WWE Denies It Released WWE LFG Winner After Ambiguous Social Media Post (Exclusive)

Tyra Mae Steele has been with WWE since 2023.
WWE has denied it let go of a top young prospect.
WWE has denied it let go of a top young prospect. | WWE

A top, promising prospect in WWE's developmental system shared a bizarre social media post on Thursday morning, insinuating she may have been released by the company. That, however, is not the case.

Tamyra Mensah-Stock, known as Tyra Mae Steele in WWE, competed on Season 1 of WWE LFG, being mentored by WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker. She would go on to win the competition and earn a prominent spot on WWE Evolve and WWE NXT over the last year.

The 33-year-old Stock took to social media on Thursday morning, hinting at her WWE release. She wrote:

In her post, the Olympic gold medalist claimed she competed in an Olympic wrestling event during an off weekend from WWE. She would win gold and was told she would be getting a call-up to the WWE main roster on Monday Night Raw. Mensah-Stock would then claim she was let go by the company for wrestling without getting approval from the promotion. She then left it to a public poll as to whether or not the situation was a nightmare or a dream.

WWE denies Tyra Mae Steele has been released

A high-ranking WWE source with direct knowledge of the situation told The Takedown on SI that, despite the nature of the post, Mensah-Stock has not been released by WWE. It was noted that the post was, in fact, a dream, and the situation was a misunderstanding.

WWE has not released any official statements on the matter as of press time, but this article will be updated to include one should we receive one.

Tyra Mae Steele's WWE run

Tyra Mae & Jasper
Tyra Mae & Jasper Win WWE LFG | A&E

A potential release would have been a surprising one, given Tyra Mae Steele's quick rise within the WWE system. She began training with the company after signing in 2023, making her TV debut in 2024. As noted, she would become the first female winner of WWE LFG last year and has competed on both WWE Evolve and WWE NXT in the time since.

Mensah-Stock is the third Olympic wrestling gold medalist to have signed with WWE, joining the likes of Kurt Angle and Gable Steveson. In 2021, she took home the gold in the women's freestyle 68 kg, becoming the first Black women's wrestler to win the top prize and only the second female American to ever win gold.

She has not commented publicly since the post went viral on Thursday morning, but remains active on the WWE roster page.

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Jon Alba
JON ALBA

Jon Alba is an Emmy Award and SPJ Award-winning journalist who has broken some of pro wrestling's biggest stories. In addition to writing for The Takedown on SI, he is the host of "The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy" podcast, and a host and contributor for Sportsnet New York. Additionally, he has been on beats for teams across MLB, the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLS during more than a decade in the sports media sphere. Jon is a graduate of Quinnipiac University with a B.A. degree in Journalism.

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