NXT 2.0 welcomes 2022 with layoffs of formerly key staff and wrestlers, which includes the likes of former WWE European Champion William Regal and former WWE Tag Team Champion and Hall of Famer Road Dogg.

The news came after Bronn Breaker's dethroning of Tommasso Ciampa for the NXT Championship. Breaker's win can be seen as a metaphor on NXT 2.0's trajectory: out with the old, in with the new. Indeed, Vince McMahon's return in managing NXT with Triple H's absence has changed the landscape of the promotion. From being the third brand next to Raw and Smackdown, it has become more of a developmental circuit with its own show and high-budget production.

While it's not a bad thing that WWE gets its own developmental brand that also gets strong exposure, fans will surely miss the indie-feel of NXT, where indie darlings such as Chris Hero and Keith Lee thrived. Instead, young up-and-comers being trained for an eventual main roster run will become the priority, instead of making NXT a more-or-less distinct brand that does not necessarily lead to its stars debuting on either Raw or Smackdown. The failure of NXT to beat AEW in ratings could be the reason why it's being demoted once again, but we could imagine how NXT's ratings could continue floundering henceforth. Still, we do hope that these changes will lead to better products, better storylines, and better quality of wrestlers in the long term.

Here's a full list of all of the WWE NXT Staff Released on January 5, 2022 (William Regal, Road Dogg, Danny Burch, Timothy Thatcher, and more)

As reported by Fightful Select, WWE NXT has released the following staff and wrestlers:

  1. Brian “Road Dogg” James – who was working as a producer backstage
    • One-time WWF Hardcore Champion
    • One-time WWF Intercontinental Champion
    • Five-time WWF Tag Team Champion
    • One-time WWE Tag Team Champion
    • WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2019
  2. William Regal – on-screen general manager for NXT and talent scout
    • Four-time WWE European Champion
    • Two-time WWE Intercontinental Champion
    • Five-time WWF Hardcore Champion
    • Four-time World Tag Team Champion
    • 2008 King of the Ring
  3. Danny Burch
    • One-time WWE Tag Team Champion
  4. “Hachiman” Hideki Suzuki – wrestling coach at the Performance Center and on-screen coach for the Diamond Mine stable
  5. Timothy Thatcher – who unsuccessfully challenged for the NXT North American Championship and NXT Tag Team Championship
  6. Ace Steel – wrestling coach at the Performance Center
  7. Ryan Katz  – creative writer
  8. George Carroll – creative writer
  9. Dave Kapoor – creative writer
  10. Scott Armstrong – referee
  11. Cathy Corino – referee
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Shawn Michaels next to Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake with the NXT Vengeance Day logo as the background.

Matty Breisch ·

Eli Drake on the left, an arrow pointing left to right in the middle and LA knight on the right with the NXT logo as the background.

Matty Breisch ·

The blacked-out silhouette of Road Dogg with a text bubble reading “I’m better” next to MJF in a professional wrestling ring.

Matty Breisch ·

And then, the next day, Fightful Select reported that WWE released Samoa Joe, who is a record-setting three-time NXT Champion and two-time US Champion.