Summary

More backstage details have surfaced following WWE's latest wave of departures, with the strongest reaction reportedly centering on Kairi Sane and the abrupt end to her on-screen involvement.

The wider round of exits had already been established in the initial departures report, but the latest update adds more context on how talent were informed and why several of the moves were made.

Several wrestlers were said to have learned around or before 5:00 p.m. ET on April 24 that they had either been released or that their contracts would not be renewed. An internal email also reportedly went out to select departments as the situation developed. It remains unclear which departures were outright releases and which were contract expirations.

How the departures were handled

The report states that main roster talent are still covered by WWE's standard 90-day termination notice, while NXT talent work under a 30-day notice period. If a deal simply expires, it ends on its scheduled date instead.

There had been outside speculation that TKO Group Holdings drove the decision-making, but WWE sources indicated that Paul Levesque, Nick Khan and Talent Relations were the main figures behind the cuts.

According to the report, the departures were largely made to create room for incoming talent and to prepare for the possibility of SmackDown moving back to two hours.

Why Kairi Sane and Santos Escobar stood out

Kairi Sane's exit reportedly caused notable frustration because she was still active in a storyline with Asuka and IYO SKY, and that angle had not yet reached any real payoff. That makes her departure feel more abrupt than a routine roster move, especially because WWE had recently kept her involved on television.

Santos Escobar was also highlighted as a notable case. He had re-signed with WWE last year but was never used again on the main roster, and he is currently sidelined with an injury that is expected to keep him out for several months. The report noted that WWE has become more willing in recent years to part ways with talent who are not yet medically cleared.

What this could mean for WWE and SmackDown

If SmackDown does move back to two hours, WWE trimming roster depth now would line up with that change and help explain why featured names were still let go. Kairi Sane's departure also leaves Asuka and IYO SKY without the payoff this story seemed to be building toward, which could force a creative reset around those characters.

New Performance Center signings are also expected to be announced soon, giving WWE a clearer picture of how quickly the company wants to refresh the roster after WrestleMania 42.

Sources

As reported by Fightful Select via NoDQ.