WWE Superstars React To The Departures Of Baron Corbin, Indi Harwell & Tegan Nox

The sudden and unexpected departure of three WWE Superstars last Friday was a hot topic of conversation on the company's most recent UK Tour.
Ahead of last week's SmackDown, Baron Corbin was informed that his contract would not be renewed after 12 years with the company. He'll become a free agent once his current deal expires. Indi Hartwell and Tegan Nox, meantime, were informed of their release and they will hit the market once their non-competes are up.
MORE: WWE Parting Ways with Baron Corbin, Indi Hartwell, And Tegan Nox
Some of the Superstars that were closest to those talents are now reacting to the company's decision to let them go.
‘It’s kinda like a survivor’s guilt, you know what I mean? After a day or two, you’re like, “Man!” You just hate to see that for them.’ Carmelo Hayes told Metro UK. '‘Baron was one of the people that actually took a liking to me, and took me under his wing. He did so much for me, he helped me so much, he gave me so much advice."
That’s all she wrote folks. ✌🏼
— Corbin (@BaronCorbinWWE) November 1, 2024
It’s been real and I appreciate everyone who supported me. pic.twitter.com/tZmsw52liv
It wasn't just in-ring and promo direction that Corbin would provide. After over a decade on the road with WWE the former United States Champion would offer up valuable life and financial advice. Hayes says he's forever indebted to him.
‘That was one of those ones that really kind of hurt, seeing that, because believe it or not, me and Baron were pretty close, pretty tight. Everybody loved Baron!’
Fellow SmackDown Superstar Johnny Gargano spoke to the Gorilla Position about the release of his close friend, and former stablemate, Indi Hartwell.
"I have such a great relationship with Indi. That’s very well known. We love her; she’s like a daughter to [Candice LeRae and himself]. And for those three, I think they’re incredibly talented. Personally, like we talked about the indie scene, I cannot wait to see what those three do. I think they’re absolutely going to tear it up because they are incredibly talented, have so much to offer, and I’m very excited to see what they do next.”
https://t.co/agoh9Yoisv pic.twitter.com/mJzOqI614s
— Johnny Gargano (@JohnnyGargano) November 4, 2024
Gargano is holding out hope that Indi will be able to return to WWE one day, similar to himself and Candice LeRae who both took time away from the company for the birth of their child.
In the meantime, Johnny told Metro UK he's looking forward to watching Indi take advantage of this opportunity to elevate her body of work once she's free to wrestle elsewhere.
“I think she’s got untapped personality, untapped potential. I think when she’s able to finally show that to the world, people are gonna latch on.”
Attack! Pro Wrestling announced Wednesday that Tegan Nox, now wrestling once again as Nixon Newell, will be appearing at its ‘Attack’s Under the Mistletoe’ event in Cardiff, Wales next month.
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Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com