Even More Backstage Details On WWE Releases Of Kairi Sane, Zoey Stark & Santos Escobar

More insight continues to emerge following WWE’s latest wave of roster cuts, with new details shedding light on the situations surrounding several notable names.

As previously reported, last Friday’s releases impacted both the main roster and NXT, and now additional context has surfaced regarding some of the higher-profile departures.

Among those released were Zoey Stark and Santos Escobar, both of whom were dealing with injuries at the time. However, their respective situations were quite different behind the scenes. Stark had reportedly already been medically cleared to return to in-ring action prior to her release, despite not being actively used on television. Escobar, on the other hand, was still sidelined while recovering from a triceps injury.

“Regarding cuts, I was told Zoey Stark had been cleared when she was cut, just wasn’t being used,” Bryan Alvarez of F4WOnline.com reported. “Meanwhile, Santos Escobar was just injured on that AAA show about a month ago and was NOT cleared.”

A surprising name included in the cuts was Kairi Sane, whose release raised eyebrows given her involvement in an ongoing storyline alongside Asuka and IYO SKY.

It turned heads.

While there have been reports suggesting that Sane has already returned to Japan following her departure, that move may not necessarily be tied to her WWE exit. According to Alvarez, her travel habits have remained consistent throughout her time with the company.

“Regarding reports of Kairi being in Japan, this may or may not be related to her release,” he said. “She [has] traveled home at least once or twice per month every month since she first signed.”