Kay Lee Ray Reveals Her WWE Contract Expired As Opposed To Being Released

Kay Lee Ray has revealed her WWE contract simply expired as opposed to her being actively released by the organisation, with the former NXT UK Women's Champion suggesting that she had the option to remain with WWE.

After being asked by Daily Star if there was any frustration over her WWE exit, Kay Lee Ray said: "For me, it happens. There seems to be a pattern with this. My contract was up. I knew it was coming up and I had the decision of whether I wanted to stay or not. I know some other people got fired and they have the 90-day clause. Because mine was just contract ending, it means I didn't have the 90 days and I was able to come and do this. Do it as like kind of a surprise but I know it wasn't really a surprise. But, yeah, really glad it worked out this way."

Ray gave the interview following her first match since her WWE release as she answered Molly Spartan's open challenge at Pro-Wrestling: EVE 150 on Friday, June 5. An appearance from the former Alba Fyre was heavily teased and there was a brief fake-out as Abi Cartwright initially answered the open challenge as Abi Fyre, before Kay Lee Ray made her way to the ring. Kay Lee Ray then defeated Molly Spartan, picking up the win after a swanton bomb.

Kay Lee Ray made her WWE debut in the inaugural Mae Young Classic in 2017 and joined the company full-time in 2019 as part of NXT UK. Ray quickly won the NXT UK Women's Title and held the belt for close to two years from August 2019 until June 2021.

Kay Lee Ray joined NXT in the United States in August 2021 and was renamed Alba Fyre in April 2022. She would form The Unholy Union with Isla Dawn, which saw them hold the NXT Women's Tag Team Championships and later the WWE Women's Tag Team Titles after moving to the WWE main roster. After Dawn's release in February 2025, Fyre linked up with Chelsea Green and Piper Niven in The Secret Hervice and remained a part of the stable until her departure in April 2026 following WrestleMania 42.

Reflecting upon her WWE stint, Ray added to Daily Star: "I had fun. Honestly, from start to end. I got the job that I wanted to and I had fun while I was doing it with my friends. Now I get to come back and almost like start again. Fun."

While Kay Lee Ray was not let go, WWE did release 30 wrestlers following WrestleMania 42, including the New Day, Motor City Machine Guns, the Wyatt Sicks, Zelina Vega, Aleister Black, and Apollo Crews.

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