A former WWE tag team has scored their first taste of championship gold following their release from the promotion in September of last year.
September 2023 saw the first wave of talent releases following the launch of TKO Group Holdings that same month. These releases came shortly after WWE cut over 100 employees from its corporate offices. These cuts were made as part of synchronization efforts with UFC to ensure that there was as little unnecessary staff in TKO.
New Champions
Mace and Mansoor, collectively known as the Maximum Male Models, were among the names cut from WWE in September of last year. Now the pair have captured championship gold. At an event for Beyond Wrestling, the pair won the promotion’s tag titles. WWE NXT Superstar DIJAK was in attendance at the show to commemorate the win for the models.
WE DID IT! NEW CHAMPS!@GREATBLACKOTAKU @suavemansoor @beyondwrestling @indiewrestling pic.twitter.com/EviJEUlptu
— DIJAK (@DijakWWE) March 9, 2024
In WWE, neither Mace nor Mansoor won championship gold. Mace’s only title opportunity in WWE came at a 2020 WWE NXT live event where he unsuccessfully challenged NXT Champion Adam Cole. Mansoor would never even get an opportunity at a title in WWE, with his biggest win being the 51-Man battle royal victory at WWE Super Showdown 2019.
Championship Releases
Notable names cut at the time included Matt Riddle and Nic Nemeth, both of whom have gone on to capture championship gold in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Nemeth is the current, and second-ever IWGP Global Champion while Riddle is currently the NJPW World Television Champion.
Mustafa Ali has gone on to join TNA Wrestling and is the reigning TNA X-Division Champion. The Retribution leader captured the title, his first championship in a major wrestling promotion, in the main event of TNA No Surrender.