WWE Rumors: Bronson Reed, Bobby Fish Among Superstars Released from NXT

WWE continued its mass releasing of talent Friday, with Bronson Reed, Bobby Fish and Mercedes Martinez leading a group of 12 names cut from the NXT brand. 

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful reported the full list of names. 

WWE has spent most of 2021 slashing its roster, with nearly 50 wrestlers and several more behind-the-scenes employees being released since April. The NXT releases come in the same week the company released legend Ric Flair and a week after the shocking departure of Bray Wyatt.

WWE has given little to no notice behind the scenes on many of these releases. Several wrestlers have been cut midway through a storyline and even made appearances on television in the same week they were let go.

Tyler Rust was on television Wednesday as part of the Diamond Mine stable that was just debuted in June. Fish lost a match to former Undisputed Era stablemate Roderick Strong of Diamond Mine in the same episode.

Reed is by far the most shocking of the releases. When Reed dropped the North American championship to Isaiah "Swerve" Scott in June, most assumed he was doing so to prepare for a main-roster callup. WWE had Reed wrestling matches on Main Event and backstage at SmackDown.

The release of Reed and Ruff means two of the last four North American champions are no longer with WWE, within a year of them winning the championship. While it's not quite as surprising as Wyatt—the Universal champion at this point last year—it shows no one is safe in WWE.