It's that time of year again, when WWE begins making its post-WrestleMania roster cuts. Some pretty big names were handed their pink slips on May 2, most prominently former WWE Universal Champion Braun Strowman. However, it's the massive cuts to the female roster that have some in the fan base angry.

Dakota Kai, Gigi Dolin, Cora Jade, Shotzi, and Shayna Baszler were among those released. A total of nine women were let go from various brands under the WWE umbrella. For a division that has been up and down over the past couple of years, this seems a little bit off. These women did a lot to help build up the mid-card scene in the company, especially the tag team division. That may be why so many in the internet wrestling community have been firing shots at the promotion, and they have a valid argument. There's no doubt that the women's division lost a lot of talent and depth with this week's announcement.

WWE Shocks Fans With Massive Releases

Some High-Profile Females Were Cut From The Roster

Among the ladies who were let go, Shayna Baszler is probably the one who has been featured on television the most. The Queen of Spades once looked like a future franchise player when she dominated NXT, where she is a two-time champion. Yet, she never won a singles title on the main roster. It seems the former MMA star only served a purpose when her friend, Ronda Rousey, was still a part of WWE.

Meanwhile, Dakota Kai is seemingly beloved by the fans, but she's also been injury-prone. As for the other ladies who were let go, they were meant to be the building blocks of the future. Shotzi and Gigi Dolin have had starring roles on NXT, but never got enough exposure on the main roster. The same can be said for Cora Jade, who also excelled on the third brand but got no breaks when it was time to take things to the next level.

WWE Just Damaged Its Women's Division With Latest Releases

The Women's Mid-Card Scene Took a Crucial Hit

It seems odd that WWE created new secondary women's titles on the main roster, then turned around and cut some of its best mid-card talent. Any of the top names on the list of releases could easily contend for the division's Intercontinental or United States Championships. Instead, they will likely continue bringing back old stars from the past or rely on the talent they already have. And there isn't a lot to work with, once you get past the main event stars.

This also hurts the WWE Women's Tag Team roster, one that has been maligned since the belts were created. A combination of these young stars could have helped fortify the division, or even possibly establish themselves as the dominant titleholders. What is most surprising is that the talents were not unutilized. Gigi Dolin was in a Tag Team Championship match less than two weeks ago, partnering up with Tatum Paxley to take on Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez. Cora Jade was involved in high-profile feuds until not too long ago. None of these women can be considered 'a waste of talent'. Rather, they should be looked at as a wasted opportunity by WWE.

If WWE Is Doing So Well, Why All These Releases?

The Company Is Booming, But Still Needs to Cut Its Budget

One of the downsides to WWE Chief Content Officer Paul Levesque constantly crowing about the company's numbers is that we all know just how well WWE is doing, financially. Every time Triple H mentions the record attendance and merchandise sales, it's pretty obvious to the fan base that they can afford to pay their people.

So why then would WWE decide to let go of competent young stars on the rise? Why not re-assign them to somewhere else, like their spin-off division, Evolve? They could even do a talent swap with TNA, and let these ladies get some ring time and exposure there. It's left many fans confused, and in some cases very angry, over seeing some of their favorites released.

Even some current and former wrestling personalities weighed in on the matter. Vince Russo, widely recognized as the architect of the Attitude Era, has been a longtime critic of the way WWE programming has been booked over the last 10 years. He chimed in with his thoughts on the releases.

While there's always hope that at least a few of the fantastic females will get another shot in WWE somewhere down the road, their releases this week have still left fans reeling. WWE aficionados are by now used to the yearly cuts in the rosters, as the company uses them as a way to rotate and refresh its roster. However, when the majority of the stars being cut are female, it's only right to worry about WWE's decisions and how these could affect the future of its women's division.