Aleister Black was one of six superstars released by WWE earlier today, and backstage notes and updates regarding the latest cuts are coming in thick and fast.
Fightful Select released several details about the 'puzzling' WWE release of Aleister Black, with additional information about Zelina Vega's status.
As reported, Thea Trinidad (Zelina Vega) was spotted at the WWE Performance Center recently, and there were rumors of WWE potentially re-signing her.
Fightful reported that they had not heard of any specific plans for Zelina Vega. There are also no updates regarding an official contract being signed between Zelina Vega and WWE or if she was factored into Aleister Black's creative direction in the company.
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WWE's had no endgame for a storyline between Aleister Black and Big E
Speaking of Aleister Black's creative standing in the WWE, Fightful revealed that WWE officials got the Dutch star back on TV to start a feud with Big E.
WWE management, however, had no long-term endgame in store for the Aleister Black-Big E program. The Fightful Select report added that people associated with formulating the SmackDown storyline were unaware of WWE's plans to release Aleister Black.
However, the creative team was told to 'stop making pitches' for Black, and the company provided no specific reasoning behind the instruction.
During a Twitch stream following his WWE release, Aleister Black confirmed that budget cuts were the real reason for his departure from the promotion.
Aleister Black, aka Tommy End, moved up to the main roster with much fanfare in 2019 following a great run in NXT. Unfortunately, the 36-year-old wrestler's main roster stint suffered due to inconsistent booking decisions and constant backstage changes within the company.
The recent vignettes of Black's new character and the planned storyline with Big E would have helped rehabilitate him as an on-screen performer. Tommy End is now a free agent, and we'll surely see him in a major company when the time is right.