Imagine training to become the next WWE Superstar and in doing so you find the love of your life. With wrestlers, being on the road constantly, it's common that they begin to date and eventually go on to marry their coworker. There were couples who worked together while within the WWE but were later separated following a release if not released together.
2020 was the hardest year as most of the released talent still had their other half working for the promotion as they went to follow those future endeavors that the company wishes them well in their release statements. Recently, more stars were released, and some whose partners were a part of last year's chopping block.
Whether it's because of budget cuts, talent requesting for their release, or just being fired on what’s supposed to be the happiest day of your life, these couples or their partners were the most notable.
8 Dean Ambrose & Renee Young
Ambrose, now known as Jon Moxley in AEW/NJPW, was unhappy with the way things were going with his character behind the scenes in WWE. He chose to not re-sign with the company and left, and in a short time appeared in the rival brand which led to speculation that Young was receiving backstage heat because of it.
After eight years working as a backstage correspondent and announcer for RAW, Young also chose to leave the company. The couple is expecting their first child together and announced the name to be Nora. Moxley continues to be a top star in AEW.
7 Sarah Logan & Erik (Viking Raiders)
Logan was 1/3 of the popular team The Riott Squad led by Ruby Riott and teammate Liv Morgan. The team started dominant but later were broken up by creative which allowed each member to be singles competitors. Erik along with Ivar of The Viking Raiders was also a popular tag team in NXT before being called to the main roster where they did more jobber roles against The Street Profits.
The two were married in a Viking-style ceremony in 2018. Unfortunately for Logan, she was one of the wrestlers released in 2020 due to budget cuts. The last image seen of Logan was with Riott and Morgan announcing she was pregnant in an Instagram post. Erik along with Ivar returned back in April but have since been seen on RAW.
6 Peyton Royce & Tye Dillinger
Royce and Dillinger were popular in the WWE with Tye's perfect 10 gimmick, and Royce along with Billie Kay with The IIconics. WWE cut ties with Dillinger in 2019 after requesting his release from the company. He went on to perform in AEW under his name Shawn Spears.
The IIconics were separated because that's what happens to most tag teams in WWE and it was rumored that Royce was going to be pushed heavily as a singles star. Instead, she was paired with Lacy Evans and taken off of television for months. Royce is in the latest class of releases this year due to budget cuts along with Kay.
5 Lana & Rusev
Starting as a powerhouse in WWE, Lana and Rusev, aka Miro, were rising stars in the company. Everything was going well until the engagement announcement on social media from Lana ruined what was to be the storyline of the two along with Dolph Ziggler and Summer Rae.
After a while, the heavy accents were dropped from the two, storylines revolving around cheating and separation came, and Rusev asked for his release which was granted. Miro went to streaming on Twitch before appearing in AEW with his new character.
Lana received what some may say is Miro's punishment by being put through a table for nine weeks straight. Many thought it was a marking for a big push that never came. Before being released a week ago, she teamed with Naomi and lost their last tag match against Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke.
4 CM Punk & AJ Lee
Both top stars during their time with the company, Punk and Lee were good on the mic and ran their respected divisions. Punk is known for stirring the pot and dropping the infamous pipe bomb promo while Lee was gaining everyone's respect and belittling the women's division for their inclusion in Total Divas.
Punk was fired on his wedding day in 2014 to Lee. A year later, Lee announced she was retiring from wrestling after four years on the main roster. Punk went on to have an unsuccessful run in UFC and Lee became an author. The two often appear at conventions for meet and greets.
3 Zack Ryder & Chelsea Green
Mr. Woo Woo Woo was popular with the fans for his cocky gimmick while with the company. The majority of his fan base came from his following on his social media and YouTube postings. Green, as some may have forgotten, was a former contestant on WWE's Tough Enough before becoming a name in NXT.
After a short Intercontinental Title reign and lackluster Raw Tag Team Championship run along with Curt Hawkins, Ryder, now known as Matt Cardona, was released in April 2020. A year later, Green was also released after plans for her coming to the main roster were neglected following her injury during an episode of SmackDown.
Cardona is currently in AEW and many speculate that Green may make an appearance there soon following her recent release once the 90-day non-compete clause is finished.
2 Aleister Black & Zelina Vega
One of the more shocking releases to have happened within the promotion was the release of Zelina Vega. WWE started a policy where stars who used third-party sites such as Twitch or Caffeine had to hand over their rights to the company or stop using the site. Vega, known for her gaming and cosplay, refused to follow WWE policy by launching an OnlyFans account, which led to a "breach of contract" and her release from the company on November 13, 2020.
In a surprising twist, after being off television for many months and making a return attacking Big E a week ago, Aleister Black was let go by WWE, along with his former rival Murphy. Black's release was one of the most shocking WWE releases of 2021. WWE went through the trouble of airing Dark Father vignettes and reintroducing Black on SmackDown, only for him to be released in short order.
Vega still streams on Twitch and TikTok. She launched an OnlyFans account in November to show off her cosplays. Recently, Black streamed on the popular gaming site and released audio of what was to be his new theme music before being released.
1 Andrade & Charlotte Flair
Andrade had a promising run while with WWE from being NXT Champion, feuding with his idol Rey Mysterio, to teaming with Angel Garza. Flair and Andrade were dating for years before becoming engaged in 2019. After the release of Zelina Vega, Andrade wasn't on television and Flair took time off for surgery.
Andrade requested his release from the company and it was granted along without the 90-day non-compete clause. It was speculated that this was the reason Flair missed out on this year's WrestleMania. Though Flair is still with WWE, Andrade recently made his appearance on AEW and may begin his feud with Kenny Omega as the two are already scheduled to meet at Lucha Libre AAA TripleMania XXIX in August.