UPDATE: Per the Wrestling Observer, Austin Aries asked for his release from WWE and it was granted to him earlier today.
It may be shocking to hear, but “The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived” is no longer a member of the WWE roster. WWE.com confirmed today that Aries was released from his WWE contract. A statement was put out today stating: “WWE has come to terms on the release of WWE Superstar Austin Aries. WWE wishes Aries the best in all of his future endeavors.” Austin Aries joined the promotion in 2016 and was promoted to the main roster late last year. He had been working in the cruiserweight division prior to his release, but he decided recently to take time off from his wrestling career while he healed up from injuries.
No word on why Austin Aries has been released has been given thus far, but hopefully we should have some more answers soon. Aries was a widely-praised wrestler who worked for promotions such as ROH and TNA, both places where he won the world title, but he was relegated to the cruiserweight division during his time with WWE. Austin Aries was recently wrestling Neville for the Cruiserweight Championship on several shows, but he was never able to win the title. No word on what Aries plans to do now that he has been released from the promotion.
The news may come as a surprise to some fans, especially since his fiancee Thea Trinidad was recently signed by WWE, but Aries seems content with his departure. On Twitter, Aries commented by simply stating: “It’s a beautiful day.” This may suggest that his departure was a mutual agreement. Aries is set to release his autobiography entitled Foodfight: My Plant-Powered Journey From the Bingo Halls to the Big Time is set to be released soon as well. WWE has confirmed that “The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived” was indeed released from the company on July 7th, 2017.