The number of WWE Superstars released since February 8 grew to 12 on Sunday. Legado del Fantasma’s Elektra Lopez was the latest to be released, as the 32-year-old was moved to the promotion’s alumni page—one of the first indications that a Superstar has been released.
The news was reportedly confirmed by PWInsider.
Lopez joins Authors of Pain (Akam and Rezar), Paul Ellering, Sonya Deville, Blair Davenport, Duke Hudson, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, Isla Dawn, and Giovanni Vinci as Superstars separated from the company.
It’s unclear if Lopez will have a 90-day non-compete clause or if she will be free to sign with and appear on television for another promotion.
Lopez never hit her stride with WWE, either in NXT or on the main roster. Despite signing with WWE in 2021, she never won a title. In recent years, she had become more of a manager for Legado del Fantasma, working matches only sparingly.
Lopez’s last match with WWE appears to be a Triple Threat against Naomi and Tiffany Stratton on December 6, 2024, on an episode of SmackDown. You have to wonder why Lopez never got more of an opportunity, but her in-ring work wasn’t highly acclaimed.
According to CageMatch.net, Lopez aka Karissa Rivera’s overall grade as a performer is a modest 3.21, but that’s subjective. With this release, WWE has taken away another piece from a faction. Legado del Fantasma—if it remains a faction—is now down to Santos Escobar, Angel, and Humberto.
It wouldn’t be a shock to see someone else join to replace Elektra, but for now, the faction has only three members. Likewise, the Final Testament is done. Without AOP and Ellering, there’s only Karrion Kross and Scarlett.
The O.C. was already nearly done, but with the release of Gallows and Anderson, it’s clear AJ Styles’ faction is a thing of the past. Dawn’s exit ends the Unholy Union tag team with Alba Fyre.
Last but not least, Pure Fusion Collective is likely finished as it has lost its leader in Deville. Zoey Stark and Shayna Baszler have struggled to get over on their own. We’ll see if this continues or if they’re able to find their footing with a new beginning.
The other takeaway from this sweep of releases is the impact on the women’s rosters across SmackDown and Raw. This roster sweep has resulted in the removal of four women from the roster.
With depth issues on both Raw and SmackDown, you’d have to think that at least a few call-ups from NXT could be in order. Roxanne Perez, Stephanie Vaquer, Lash Legend, and Jakara Jackson all seem like possibilities. Perez, Vaquer, and Lash were in the Women’s Royal Rumble, and Lash and Jackson have competed as a tag team on SmackDown.
No one would be surprised if they’re all moved up soon. Obviously, I wish the performers well who have been forced to look elsewhere to find a spot for their talents. However, I’m also interested to see what new blood is introduced and how the shake-up will impact some of the Superstars who are still on the roster.
