In a gut-punch to wrestling fans, WWE unleashed a wave of talent cuts on May 2, 2025, sending shockwaves through its NXT roster. Among the casualties were Gigi Dolin and Jakara Jackson, two fiery performers who’ve been lighting up the developmental brand. Both women took to social media to confirm their departures, offering brief but pointed reactions to the news that’s left the wrestling world buzzing.
Dolin, a former two-time NXT Women’s Tag Team Champion, didn’t mince words. On May 2, she posted that she’d be “free to work in 30 days,” signaling her non-compete clause and a clear intent to keep wrestling. The 31-year-old, who first stepped into WWE’s ring in 2018, had been a standout in NXT, known for her gritty in-ring style and her role in the Toxic Attraction faction. Her last match, a tag team bout alongside Tatum Paxley on April 22, saw them challenge for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles—a high-profile spot that made her release all the more jarring.
Jakara Jackson, meanwhile, dropped a defiant message the same day. “Always BEEN and always GON be bout that mothafkn ACTION,” she wrote, pairing it with a bold orange checkmark emoji. The 29-year-old, a key player in NXT’s Meta-Four stable, had been a regular on TV, often teaming with Lash Legend. Their recent challenges for the Women’s Tag Team Championships, including a shot at Crown Jewel 2024, kept her in the spotlight. Jackson’s exit came just days after Meta-Four’s on-screen breakup on the April 30 episode of NXT, a storyline twist that now feels like a grim foreshadowing.
The releases weren’t limited to Dolin and Jackson. WWE also cut main roster names like Braun Strowman, Shayna Baszler, and Dakota Kai, alongside NXT talents Cora Jade, Eddy Thorpe, Riley Osborne, and the Gallus trio—Joe Coffey, Mark Coffey, and Wolfgang. The company, as is its custom, stayed tight-lipped, declining to issue an official statement. Insiders report these developmental contracts carry 30-day non-compete clauses, meaning the released stars will be paid through early June while they plot their next moves.
Dolin and Jackson’s departures sting especially hard given their recent work. Both women crossed into TNA programming through WWE’s partnership with the promotion, with Dolin and Paxley challenging for the Knockouts Tag Team Titles on April 17, and Jackson appearing alongside Legend on March 20. Jackson, who joined WWE in 2022 after a tryout during SummerSlam weekend, had been a rising star in NXT’s tag division. Dolin, a veteran of the indie scene before signing in 2021, brought a raw edge that resonated with fans.
Neither wrestler elaborated beyond their initial posts, but their words carried weight. Dolin’s pragmatic nod to future bookings and Jackson’s fiery vow to keep pushing forward suggest they’re far from done. For now, the wrestling world waits to see where these two land next, as WWE’s latest cuts reshape the landscape of its NXT brand.