WWE has issued a statement officially confirming the release of former Cruiserweight Champion TJ Perkins, which comes as a shock to many as he was not reported among the names who recently requested to be released from their contracts.

Perkins was at one point the cornerstone of the Cruiserweight division, winning the inaugural Cruiserweight Classic to become the first champion of the modern era, and was the first top star of 205 Live when the show was established.

This news comes within hours of WWE confirming the releases of Ron Arneill (Tye Dillinger) and Kenta Kobayashi (Hideo Itami), and reports that Hall of Famer Arn Anderson had been released from his position as a backstage producer for the company.

WWE has come to terms on the release of Theodore Perkins (TJP).https://t.co/ah2u11ABBk

— WWE (@WWE) February 22, 2019