Dakota Kai, Dexter Lumis, and others released from NXT

[Liz]

WWE has started cleaning house at NXT, releasing several stars today including some surprising names according to Fightful Wrestling.

Those who were given the pink slip include Dakota Kai, Harland, Dexter Lumis, Malcolm Bivens, Persia Pirotta, Draco Anthony, and referee Blair Baldwin.

Kai, 33, has been signed to WWE since 2015 and was never called up to the main roster. She is a former two-time NXT Women's Tag Team champion and a winner of the Dusty Tag Team Classic.

Lumis, 38, has been signed since 2019 after a stint with Impact Wrestling where he wrestled as Samuel Shaw. He never won a title in NXT.

Harland, real name Parker Boudreaux, signed with WWE last year and was touted as the next Brock Lesnar. The former college football player was involved with Joe Gacy since his NXT debut but never made a big impact. He had a big fan in Paul Heyman, but that did not help him keep his job.

Bivens, better known as Stokely Hathaway during his indie days, signed with WWE in 2019 and was lately managing the Diamond Mine stable.

Aussie-born Persia Pirotta was signed to WWE in 2021 and spent most of her time in NXT teaming with Indie Hartwell. The two unsuccessfully challenged for the NXT Women's Tag Team titles at Vengeance Day.

Draco Anthony is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who trained under WWE Hall of Famer Booker T.

Blair Baldwin was a referee whose real name is Chloe Christmas. She signed with WWE in 2021 and was first given the name of Paige before it was changed.