Below are a couple of top WWE & AEW news stories of the day.
• Multiple wrestlers were released from WWE on Friday night and one of them was Cedric Alexander, who was released after nearly a decade with the company.
Alexander, who reportedly signed a new contract last September, now faces a 90-day non-compete clause before he can wrestle elsewhere. He addressed his departure on X, writing:
“Thank you for the last 8 1/2 years! Being a professional wrestler has been a dream of mine since I could form memories and I will continue to do so till the good Lord says otherwise. #SeeYouIn90.”
The reason for his release remains unclear. Alexander first gained recognition in WWE through the Cruiserweight Classic before moving to 205 Live and later RAW. He received a push in 2019 under Paul Heyman’s tenure as RAW Executive Director, even feuding with AJ Styles for the United States Championship.
In 2020, he became a key member of The Hurt Business alongside Bobby Lashley, MVP, and Shelton Benjamin. The faction became a fan favorite, and Alexander won the RAW Tag Team Championship during its run. However, after the group disbanded, his WWE appearances were mostly limited to Main Event, house shows, and a brief stint in NXT in 2024.
Fightful Select is reporting that people in AEW expect numerous to push for Cedric to join the company and reunite with The Hurt Syndicate (MVP, Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin). Lashley & Benjamin are the current AEW World Tag Team Champions.
• Sonya Deville wasn’t released from WWE on Friday, but was told that her contract won’t be renewed, according to Fightful Select.
Her contract is set to expire in a few weeks, after which she’ll be a free agent.
Sonya was on season 6 of Tough Enough, but didn’t win. She then signed with WWE in October 2015.
During her 9-year WWE run, her biggest accomplishment was winning the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship with Chelsea Green.
Her latest run on RAW featured her in a faction with Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark, called “Pure Fusion Collective”.
