After numerous cuts from the main roster and office in the past year, World Wrestling Entertainment has finally started cleaning house on developmental.
Among those let go Thursday include second generation wrestler Dakota “Maverick” Darsow (son of former WWE wrestler Barry “Demolition Smash” Darsow) and Lupe Santiago, both previously stationed in Tampa for Florida Championship Wrestling.
Darsow, 21, scored a developmental contract with WWE last December despite possessing very limited wrestling experience, having started earlier in the year. He debuted under his real name before changing his ring name to “Maverick Darsow” and then once again to “Barry Allen.” Darsow holds a victory over ECW star David Hart Smith, which he achieved this past March.
Lupe Santiago, whose real name is Lupe Viscara, fit the prototypical “WWE look” to a T — tall, muscular and young. He begun training for a career in professional wrestling at the Ohio Valley Wrestling school in the spring of 2006 and debuted approximately a year later. For Viscara, it was in the nick of time as he nabbed a developmental contract a few months later, just before WWE severed their official affiliation with Ohio Valley Wrestling. The last other wrestler signed out of the wrestling academy was Andrew Vain, another muscular wrestler who seemingly disappeared last year.
Soon after, Viscara transferred to Florida Championship Wrestling, where he had been stationed ever since. It would appear that his development was coming along slowly as after two years under contract to the company, he still had yet to work a single match in front of a WWE audience, which should be a pretty good indication that he was nowhere near ready to join the main roster. His personality had also come into question as quite like Maryse, he has the tremendous language barrier to overcome, thus hindering his promo ability.
It is believed that several other talent cuts in developmental were made Thursday, but names have yet to be confirmed. Stay tuned.
WWE SmackDown Notes: Joe Tessitore Fills In For Michael Cole, Charlotte Flair Makes Surprise Return & Teases Women’s WarGames Match Challenge To Fatal Influence & Jade Cargill’s Group, John Cena Appearance Set for 11/13 Show Card
AEW Fright Night Collision 2026 Notes: Queen Aminata & Persephone Added To Women’s Blood & Guts Match, Marina Shafir vs. Mercedes Mone for AEW Women’s World Title Set for Full Gear, Tommaso Ciampa vs. Andrade El Idolo for AEW National Title Set for 11/7 Collision Chris Jericho’s Rock N’ Wrestling Rager Show Card
TMDK’s Ryohei Oiwa & Hartley Jackson Declare For 2026 NJPW World Tag League
