WWE’s developmental cuts just claimed another name, and this time it’s Zena Sterling.
Sean Ross Sapp revealed on September 4, 2026 that Sterling is part of WWE’s latest round of cuts, adding another young developmental talent to a list that has already grown throughout the night.
Sterling, whose real name is Olena Sadovska, had been in WWE’s system since 2023 and was originally used under her real name before being repackaged as Zena Sterling. She trained at the WWE Performance Center and spent much of her run working NXT live events before getting more exposure through WWE LFG and WWE Evolve.
She became one of the women featured on LFG and later moved into Evolve, where she wrestled names like Laynie Luck, Anya Rune and PJ Vasa. Her July 29 appearance saw Sterling team with Thea Hail, Wren Sinclair and Skylar Raye in an eight-woman tag match. Sterling had also returned to Evolve earlier this summer with a new look and talked about wanting to make an impact after spending time away. That push is now over before it could really get going.
The WWE releases confirmed so far include:
- Jasper Troy
- PJ Vasa
- Wendy Choo
- Adriana Rizzo
- Zena Sterling
Sterling was still listed as part of the Evolve women’s roster just days before this round of cuts started, making her exit another reminder that WWE is moving fast with these developmental changes.
Zena Sterling spent years grinding through the Performance Center, LFG and Evolve trying to break through. Now that run is over, and with names continuing to drop, WWE clearly isn’t done cleaning house yet.
What do you think of WWE releasing Zena Sterling? Let us know what you think and leave your feedback in the comments.
