Eight NXT talent and two NXT referees released Wednesday by WWE

As first reported by Fightful, and then confirmed by F4WOnline, Six wrestlers and two referees in NXT have been released by WWE.

Kavita Devi, Jessamyn Duke, Ezra Judge, Skyler Story, Vanessa Borne, Alexander Wolfe, and referees Drake Wuertz and Jake Clemons have been released from the compan.  It is also being said that more cuts are expected.

Wuertz had been a referee within WWE NXT since 2014, and had been seen as recently as this Tuesday’s episode of NXT. 

Alexander Wolfe signed with WWE in 2015. He also appeared on this past Tuesday night’s NXT.

Devi had been training at the WWE Performance Center since 2017, Duke since 2018, Judge since 2019, and Borne since 2016. Story, who previously worked under the name Brandi Lauren in EVOLVE, started with WWE last October.

It was noted that Wuertz had “nuclear heat brought on by himself” for the better part of a year. He was warned about attending events without a mask and not being vaccinated, and was known for loudly criticizing wrestlers for getting vaccinations or even flu shots.

Additionally, there was said to be an incident last year where he stormed out of a Triple H speech prior to the NXT In Your House PPVt after Triple H mentioned that was paraphrased by F4WOnline as “all people, races, genders, and religions were welcomed,” with Wuertz becoming upset once religion was mentioned.

Wuertz also made controversial statements at a Seminole County Public School Board meeting back on May 11, which he said that wearing masks in schools assists predators who “wish to prey upon our children”.  It was also noted that during a Seminole County Board of County Commissioners meeting earlier this month, he wore his NXT attire and argued against the mask mandate in the county, saying that “child sex traffickers love COVID masks.”

Prior to signing with WWE as a referee, Wuertz wrestled regularly in Combat Zone Wrestling under in-ring name of Drake Younger.