Wendy Choo’s WWE Release Elicits Backstage Surprise Among Staff

Wendy Choo’s departure from WWE NXT as part of Friday’s roster reductions has caught many at the WWE Performance Center off guard.

Bryan Alvarez, senior contributor at F4WOnline, shared with subscribers on X that the news sparked widespread surprise:

“Apparently the whole PC was shocked that Wendy Choo was released.”

The 2023 release was announced alongside Adriana Rizzo, PJ Vasa, Jasper Troy, and others.

Choo, 34, known professionally as Karen Yu, debuted in WWE under the moniker Karen Q during the 2018 Mae Young Classic. Transitioning to the Mei Ying persona as part of the Tian Sha faction in 2020, she evolved into the Wendy Choo character in 2021, becoming a memorable figure in NXT. A former WWE Evolve Women’s Champion, Choo has left a notable mark on the company’s women’s division.

Her most recent WWE appearance occurred at the August 25 NXT event at the Performance Center, where she competed in a dark match against Karmen Petrovic. Earlier, on August 17, she faced Maxxine Dupri in a taped contest for WWE Main Event.

Choo also recently competed in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), challenging Xia Brookside for the Knockouts World Championship at the July 30 tapings in Philadelphia. The bout, which aired on the August 6, 2026, edition of TNA Impact, ended with Brookside retaining her title.

Following the announcement, ROH Women’s Pure Champion Deonna Purrazzo shared a message on social media.

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