The new NXT 2.0 has seen quite a few cuts in the first half of 2022, with WWE opting to release several names from its developmental promotion. This weekend, yet another NXT superstar has been cut from WWE. This time, it’s Troy Donovan that has been removed from the NXT lineup. Many fans have come to know Troy Donavan as Two Dimes, one of the members of Tony D’Angelo’s “family” with Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo.
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The news of Donovan’s release was first reported by Wrestling Observer‘s Dave Meltzer, and later confirmed by Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful. Meltzer stated in the initial report that Donovan’s release from WWE wasn’t a “budget or creative decision,” but instead some kind of “policy issue.” Donovan was reportedly told he might be brought back to WWE in a year.
Donovan’s release on Saturday came exactly one week after the biggest match of his career to-date. Donovan competed alongside D’Angelo and Lorenzo in a six-man tag-team match against Legado del Fantasma. The feud between D’Angelo’s family and Legado del Fantasma had been a major story in NXT 2.0 for quite a while. The stakes were raised ahead of the clash at NXT’s In Your House last Saturday, with the losing organization being forced to join the winning stable.ย
Donovan has only been on television for NXT for the last few months, being brought into the D’Angelo storyline. It was just this past March when WWE first announced that he had been signed to the company. Before that, Donovan appeared in various independent promotions. He did appear in multiple episodes of AEW Dark and AEW Dark Elevation, both of which air new episodes on YouTube. Last October, wrestling under the name Cole Karter, Donovan took part in a three-on-one handicap match against Paul Wight.ย
Are you disappointed to see Troy Donovan released by WWE? Do you think he’ll return to the NXT brand next year or join another promotion? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!