WWE NXT enthusiasts are abuzz with news that wrestling talents Rip Fowler, formerly known as Zack Gibson, and Jagger Reid, or James Drake, have allegedly been granted their release from the company. According to veteran wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer, the duo, who were part of Joe Gacy’s Schism faction, had requested to be released from their contracts, although no official statement from WWE has been released as of yet. The reason behind their request remains unclear, but Fowler and Reid may issue a statement soon.
As The Grizzled Young Veterans, the talented pair had already made a name for themselves in NXT UK/NXT and won the NXT UK Tag Team Championships once. However, they were rebranded as associates of Joe Gacy on NXT last July and changed their ring names to Rip Fowler and Jagger Reid.
Schism last appeared on NXT’s pre-show event NXT Stand & Deliver, where they lost an eight-person tag match to Chase U (consisting of Andre Chase, Duke Hudson, and Thea Hail) & Tyler Bate. The match had a stipulation where Schism would have gained control over Chase U if they had emerged victorious, but Hudson pinned Reid to clinch the win.
