USAToday reports that WWE has committed to donate $1.2 million to former WWE superstar Chris Nowinski’s Sports Legacy Institute.

The donation is to further research aimed at developing a treatment for Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, a brain disease that is associated with repeated concussions.

WWE COO Triple H told USA Today that WWE has gone to great lengths to protect their performers from the dangers of head trauma. “Obviously, I think it’s such a huge concern for everybody right now in sports and in the military. As we learn more and more about concussions and what can become of it, I think it’s a problem for everybody.”

“We still hit people with metal chairs, just not in the head anymore. We took out the things that … caused the most concussions and the most head impacts.”

Triple H says concussions are being less common in WWE, but there’s still a lot more work to do:

“In 2011, we had 25 concussions of the 150 talent (wrestlers) on the road all year long. … In 2012, we only had 11. If you’re in the NFL, your goal is to try to hit the other guy as hard as possible. … The goal in what we do is the exact opposite. The goal in what we do is first and foremost … protect your opponent. Without him you have nothing. … Our whole goal is to make something look as devastating as possible and as impactful as possible with as little impact as possible. It’s really the art of what we do. We really work on that with talent. If John Cena and I are in a story line together and I hit John Cena hard and he gets injured, and he’s out, it hurts me as much as it hurts him. He’s out; now my opponent that I’m in a story line with is gone and my storyline just ended.”

With WWE on the verge of signing new developmental talent to coincide with the launch of its Performance Center in Winter Park, Florida, multiple talents situated in the developmental system were released today.

It has been confirmed that Derrick Bateman, Briley Pierce, Sakamoto, Percy Watson, Brandon Traven, Audrey Marie and Anya were let go by the sports-entertainment organization.

Bateman announced on his Twitter account that he is now available for independent bookings and then adding, “Welp see ya later @wwe @WWEUniverse #itsfine.”

Pierce, who is the brother of WWE World Heavyweight Champion Dolph Ziggler, stated on his account, “I guarantee that was the funniest and most entertaining “You’re released” phone call in WWE history. Bye, everybody!”

Sakamoto thanked WWE on his account for doing business with him, writing, “#WWE #NXT my friend thank you for everything SAYONARA.”

Traven remarked on the social networking website, “Staying positive on a bad day..not the end only the beginning…things in life happen for a reason..just had a good lunch with good people. Not the end of the book just the end of the chapter..my journey is far from over

Though Watson, Marie and Anya have yet to publicly address their standing with WWE, PWInsider.com states that all three individuals have been let go. Lending credibility to the report, their respective profiles have been removed from the official websites of WWE (WWE.com) and NXT Wrestling (FCWWrestling.info).

Bateman, who had been under contract to WWE since 2008, appeared on the final season of NXT before the program was transferred to Florida. He last appeared on WWE programming late last year, and had been making infrequent appearances for NXT.

Briley had been in WWE’s developmental system since 2011, the highlight of which was a Florida Tag Team Championship reign with Brad Maddox. He was shifted to the role of backstage interviewer for NXT last June, though would still continue to compete. However, he lost the majority of his matches from that point on.

Sakamoto was paired with Tensai last year before being demoted to developmental in November. Having been trained by Taka Michinoku at his Kaientai Dojo wrestling school in Japan, he joined WWE’s developmental system in 2011.

Traven competed for various Midwestern independent organizations as Brian Beaker before being signed to a developmental contract last year. He was originally trained by WWE Hall of Famer Harley Race in Missouri.

Watson, a former professional football player, joined WWE in 2009 and would frequently appear on NXT. At times, he appeared on the brink of joining the main roster, but ultimately did not.

Marie had been under contract to WWE since 2011 and was a fixture in the developmental system’s women’s division.

Anya is a 6’1″ Russian kickboxer and martial artist WWE signed last summer. She was recently sidelined due to a broken arm.

PWInsider.com has confirmed that WWE has signed California-based independent wrestler Shaun Ricker to a developmental contract. He had been appearing as a featured heel for Championship Wrestling from Hollywood, where he was at one point managed by the late Percy Pringle (a/k/a Paul Bearer).

Ricker is thirty-years-old, 6′ 1″, 225 pounds and originally hails from Hagerstown, Maryland. It was announced last month that he would be appearing as a contestant on Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s action reality series on TNT, The Hero, which brings “ten ordinary people together in an unexpected and dramatic setting, then assign them various missions that will test their brains, their brawn and even their morality.” On the show, Ricker is billed as a “a struggling pro wrestler who has all the makings of a hero… honesty, strength, charisma. But does he have the compassion?”

The acquisition had been expected as the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported last week that Ricker as well as fellow independent wrestlers Sami Callihan, Samuray del Sol and Mike Bennett had undergone medical testing required to be signed to WWE.

PWInsider.com also reports that when WWE shifts its developmental station to Winter Park, Florida in the beginning of July—officially billed as the “WWE Performance Center”—there may be as many as twenty to twenty-two more developmental acquisitions as well as changes to the developmental staff.