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WWE has released several female superstars in the past few years. Some released superstars later decided to join AEW, including Ruby Soho and Toni Storm.
Meanwhile, other former WWE female superstars have signed with IMPACT Wrestling in the past few years, like Tanilla Dashwood (FKA Emma) and Deonna Purrazzo. A few recently released female superstars have also followed in their footsteps in the past few months.
Here are seven recently released female WWE Superstars who joined IMPACT Wrestling.
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#7. Mia Yim
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After competing for several years on the independent circuit, Mia Yim officially joined IMPACT Wrestling in 2015. She spent nearly two years in the promotion, during which she won the Knockouts Championship. The 33-year-old then left in 2017.
Yim competed in WWE's Mae Young Classic tournament in 2017 and 2018. The company then decided to sign her in September 2018.
After spending two years in NXT, Yim made her main roster debut as part of Retribution in September 2020. Nevertheless, her main roster run was not successful. She competed in only four matches on Monday Night RAW and Main Event before the company released her from her contract in November 2021.
Since her departure, Yim has wrestled only once in a match in which she defeated Athena at WrestleCon Mark Hitchcock Memorial Super Show 2022. The former WWE Superstar recently returned to IMPACT Wrestling, appearing at Under Siege. According to Fightful Select, Yim's IMPACT Wrestling return is not a one-off.
#6. Chelsea Green
Like Yim, Chelsea Green joined IMPACT Wrestling in 2016 after wrestling for a few years on the independent circuit. The 31-year-old spent about two years in the promotion, during which she won the Knockouts Championship. Nevertheless, IMPACT Wrestling released her from her contract in January 2018.
Later that same year, Green signed with WWE. The former Knockouts Champion competed for nearly two years on NXT before making her SmackDown debut in November 2020, participating in a Fatal Four-Way match.
Unluckily for Green, she broke her arm during her main roster debut match. She remained inactive for about six months before the company released her from her contract in April 2021.
Following her release, Green returned to IMPACT Wrestling at Slammiversary last year. In an interview with 411 Mania, the former IMPACT Knockouts Champion spoke about her return.
"It was amazing, and it was everything I could’ve asked for from Impact. It was just, oh man, having the fans back, and being back in the Impact Zone, and being with my fiancé, and my best friend, and all my old co-workers; I had such an awesome, positive time when I was in Impact [before], and so it was just great to be back, and it felt kind of just like I was coming home," she said.
Green has not competed for nearly a month. In her last bout, she teamed up with her husband, Matt Cardona, against Mickie James and her husband, Nick Aldis. However, Cardona and his wife lost the match.
#5. Taya Valkyrie
Taya Valkyrie (FKA Franky Monet) also competed for several years in IMPACT Wrestling before joining Vince McMahon's company. She first joined IMPACT Wrestling in 2017 after wrestling for nearly seven years on the independent circuit.
During her first run in the promotion, Valkyrie became the longest-reigning Knockouts Championship in history after holding the title for 337 days. However, La Wera Loca left IMPACT Wrestling in January 2021. A few weeks later, she signed with WWE.
Valkyrie spent less than a year in Vince McMahon's company. WWE then released her from her contract in November 2021. Last month, La Wera Loca returned to IMPACT Wrestling to challenge Deonna Purrazzo for the AAA Reina de Reinas Championship at Rebellion. On April 23, Valkyrie defeated Purrazzo to capture the title for the fourth time in her career.
Valkyrie recently retained her title after beating Purrazzo again at Under Siege.
#4. Mercedes Martinez
In 2020, Mercedes Martinez joined WWE after spending many years competing in different promotions. For the next few months, the 41-year-old wrestled on NXT.
In September 2020, Martinez made her main roster debut on Monday Night RAW as part of Retribution. However, she later left the group and returned to NXT, where she spent nearly nine more months before the company released her from her contract last August.
About two months after her WWE departure, Martinez made her IMPACT Wrestling debut. Nevertheless, she spent only three months in the promotion before leaving last January.
Martinez is now active in AEW and ROH. She is currently the ROH Women's World Champion.
#3. WWE legend Mickie James
Before joining WWE in 2003, Mickie James spent nearly a year in IMPACT Wrestling. The 42-year-old later returned to the promotion in 2010 after Vince McMahon's company released her from her contract earlier that year.
In 2016, James re-signed with WWE. Nevertheless, her second run was not as successful as her first, in which she won six Women's Titles. In April 2021, the company released her from her contract due to budget cuts.
Three months later, James returned to IMPACT Wrestling. In an interview with Wrestling Epicenter, the WWE legend expressed her happiness to rejoin IMPACT Wrestling.
"Oh, it is amazing! They have been so awesome and have welcomed me with open arms. They’ve done everything for it [NWA EmPowerrr] and they get it, they know me! I think about Impact and I have such fond memories. The wrestling bubble is so small so we’ve kind of crossed paths with a lot of the same people in our careers in different organizations around the world. Hopefully I’ve kept a good relationship with all of my friends everywhere. But, to be able to walk in there [The Impact Zone] and hear Hardcore Country again, which is something I was able to redefine myself with, and to have a crowd reaction… It is good to be back in front of people again," she said (H/T: 411 Mania)
Last October, James defeated Deonna Purrazzo at Bound for Glory to capture the IMPACT Knockouts Championship for the fourth time in her career. She held the title for nearly six months before losing it to Tasha Steelz last March at Sacrifice.
#2 & #1. The IIconics (The IInspiration)
In 2015, Cassie Lee (FKA Peyton Royce) and Jessie McKay (FKA Billie Kay) signed with WWE. After spending nearly three years in NXT, the two debuted on SmackDown as The IIconics.
Lee and McKay spent about six years in WWE, during which they won the Women's Tag Team Championships once. In April 2021, WWE released both wrestlers due to budget cuts.
Six months after their release, McKay and Lee made their IMPACT Wrestling debut at Bound for Glory as The IInspiration. They defeated Decay to capture the IMPACT Knockouts Tag Team Championships. McKay and Lee held the titles for about six months before losing them to The Influence last March at Sacrifice.
Nevertheless, the former IMPACT Knockouts Tag Team Champions recently issued a joint statement announcing that they would be stepping away from in-ring competition.
"Former IMPACT Wrestling Knockouts World Tag Team Champions The IInspiration [Cassie Lee and Jessie McKay] confirmed today that they will be indefinitely stepping away from in-ring action. (...) We first want to thank Scott D'Amore and the entire IMPACT family. We have had such an amazing experience, working with the incredible IMPACT staff and roster. We will cherish these IMPACT memories forever. We are excited to start a new chapter in our lives and explore other opportunities that may come our way," they stated.
The IInspiration had their final match last month when they lost to The Influence in an IMPACT Knockouts Tag Team Titles match at Rebellion.
