WWE Releases Ikemen Jiro From His NXT Contract

WWE handed down several releases yesterday, as the main roster and NXT both saw cuts. Now, we have another sad release to report.

Click here for our complete list of WWE main roster releases on September 21st, 2023.

PW Insider reports that Ikemen Jiro was released on Thursday. Jiro’s final match will be featured on tonight’s NXT Level Up episode, where he faces Luca Crusifino. The match was recorded on September 12th.

Jiro, who spent nine years in Japan, joined WWE in December 2020 alongside other WWE Performance Center recruits. He made his debut on 205 Live in May 2021 and then appeared on NXT the following month, teaming up with August Grey for a match against The Grizzled Young Veterans on the June 8th, 2021 episode.

Ikemen Jiro formed a tag team with Kushida, but primarily competed on Level Up and at non-televised live events during the last year of his tenure. His most recent appearance on the main NXT TV show was a loss to Scrypts on the December 27th, 2022 episode, which aired two weeks after a televised victory against Javier Bernal.

WWE also fired two NXT Superstars before they were even allowed to make television debut. Dabba Kato was also released from his contract, along with Dana Brooke. It is a sad time for WWE right now, because cuts are never easy.

In other news surrounding today’s releases, Mustafa Ali requested his release in 2021, and people in NXT had no idea he was on his way out. Also, Elias was pitching ideas to WWE creative up until month before his release from the company. Paul Heyman also had Riddick Moss in mind as a top WWE main event level Superstar. Dolph Ziggler’s release was also a surprise today, because the vetern’s contract wasn’t up until next Summer.

We’re sending out our best to everyone who lost their job today. Hopefully, they can bounce back and find employment very soon.