Wrestling fans may soon see the departure of Rip Fowler and Jagger Reid from the WWE. According to a report by Fightful, the former Grizzled Young Veterans, who have been a part of Joe Gacy’s Schism faction on the NXT brand, have requested their release from the WWE. It is still being determined whether the WWE has responded to their release request at this time.
Fightful has also reported that the reason behind Fowler and Reid’s request is still unknown, but they are expected to make an announcement soon.
Fowler, formerly known as Zack Gibson, and Reid, previously known as James Drake, were a successful tag team in the indies and in NXT/NXT UK. They were one-time NXT UK Tag Team Champions before taking on new in-ring names when they were revealed as Gacy’s associates on NXT last July.
The Schism faction, which includes Fowler, Reid, Gacy, and Ava Raine, suffered a loss in an eight-person tag match against Chase U and Tyler Bate during the pre-show for NXT Stand & Deliver this past Saturday. The match had a stipulation where Schism would have gained control over Chase U if they had won. Hudson ultimately pinned Reid to secure the victory for Chase U.
It remains to be seen what the future holds for Fowler and Reid in the WWE, but fans will surely be keeping a close eye on any developments in this story.