Rip Fowler and Jagger Reid's release requests have been denied.
The news was first shared by both Fowler and Reid on their Twitter accounts in the evening hours of April 24. Both Fowler and Reid thanked fans for their support before going on to note that their contracts are set to expire on October 14, 2023.
As of today, WWE has denied my request for my release.
— James Drake (@JamesDrake_GYV) April 25, 2023
I want to thank you all for your support throughout my career, I'll never take that for granted.
My contract with WWE expires on 14th October 2023.
I'm excited to share our next chapter, once we are free agents.
Today WWE have denied our release, which was requested on April 3rd.
— Rip Fowler (@RipFowlerWWE) April 25, 2023
On 15th Oct '23 we will be free agents again.
I personally want to thank all of our fans for your continued support, it means a lot to both of us especially during times like these! We'll see you on the 16th!
Fowler and Reid, formerly known as James Drake & Zach Gibson, first requested their release back on April 3 after competing at the NXT Stand & Deliver event just days prior. Throughout their near six years with the company, Fowler and Reid held championship gold just one time, as the two won the NXT UK Tag Team Championships back in 2019.
In July 2022, Fowler & Reid joined forces with Joe Gacy to form 'The Schism'. As previously mentioned, the two went under the James Drake & Zach Gibson names before joining the faction.
Fightful will provide more information about the situation with Fowler and Reid as it becomes available. In the meantime, Fightful will have full coverage of WWE NXT on Tuesday beginning at 8 p.m. EST.
