Lance Anoai Leaves WWE to Return to Independent Circuit

Lance Anoai, a member of the Anoai wrestling family and cousin of WWE star Roman Reigns, announced on social media Friday that he has left WWE and is returning to the independent circuit after injuries prevented him from making a televised debut with the company. Anoai posted that he was departing WWE, added that he had not "had the best of luck" since joining the promotion, and said he is ready to resume work on the indies.

Anoai signed with WWE and was assigned to the Performance Center as part of the NXT roster, but he never appeared on WWE television while under that contract. Reports indicate he was sidelined by an initial injury soon after signing and later suffered another setback that extended his time out of action. His last recorded in-ring appearance was Aug. 25, 2024 at BPW Blitzed in Brodheadsville, where a singles match against KC Navarro ended without a winner. Before the most recent run with WWE he competed extensively on the independent scene for roughly 15 years and held tag team titles in other promotions.

In his post Anoai wrote, "I would officially announce my departure from WWE! I didnt have the best of luck since I arrived! I will not let this stop me from...