Ashante “Thee” Adonis is officially done with WWE.
In the midst of the big news of Karrion Kross and Scarlett Bourdeux’s WWE release, NXT star Ashante “Thee” Adonis confirmed on social media that his time in WWE has come to an end.
“After 6 unforgettable years under the WWE lights, the time has come for me to close that chapter. I’m filled with nothing but gratitude for every opportunity, the experiences, lessons, and incredible talent I’ve had the chance to work with. I’m truly excited to show the world what I can really do. Sometimes you gotta get off multiplayer and progress your story mode. I believe i’m the face of the future and the reason your girl stopped texting you back
This is a brand new beginning. I am becoming the best version of myself. You have only seen a glimpse of my true potential, and im just scratching the surface. I know that to some this can be a dark time, but stars can’t shine without darkness. – Thee Adonis Out For bookings, please contact me here: [email protected]”
It was confirmed by Fightful Select that Adonis’ contract was coming to an end and WWE opted to not re-sign the NXT star. This isn’t a surprise as he was barely featured on NXT television over the past couple of months.
Adonis made his debut in 2019 working for both 205 Live and NXT, but it was the formation of Hit Row that really got his career moving along. Adonis and the entire Hit Row faction was released in November 2021 after being called up to Smackdown a month earlier. Their first run on the main roster was forgettable, but their second run was another disappointment.
Adonis returned to the company alongside Top Dolla and B-Fab in 2022 without Swerve Strickland. WWE tried to push them as babyfaces, but without Strickland, the act just wasn’t clicking. So they turned them heel. Unfortunately for Hit Row 2.0, their act never got out of first gear and the trio was broken up when Top Dolla was released in September 2023.
WWE sent Adonis back down to NXT and he teased an alliance with Cedric Alexander. That never came into fruition. So Adonis started this player/F**k boy character and it was getting some decent traction. But as time moved, Adonis’ appearances on NXT started to dwindle. He was paired with Karmen Petrovic late last year, with the duo breaking up back in April. As he stated above, Adonis will be going back out on the independent scene and given his age - he’s 32 - it’s quite possible that WWE could rehire him down the line if he gets hot enough.