Report: WWE Releases Tony Nese, Ariya Daivari
Two Cruiserweight standouts gone
WWE has released Tony Nese and Ariya Daivari, according to an update from Mike Johnson of PWInsider. WWE has not issued a confirmation statement at press time.
Nese first appeared with WWE as part of the Cruiserweight Classic in 2016, where he lost to Brian Kendrick in the round of 16. He later debuted on the main roster that September, as part of the resurrected Cruiserweight division.
After several years of wrestling on 205 Live, Main Event, and divisional matches on Raw, Nese won the Cruiserweight championship on the pre-show of WrestleMania 35 in 2019, defeating Buddy Murphy. He went on to reign as champion for 11 weeks before losing to Drew Gulak on the kickoff show of Stomping Grounds.
Daivari followed Nese's trajectory in WWE, taking part in the Cruiserweight Classic, before joining the class of the restored division that same year. He went on to lose to Nese in a Cruiserweight title match at the 2019 Money in the Bank.
Prior to their releases, Nese and Daivari had teamed on 205 Live with regularity since last November.
Written by Justin Henry
In addition to writing lists and commentaries for Cultaholic, Justin is also a features writer and interviewer for Fighting Spirit Magazine, and is co-author of the WWE-related book Titan Screwed: Lost Smiles, Stunners, and Screwjobs.
