Ashante “Thee” Adonis is officially gone from WWE after the promotion opted not to renew his contract. Now, more has come to light about this situation and why the Hit Row member was shown the exit.
In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that WWE deliberately chose not to re-sign Adonis due to money. It is stated that despite being used exclusively in NXT, Adonis had a main roster contract, which pays better than an NXT deal.
According to Meltzer, WWE determined it made more financial sense to let the deal run its course rather than cut him and trigger a 90-day non-compete payout.
“Given his contract would have expired at roughly the same time if they didn’t cut him, essentially they just paid him for the last three months of his deal, just as they would have with a 90-day non-compete.”
In WWE NXT, Adonis had a romantic storyline with Karmen Petrovic build for months before being quietly dropped in early 2025. This departure marks Adonis’ second exit from WWE as Hit Row was released in 2021 but the majority of the group’s members were rehired in 2022.
Now a free agent, Adonis has the opportunity to work and sign with whoever he chooses. It remains to be seen if AEW, TNA Wrestling, NJPW, or another path is in his future.
Thomas Lowson is a content writer operating from the north of England. A fan of over 20 years, Thomas has been writing professionally since 2018 and has a degree in Journalism from Sheffield Hallam University. In 2023, Thomas was part of the press crew that covered AEW All In: London, the largest wrestling event to date in the United Kingdom. When not writing, he enjoys reading and spending time with family and friends.
