WWE has released more than 50 wrestlers since the start of 2021, and it looks like there’s another who wants out of thier current contract. Mas Lucha reported on Wednesday that Gran Metalik has requested his release due to a lack of opportunities and frustration with his direction in the company. Metalik, formerly known as as Mascare Dorada, made a name for himself down in Mexico with his 11-year stint in Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre and time spent in New Japan Pro-Wrestling. He arrived in WWE in 2016 as a competitor in the Cruiserweight Classic, making it all the way to the final sbefore losing to Zack Sabre Jr.
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From there Metalik became a consistent member of WWE’s cruiserweight roster, though he never got his hands on the Cruiserweight Championship. He’s been apart of the Lucha House Party since 2018. WWE has yet to announce whether or not his request will be accepted as his contract reportedly isn’t up until 2023.
WWE president Nick Khan explained in an interview with Ariel Helwani last month why WWE has cut ties with so many wrestlers this year. There hasn’t been a big wave of releases in a few months, but the last few big cuts included Bray Wyatt and Ric Flair.
“I don’t know that there’s one explanation for it,” Khan said. “I think ultimately what’s looked at is, is this person — for us — going to move the needle now, or in the imminent future. So, by the way, we had a tryout, a two-day tryout in Las Vegas which ended yesterday. Which Triple H, and Johnny Laurinaitis, and Bruce Prichard were all across, as were the rest of us. We’ve signed over a dozen new talent coming out of that tryout. And I’m not suggesting, “Oh that’s why we cut the other talent.” But we’re always looking for what’s next. We live in the present, we live in the future. We don’t live in the past. So when people leave, and they move on with their life and their careers? That’s good by us. For us, it’s what works for us and our product at that moment in time, and again, what’s gonna work down the road. And largely in part the existing roster is based on that.”
