It's been confirmed today that Shotzi (also known as Shotzi Blackheart) has been released by WWE. However, the key difference here is that her contract will not be renewed when it expires, meaning she likely has a little more time to serve with the company.
According to Fightful Select, this was an "expected move" from Shotzi's perspective, hence the cryptic video she shared to social media on May 1.
Shotzi signed with WWE in November 2019 and initially competed in NXT. As part of the developmental brand, she won the NXT Women's Tag Team Championships with Ember Moon and was called up to the main roster in 2021. She found mixed fortunes there and returned to NXT last December after being sidelined for 9 months with a torn ACL.
Shotzi hasn't wrestled for WWE since February 19, when she competed on an episode of WWE Speed. She did, however, accompany Gigi Dolin and Tatum Paxley to the ring at NXT Stand & Deliver.
"I am more than grateful for the wild ride! Can’t wait to see where this crazy journey takes me next!" Shotzi wrote on social media. "I hope to make all my believers proud."
In related news, NXT Superstar Dani Palmer has also confirmed her departure from WWE. She signed with the company in 2022 following an impressive background in acrobatics and tumbling.
She was part of the "Level Up" program, but underwent serious double hip surgery last year that has ended her career, based on the remarks below.
"Thank you WWE for bringing me to the love of my life," she shared. "The past 3 years have been amazing! It’s a bittersweet feeling to be officially closing out my athletic career, but I can truly say I went til the wheels fell off.. literally lol. Our bodies are a gift and mine has been so kind to me."
"I look forward to this next chapter!! Gods been giving me some big dreams with bringing my business back and I couldn’t be more stoked about it! Thank you all for the support," Palmer concluded.
Needless to say, we wish her and Shotzi the best with whatever they decide to do moving forward.