In June 2019, Dani Luna had her first match for WWE, competing in a handicap match at that year\'s Download Festival as part of NXT UK.
In January 2020, WWE confirmed that Luna had signed a contract with the promotion, but had fewer than 20 matches before her release.
Luna was cut from WWE last month, alongside the majority of talent from NXT UK, as part of WWE\'s plans to launch NXT Europe next year.
Released, Not Fired
Speaking with SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall of NBC Sports Boston, Luna reflected on her time in WWE, and made it clear that there\'s a difference between being released and being fired.
\"I was released. I don’t want to set any of those rumors alight. I was released under very nice terms. I wasn’t fired. It was just a case of what they’re doing at the moment doesn’t fit what I’m doing at the moment kind of thing.\"
Luna wasn\'t too mad at her situation, admitting that she still had her friends made in NXT UK, and that she was in good company.
Speaking Out
NXT UK was never the focus of WWE, and the brand was hit hard by the 2020 Speaking Out movement.
The movement highlighted several wrestlers in several promotions who had engaged, or alleged to have engaged in abusive behavior with women.
Joe Coffey, Jack Gallagher, Travis Banks, El Ligero, Jordan Devlin, and referees Joel Allen and Chris Roberts were all NXT UK talent who were accused of misconduct.
Speaking about the decline of NXT UK, Luna said how the Speaking Out movement had an impact.
“I don’t know. I don’t know if it [NXT UK\'s decline] was necessarily WWE’s fault, or obviously we had the whole Speaking Out Movement over here as well, so I don’t know if that obviously affected it a little bit too.\"
Luna added that low viewership also had an effect in the decline of NXT UK.
NXT Europe
NXT UK is now on what WWE have called a \"brief hiatus\" to make room for the launch of NXT Europe next year.
Luna said how the demise of NXT UK came suddenly.
\"It was a pretty quick turnaround, to be honest. But the same you hear all these rumors, we hear them all too, and it’s even more unsettling when you work there... we were all understandably upset.\"
Despite WWE\'s claims of a brief hiatus, many believe that NXT UK is finished for good.
