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Late last night, word started making the rounds via a report from the Observer that Justin Gabriel had quit WWE at some point this weekend. It was not made clear why exactly he chose to do so, but his name was removed from the official list of entrants in the Royal Rumble match scheduled for later tonight at the pay-per-view (PPV) of the same name in Philadelphia.
Now, WWE has officially announced that Gabriel has been released:
WWE has come to terms on the release of WWE Superstar Justin Gabriel as of Sunday, Jan. 25, 2015. WWE wishes Justin Gabriel the best in all of his future endeavors.
Again, no reason has been given or even hinted at as to why exactly this has happened but Gabriel is now gone from the company and, considering how he was used relative to the value he'll bring to the independent wrestling scene, that may prove to be the best thing for his career.
We'll be sure to update when more information is available.