The latest episode of NXT 2.0 saw the company explain the sudden absence of one WWE Superstar who has been released by the company.
On June 12th it was reported that Troy “Two Dimes” Donovan has been released by WWE. Although numerous stars have left the company in recent months, Donovan’s exit was a little bit different.
Rather than simply being down to budget cuts, as is usually the case, it was reported that the NXT 2.0 star was let go due to a “policy issue.”
Dave Meltzer writing in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter later revealed that Donovan was told he’d be able to apply to return in a year’s time and was released following a failed drug test:
“Troy “2 Dimes” Donovan, who had wrestled independently as Cole Karter including with AEW, was fired for a failed drug test. He had worked the first night of the NXT tour in Tampa on 6/10 and was told the next day, before the Largo show. John Laurinaitis told him that if everything is clear he should apply for a job to return in about a year.”
Given the sudden nature of Donovan’s release, he wasn’t written out of storylines on NXT. However, his teammates Tony D’Angelo and Stacks addressed his absence on the 28th of June edition of NXT 2.0.
The two stars were seen looking out onto a river from a bridge while D’Angelo explained that he thinks Two Dimes is sleeping with the fishes after making a play for D’Angelo’s role at the head of the table.