WWE releases Dolph Ziggler, Elias, Top Dolla, Rick Boogs, and more (Updated)

UPDATE: More WWE releases have been confirmed this evening. You can find the updated list of talent cuts here.

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Following Mustafa Ali and Emma’s statements earlier today about being gone from WWE, news of additional talent cuts has been expected.

Here is a list of all the wrestlers we are aware of who have been released by WWE today, based on either their own announcement of the news or reporting from Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp. This list will be updated throughout the day as more names are confirmed.

• Mustafa Ali
• Emma
• Elias
• Top Dolla
• Rick Boogs
• Riddick Moss
• Aliyah
• Shelton Benjamin
• Dolph Ziggler

Most of these wrestlers have barely been used on TV in recent months, if at all.

It’s believed that budget cuts are the reason why WWE is releasing these wrestlers today. I don’t blame any wrestling fans who roll their eyes at that notion, considering WWE is firing these wrestlers on the same day that the company announced a new TV deal for SmackDown that almost certainly exceeds one billion dollars in total value.