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WWE has made a lot of cuts to their roster over the past two years and there was a belief that the turn of the year may see a change of direction. This obviously wasn't the case since there have only been 33 days in 2022 so far and eight superstars have been released from the company.
Budget cuts don't seem to be the main motive behind the most recent WWE releases, with many coming at the choice of the star themselves or even because the star has no direction in the company moving forward.
Some interesting names have been released in 2022 and the following list looks at all seven names and their potential future in the business.
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#8. on our list of WWE Superstars who have been released in 2022 - Hideki Suzuki
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NXT has been going through some cosmetic changes over the past few months and some harsh decisions were made. Many well-known names and faces have been cut because the company wants to push forward a new identity within its developmental brand.
Earlier this year, NXT was hit by another round of cuts and Hideki Suzuki was one of the stars on the list.
He signed with Vince McMahon's promotion in April 2021 as a Performance Center coach before transitioning into an on-air talent in NXT. He became known as Hachiman in The Diamond Mine, but this character was short-lived since his release came around on January 5th.
Suzuki has since revealed that he will be free to return to the ring after February 5th.
#8. Former WWE Superstar Timothy Thatcher
Perhaps best known for his time working in a team alongside Riddle, Timothy Thatcher was seen as one of the roughest and toughest stars in the NXT locker room.
Thatcher made his debut in February 2020 and later went on to work with Riddle during Pete Dunne's absence due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. The star was pushed towards several Championships but was never able to lift any during his time on the black and yellow brand.
Despite being popular with the NXT Universe, Thatcher was one of several stars released on January 5th. The star is notoriously private about his personal life, so it's unknown what the future holds for him when he has sat out his non-compete clause.
#7. Former NXT Superstar Danny Burch
Danny Burch was a surprise release from the company after making his debut more than six years ago. Burch found some fame alongside Oney Lorcan in NXT, so after Lorcan was released from his contract last year, it appeared that the writing was already on the wall.
The British star made quite the impact on NXT in his early years and was pushed following the inaugural United Kingdom tournament. Sadly, WWE never pushed him towards a championship and he was released from the company along with several others on January 5th.
Burch has since reverted back to his old ring name Martin Stone and has announced that he is free for bookings.
#6. WWE referee Scott Armstrong
Scott Armstrong signed with WWE in 2006 and has been part of several high-profile storylines in his career, including one that came back in 2014 alongside Daniel Bryan in the World Championship picture.
Armstrong was one of the names who were furloughed in April 2020 as part of a cost-cutting measure but was then able return towards the end of that year. Interestingly, despite spending more than 15 years in the company, he was one of the stars who were cut on January 5th.
Armstrong has more than 40 years of experience in Sports Entertainment and this could be the perfect opportunity for him to enjoy retirement.
#5. Producer and Hall of Famer Road Dogg
Road Dogg became a well-known name in WWE as a member of both The New Age Outlaws and D-Generation X. Despite not being used as an on-screen talent in recent years, the former Champion has been working as a backstage producer.
The star made his return in 2011 and later transitioned into a new role, but the Hall of Famer was handed his release on January 6th. His New Age Outlaws teammate Billy Gunn is currently working with AEW, which could be a potential direction for Road Dogg.
#4. Former WWE Superstar Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe is now part of a small group of WWE Superstars who have been fired by WWE twice in the space of a year. The former NXT Champion was initially released in April 2021 but was then rehired and sent down to NXT.
The Samoan Submission Machine pushed to get back into the ring but it appears that he was another face that didn't fit in with the identity of NXT following their recent rebrand.
Joe has yet to make any moves since his release but is expected to step back into the ring for one of WWE's rivals.
#3. Former WWE Superstar and NXT General Manager William Regal
William Regal was a WWE-lifer at one point and had become one of the most recognizable faces in the company as General Manager of NXT.
Over the past decade, Regal has helped mold NXT into one of the most popular brands. Following the rebrand, however, the company decided that Regal was no longer required to fill his position.
The former superstar was released from the company on January 5th and was the star who grabbed all the headlines since his career in WWE had eclipsed more than two decades.
His son is still part of WWE and is currently performing on their NXT UK brand under the name Charles Dempsey. The company made the decision to keep Charles away from his father on-screen which means that he could now push himself towards the NXT brand despite his father no longer being at the helm.
Regal himself appears to be enjoying his downtime as he looks to sit out the remainder of his 30-day non-compete clause.
#1. Former WWE Superstar Brian Kendrick
It was reported last week that former Cruiserweight Champion Brian Kendrick had requested his release from WWE. At the time it wasn't revealed as to whether or not the request had been granted.
The star has been working as a backstage producer for the company since announcing his retirement last year. It was later noted by Fightful that Brian had been granted his request, just hours before it was announced that Kendrick would be heading to AEW.
All Elite Wrestling made the announcement that Brian Kendrick would be making his debut on Dynamite next week when he takes on Jon Moxley, who was formerly known as Dean Ambrose. It appears that Kendrick, who was known as 'The Man with the Plan' definitely lived up to his moniker when he first handed in his request.
His release brings his third spell with the company to an end after eight years. Kendrick originally returned as a trainer back in 2014 before returning to the ring and being a huge part of the rebranding of the Cruiserweight Division.
The star was later able to transition into a producer role before he announced that he was retiring from in-ring competition.
