Why WWE NXT Star Was Released

A follow-up report has provided more details on a member of the WWE NXT roster being quietly released earlier in the year.

On February 4th, news broke that former WWE NXT Tag Team Champion Duke Hudson was released back in January and news of his release only came to light during the February 3rd episode of Raw. Hudson last competed on TV back in September 2024 in a losing effort to Ridge Holland.

With Hudson previously a member of the popular Chase U faction and his Tag Title triumph being a massive feel-good moment on NXT, the news came as a surprise to many fans that he had been let go from his contract.

WWE NXT Star Not Seen As A “Main Roster Guy”

Discussing the release of Hudson on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer stated that the decision was made by Triple H, who reportedly did not see Hudson as a main roster guy. Meltzer also stated that Hudson’s age was likely a factor in the decision:

“[Paul] Levesque is the one who makes the calls and for whatever reason, he didn’t see Duke as a main roster guy. So at some point when you’re 34 and you don’t see him as a main roster guy and he’d been there for six years, it’s kind of like that’s the way it works,”

Although the February 3rd edition of WWE Raw focused on the fallout of the Royal Rumble while also building to the Elimination Chamber in March, the episode was met with complaints from fans as it was plagued with technical issues.

H/t to Cultaholic.