WWE today confirmed that Braun Strowman, Aleister Black, Ruby Riott, Lana, Santana Garrett, and Buddy Murphy have been released from their contracts. 

Their releases among other recent WWE releases have come as a huge surprise to those in the company. Strowman and Lana had signed long-term contracts with the company last year, and now there is speculation as to why such big names and recent back-office cuts have taken place.

Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men podcast reports that some of the releases are people who were looking to get let go and the company is taking a "very different approach" when it comes to releases then in past years.

There is a strong theory that WWE is trying to maximize the value of the company by cutting back where they can, in order to prepare the company for a future sale.

Some of these names are people who were looking to get released.

WWE has taken a very different approach when it comes to this.

, Andrew Zarian (@AndrewZarian) June 2, 2021