WWE Superstar James Ellsworth Released from Contract

WWE released James Ellsworth, the company announced Wednesday. 

Most recently, Ellsworth lost to Becky Lynch on the Nov. 7 taping of SmackDown Live from the United Kingdom.

Ellsworth became a cult hero among WWE fans when he lost in a squash match to Braun Strowman in July 2016.

He entered the spotlight again as Dean Ambrose was feuding with AJ Styles on SmackDown Live throughout the fall in 2016. Ellsworth picked up the biggest win of his WWE career when he defeated Styles—with a lot of help from Dean Ambrose—on Nov. 22, 2016, to win a contract with SmackDown Live.

Ellsworth, however, turned on Ambrose at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs 2016 when he helped Styles retain the WWE Championship.

Ellsworth had a title shot against Styles last December, and Styles dispatched him in less than a minute.

From there, Ellsworth joined forces with Carmella as she pursued the SmackDown Live Women's Championship. Somewhat controversially, Ellsworth retrieved the Money in the Bank briefcase at the pay-per-view of the same name and gave the briefcase to Carmella.

The Princess of Staten Island subsequently retained the MITB briefcase in rematch.