Summary

BJ Ray said his WWE release caught him off guard after he had already revealed he was dealing with a torn rotator cuff and a torn labrum.

Ray was released in September 2025, just days after sharing that he needed surgery. He was part of a group of departures that also included Wes Lee, Lance Anoa’i, Drako Knox, and Stevie Turner.

Quote from BJ Ray

Speaking during WrestleCade weekend, Ray said:

"Dude, it definitely came as a surprise. It’s one of those things like even when I first got there two and a half years ago, you didn’t really see that. But I think obviously with seeing who was released in the releases, that was definitely a factor. It could be a speculation there. Because, yeah, it was kind of out of nowhere. But that’s the name of the game. Gotta stay healthy."

BJ Ray's WWE release and recovery

Ray's comments tie the timing of his exit directly to a difficult stretch in his career. He had just disclosed the shoulder injuries, then found himself out of WWE almost immediately afterward.

That matters because BJ Ray is now trying to navigate both recovery and the next phase of his wrestling future at the same time. For fans, the clearest takeaway is that his release was not something he appeared to be expecting, and his own words frame health as a major part of what came next.

Sources

BJ Ray while speaking with Sean Ross Sapp