Former WWE NXT talent and current AEW and Ring of Honor star EJ Nduka recently took to social media to reveal troubling details surrounding his WWE release during the pandemic releases in 2021.
Nduka, who wrestles in ROH alongside new tag partner Lee Johnson, opened up about being pressured to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) and being warned that speaking out about not receiving opportunities could lead to being blackballed from the wrestling industry.
Nduka, who wrestled under the ring name Ezra Judge during his WWE NXT tenure, was among the many wrestlers released during WWE’s cost-cutting measures during the pandemic.
In a new series of tweets, he discussed his experience and referenced comments made by Swerve Strickland about the challenges Black wrestlers face in reaching top star status in the industry.
In his tweets, Nduka made it clear that WWE not only released him without explanation but also allegedly sought to keep him silent. He wrote,
“There’s countless other people like me who were told to sign an NDA and never say, ‘I wasn’t given an opportunity,’ because I would blackball myself. Fast forward three years later, I don’t give a damn.”
WWE Release and NDA Pressure
Nduka expressed deep frustration with how his release was handled, mentioning that WWE’s actions allegedly put his family in financial jeopardy:
“They pulled the rug from underneath my family and I and many other wrestlers cause [they] wanted to spend that money on hush money.”
He further revealed that WWE attempted to keep him from joining AEW, despite him having already received offers:
“I recorded ALL and have receipts. They even tried to pay me off and prevent me from coming to AEW for a WHOLE YEAR. They said, ‘Certain people don’t like admitting when they make a mistake.’”
This, while not clear whether this was before or after his release, could be the reason he appeared in MLW for over a year-long run before eventually arriving in AEW back in January 2023, two years on from his WWE release.
Grateful for AEW and Tony Khan
Despite the turmoil, Nduka expressed deep gratitude for AEW and ROH now he’s there, thanking Tony Khan for providing him and other released talents the opportunity to continue their careers:
“I’m forever grateful to AEW and Ring Of Honor and the ENTIRE locker room for building something from NOTHING. We are doing great things, and if it never existed, a lot of us would have disappeared.”
Nduka praised Khan’s leadership compared to what he experienced in WWE, stating, “I’d rather work for a boss who is genuinely excited for your future and development…instead of one who ignores you or buries you for trying to be different.”
Nearly Quitting Wrestling
EJ Nduka also shared how close he came to leaving the wrestling business altogether after his WWE release.
“My son was not even 3 months old when I got released. I was never given a reason why… We had nothing and it was in the middle of the pandemic. I almost quit but my wife and several top guys sent me DMs advising me NOT to.”
Nduka’s revelations add to ongoing conversations about how WWE allegedly handles talent releases and its use of NDAs to prevent negative publicity.
This story is still breaking and we could still see others shed further light on the pressures faced by wrestlers during uncertain times, as well as the importance of alternative promotions like AEW and ROH in providing second chances to talented individuals affected by the pandemic releases and other talent-cuts that WWE have become renowned for.
More From LWOS Pro Wrestling
Header photo – Ring of Honor– Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world. As well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can catch AEW Dynamite on Wednesday nights at 8 PM ET on TBS. AEW Rampage airs on TNT at 10 PM EST every Friday night. AEW Collision airs Saturday at 8pm Eastern on TNT. More AEW content available on their YouTube
