Bay Area is home to many top ice skaters. The tight-knit community of skaters spoke about how they will remember the crash victims. "I did see some of them last week, so it's kind of surreal," said Alysa Liu, a 2022 U.S. Olympian from Oakland. Liu said she saw some of the athletes and coaches just days before they were killed in the plane crash. She was in Wichita, Kansas to compete in the U.S. Nationals. Liu and others said among the victims were talented skaters ages 10 to 17; lives cut short before realizing their full potential. "They all had such a drive and passion for this sport. And they really loved what they did," said Liu. "As soon as I heard it was a plane coming from Wichita, my heart just fell to the floor," said Polina Edmunds, a 2014 U.S. Olympian. She was also in Wichita attending the Nationals. She said the young athletes, parents, and coaches were flying home from a development camp that took place after the competition. "It's just been nothing short of unbelievable devastation," said Edmunds. "We all have a dark spot in every rink in the country today," said Paige Scott, general manager of Yerba Buena Ice Skating and Bowling Center in San Francisco. Ice blue balloons now float at the skating rink in honor of the lives lost in the crash. "All of us in the skating world knew that the U.S. Championship had just been in Wichita. We were all praying. And praying the best we could," said Scott. Members of the skating community said those onboard included a couple who were the 1994 World Champions pairs ice skating team. They are husband and wife Vadim Naumov and Yevgeniya Shishkova, who worked as coaches. Fortunately, their adult son, who's also an ice skater, was not on that flight. "I admire them so much. They were world champions, and they also coach a lot of top skaters," said Arthur Liu, father of Alysa Liu. "Everybody is in a state of shock." "Although it's really soon and everyone is still grieving, a lot of us just want to somehow help," said Alysa Liu. Liu said U.S. Figure Skating is working on starting an emergency fund to help the victims' in the ice skating community said the crash victims came from the Skating Club of Boston and Ashford Ice House in Virginia near Washington, D.C. Everyone who spoke with KTVU said they are all one family. Amber Lee is a reporter with KTVU. Email Amber at or text/leave message at 510-599-3922. Follow her on Facebook @AmberKTVU, Instagram @AmberKTVU or Twitter @AmberKTVU
