Why WWE Released Von Wagner

Although not immediately known, Von Wagner was released by WWE on Friday, April 19 along with the likes of Jinder Mahal, Xia Li, Veer, Sanga, and Xyon Quinn. 

Von Wagner been a part of WWE since 2019 and he had been a performer on NXT TV since the 2.0 rebrand in September 2021. Wagner was initially a meme through his "Cum Tuesday" promo but he eventually became a popular member of the NXT roster alongside Robert Stone. Real name Cal Bloom, Wagner is the son of Wayne Bloom, AKA Beau Beverly of the Beverly Brothers. 

Von Wagner was actually a free agent following the 2023 WWE Draft but the company never had any main roster plans for him. The company ultimately decided to release Wagner, according to Fightful Select , as he had been with WWE for over five years and the organisation believed Von Wagner's trajectory didn't match his experience level in the company. This is the same reason WWE released the likes of Mahal, Indus Sher, Li, and Xyon Quinn too.

Dave Meltzer further noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that Von Wagner, along with Xyon Quinn, were considered main roster wrestlers and they were released as they weren't being used on either Raw or SmackDown. 

"They were considered main roster wrestlers and, therefore, because they were not being used on the main roster the decision was made to dump them," Meltzer said. 

WWE did have high hopes for Von Wagner stretching back to 2020  due to his size and blonde hair, particularly during the Vince McMahon regime. The company wanted him to eventually establish himself as a WrestleMania main eventer.