Karyn Best, who performed in WWE’s developmental system as Summer Sorrell, has announced her release from the company. She confirmed the news in a statement posted to her Instagram account.
In the post, she expressed gratitude for the opportunity but revealed that a recurring injury prevented her from showcasing her full potential.
“It is hard to find the right words to express what wrestling means to me. I have developed a passion and love for this business that is unlike anything I have felt before,” Best wrote. “I have loved every second. From long, stressful days filming, to challenging days in the ring, to many hours of rehab.”
She then explained the main reason for her struggles in the developmental system. “The reality is that I struggled with the same ongoing injury during a majority of my time at the performance center,” she stated. “This held me back from ever being able to show my true potential in the ring.”
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A post shared by Karyn Best (@summer__wwe)
Best, a former collegiate track and field athlete, was part of a WWE tryout in the summer of 2024 and was later featured on the reality series “LFG.” She eventually began competing on the WWE Evolve brand as Summer Sorrell.
Her departure is the latest in a series of recent cuts from WWE’s developmental program. Over a dozen talents have been released in the past week, including former NXT North American Champion Wes Lee and Lance Anoa’i.
Despite the setback, Best ended her statement on a positive note. “But if that was only a fraction, imagine what happens when I’m finally at a hundred percent… the story doesn’t end here — it finally gets interesting,” she wrote.
Best’s release comes as the NXT brand is in a state of flux following last week’s historic “Showdown” event against TNA. Tonight’s episode of NXT will feature the fallout from that show, as well as the first WWE match in over five years for TNA’s Matt Cardona when he takes on Josh Briggs.
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