WWE made mass cuts to employees and in-ring talent back in April due to the coronavirus pandemic.
It was a move Vince McMahon made to protect the future of his company with COVID-19 seriously impacting turnover.
Due to the pandemic, of course, empty arena shows have become the new norm and it's unlikely WWE will return to touring any time soon.
When the call came, some members of the roster would have been happy to get their release, while many others were devastated to lose their jobs and livelihoods.
As many as 30 individuals were let go across the RAW, SmackDown and NXT brands.
The main roster wrestlers who were cut will see their 90-day non-compete clauses expire on Wednesday, July 15, allowing them to finally sign with rival promotions.
It's expected many could end up in AEW, NJPW, IMPACT or elsewhere on the independent circuit.
Below is a full list of ex-WWE talent who officially become free agents on July 15:
- Aiden English
- Curt Hawkins
- EC3
- Epico Colon
- Eric Young
- Erick Rowan
- Heath Slater
- Karl Anderson
- Kurt Angle (believed to be under non-compete contract)
- Lio Rush (may have been under NXT contract, with non-compete clause expiring after 30 days)
- Luke Gallows
- Maria Kanellis
- Mike Kanellis
- No Way Jose
- Primo Colon
- Rusev
- Sarah Logan
- Zack Ryder
There's so much top talent on that list. The future is certainly exciting outside WWE.
All eyes will be on the likes of Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, two of the most high-profile names released in April.
EC3 also has incredible potential to fulfil outside of WWE and has been heavily linked with a return to IMPACT at their Slammiversary event on July 18.
Only time will tell where all these released free agents end up, but with their non-compete clauses expiring on Wednesday, expect to see a lot of familiar faces popping up in the coming weeks.