5 of WWE's most shocking releases of 2021

#4 WWE released Aleister Black on June 2, 2021

Aleister Black had a mystical character.

WWE let one of its finest talents, Aleister Black, go during a mass release of talented individuals in the mid-year round of layoffs. The shocking element was the realization that Black had recently debuted a new persona on SmackDown after a long hiatus.

The ominous man from Amsterdam assaulted Big E during a Fatal-Four Way IC Championship match on the May 21 edition of SmackDown, starting a feud between the two former NXT Champions. Two weeks later, Black was released from his contract, and the WWE Universe was utterly puzzled with the thought process behind the entire sequence of events.

The announcement took the Dutch Destroyer by surprise as he voiced his concerns on Twitter while thanking everyone for his opportunities in WWE.

Reportedly, there were multiple reasons for Black's appalling departure. One explanation was connected to the star's issues with the creative team towards his tenure. Another suggested that Vince McMahon didn't understand the former NXT Champion's wrestling style, and the CEO of WWE decided to release him.

Unlike most cases where there is a 90-day non-compete clause, Black jumped ship to AEW within 30 days of his release.

Aleister Black was a missed opportunity as he brought so much to the table. It's a shame that WWE couldn't make good use of the Dutch Destroyer's innumerable talents.