Bloodline family member and 4 other WWE stars quietly released hours before Crown Jewel

With less than 24 hours to Crown Jewel, WWE let a few names go from its smaller brands. Releases are a part of the game as contracts expire at various points during a calendar year.

Evolve performer Zayda Steel announced earlier in the week that she was leaving, as her WWE ID deal was up. Santos Escobar nearly left as well, but agreed to a new deal with officials.

Former IMPACT Wrestling and AEW star Kylie Rae also disclosed on Thursday that her time in the Stamford-based promotion was at an end.

Along with a lesser-known member of the Bloodline, the next four stars were quietly released hours before Crown Jewel. Some had expiring deals and didn't sign new contracts.

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#5. Drako Knox & #4. Zara Zakher competed on Evolve

Casual fans probably aren't familiar with most of the names that WWE let go, as they don't appear on RAW or SmackDown.

Both Drako Knox and Zara Zakher were released ahead of Crown Jewel. Knox and Zakher competed as faces on Evolve, but weren't consistently pushed or featured.

Zakher came from the independent wrestling scene and was part of the ID program. Knox played college football at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, before signing an NIL deal.

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#3. Jamar Hampton was on the first season of WWE LFG

Hampton, whose real name is Troy Yearwood, was a member of Team Mickie James on the first season of WWE LFG. He didn't make the playoffs of that season, but quickly transitioned to Evolve.

Due to his impressive physique, he probably would have had a good spot on the roster if Vince McMahon were still in power. He also set many of the records at the Performance Center.

Hampton recently teamed with It's Gal to form an arrogant heel tag team obsessed with their muscles and workouts.

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#2. Stevie Turner was an assistant to NXT GM Ava

While she transitioned to more of a managerial role instead of an in-ring one, Stevie Turner was the Prime Minister of Evolve.

She essentially booked the matches and listened to complaints from performers. Her back and forth with Robert Stone was always hilarious, and fans of NXT would recognize her.

Before switching to management, she tried to reinvent herself as a streamer who mocked everyone else, but it fell flat immediately.

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#1. Lance Anoa'i could have been used in the never-ending Bloodline drama

Lance Anoa'i never officially debuted on any of WWE's shows. He would have likely started on Evolve or NXT, but didn't compete on either brand.

His father is former WWE star Samu of the Headshrinkers. Lance teamed with Jacob Fatu in MLW and won the MLW Tag Team titles as the Samoan SWAT Team.

It was believed he'd eventually join Solo Sikoa's MFTs or the Bloodline at some point, but it never came to pass.

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Edited by Matthew Serocki