Top WWE star reacts to releases and knows why "most of the list barely had a chance" - Reports

WWE stars and fans are dealing with another cycle of roster cuts, and Fightful has revealed the early backstage reactions to the unfortunate news.

The past few hours have seen multiple superstars confirm their exits, and it all started with Mustafa Ali. Shelton Benjamin, Elias, and Emma followed suit in announcing they were no longer part of the company.

As expected, some roster members are frustrated as the releases have happened just after WWE announced a big-money deal with USA Network. Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select spoke to a few talents, and they certainly weren't happy about the timing of the move, as it just didn't feel right.

A top superstar from higher up the card, whose name wasn't disclosed, felt that most of the names on the chopping block had a slim chance of surviving in the company due to lackluster booking. The talent also called it a "circle" that couldn't be escaped, saying that some stars were always in danger of losing their jobs in the case of budget cuts.

Talents allegedly believed mass cuts were a thing of the past in WWE

The practice of abruptly ending wrestlers' contracts essentially began during the COVID-19 pandemic, as WWE felt it was needed despite the company's record-breaking efforts in the financial department.

There was a constant fear of mass releases a few years ago as, barring a handful of top names, everyone else was in danger of being shown the door.

The feeling backstage, however, has changed in recent months. Fightful noted in their report that several wrestlers thought cuts were "behind them" and the promotion would just allow people to run down their deals, which is the model rival promotion AEW typically follows.

What were the original plans before letting Mustafa Ali go? Read more on that here.