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Tag: release

  • Per his request, Adam Rose released from WWE

    Ray Leppan, known as Adam Rose, was officially released by WWE Monday as he requested it, according to the company.

    Leppan was on an indefinite suspension from the company after being arrested on both tampering with a witness and domestic battery charges on May 11 involving his wife at their home in Lutz, FL. During the proceedings it came out, it was a second incident involving Leppan.

    He was already on a 60 day suspension, announced on April 16, for a second wellness policy violation. He wrote that the violation was for testing positive for Adderall XR to treat ADHD.  He put up a doctor’s note on Twitter, took it down, and then put it up again. WWE never responded to questions regarding the nature of the suspension, but did not change its ruling.

    Leppan started his career working in South Africa as a tag team partner of Paul Lloyd Jr. (P.J. Black in Lucha Underground, Justin Gabriel in WWE). He worked for the local promotion there and was one of its top stars when signed to WWE in 2010, where he worked as Leo Kruger and later Adam Rose, highlighted in the ESPN E:60 Behind The Curtain documentary. The latter gimmick got him a 2014 call-up but the character never got out of prelims. He was a member of the Social Outcasts group at the time of his first suspension.

    We’ll discuss this more on Wrestling Observer Live today and on Wrestling Observer Radio tonight.

  • Cody Runnels requests his release from WWE

    Cody Runnels on Twitter today said that he requested his release from WWE earlier today.

    “The past ten years have been quite the trek, but as of earlier today, I have asked for my release from WWE.  I’ll speak further on the matter shortly.  Thank you to all the pro wrestling/sports entertainment fans worldwide. Thank you.”

    Runnels, 30, the son of Dusty Rhodes, was a two-time state champion high school wrestler in Georgia and at first studied to be an actor before going into pro wrestling.

    He started with the company in 2006 and was on the main roster in 2007 with a push.  His biggest run was early on as part of The Legacy with Randy Orton and Ted DiBiase Jr. Once the group broke up, Runnels was used as more of a lower and mid-card wrestler in a number of changing roles. He was Dashing Cody Rhodes talking about grooming, Team Rhodes Scholars and he and his brother Goldust formed a strong babyface tag team.

    Ever since the team split up and he became Stardust, a parody of his brother, his career had gone nowhere and he hadn’t been used well.  For whatever reason, the company decided against changing him after the death of his father, or since even though he constantly would tease going back to Cody Rhodes.

    It is also possible this is an angle.