Justin Gabriel Quits WWE

Former 3-time WWE Tag Team Champion Justin Gabriel quit WWE this weekend. There are currently no details or specifics on the situation.

Gabriel had been picking up victories over Adam Rose on WWE's live events tour, but the success ended there. The 33 year old South African didn't have a televised win since a victory over Sin Cara on Superstars in September.

Gabriel signed a WWE developmental deal in 2008 and was assigned to Florida Championship Wrestling, where he became Heavyweight champion. He also had a reign as tag team champion before being announced as a contestant on the first season of WWE NXT.

Following the conclusion of NXT, Gabriel debuted on the main roster as a member of Nexus, attacking John Cena and the Straight Edge Society. While a member of Nexus, he'd become WWE Tag Team Champion with Heath Slater.

After leaving Nexus, Gabriel and Slater would join former Nexus leader Wade Barrett in the Corre, where they would enjoy two more WWE Tag Team Championship reigns. Since then, Gabriel had mostly been relegated to Superstars and Main Event, staying away from any major storylines.

**UPDATE**
Following reports that Justin Gabriel quit WWE over the weekend, the sports-entertainment organization announced Sunday that he has been released from his contract.

WWE issued the following statement to F4WOnline.com today confirming the release of Gabriel: "WWE has come to terms on the release Justin Gabriel effective as of today."

This Day In Wrestling History

Ring of Honor makes its debut. The show features Low Ki vs. Bryan Daniels vs. Christopher Daniels in the main event.
February 23, 2002

WWE NXT debuted on the SyFy Channel. The episode also doubled as the official WWE debut for Daniel Bryan, David Otunga, Wade Barrett, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, Darren Young and Michael Tarver.
February 23, 2010

Triple H Pushing the Tag Team Division Again?

Triple H has once again sent the directive to re-focus on the WWE tag team division. The plan as he laid it out was to first get some teams ready in NXT to bring to the main roster, as well as take some talented guys on the main roster who officials recognize are underutilized and try and get them going as a tag team. Tyson Kidd and Justin Gabriel are one example of a new team we may see here soon.

Total Divas Recap 9/01/13

This Day In Wrestling History

Ring of Honor makes its debut. The show features Low Ki vs. Bryan Daniels vs. Christopher Daniels in the main event.
February 23, 2002

WWE NXT (now called NXT Wrestling) debuted on the SyFy Channel. The episode also doubled as the official WWE debut for Daniel Bryan, David Otunga, Wade Barrett, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, Darren Young and Michael Tarver.
February 23, 2010

Booker T Announces Tag Team Tournament

Team Hell No’s first defense of the WWE Tag Team Championships on a pay-per-view will happen Oct. 28 at WWE Hell in a Cell, but Kane & Daniel Bryan will have to wait a little while longer before finding out who their opponents will be.

Thanks to an earth-shattering announcement by General Manager Booker T on the Sept. 28 edition of SmackDown, the No. 1 contenders to the WWE Tag Team Champions will be determined via an eight-team tournament that will play out over the next several weeks.

WWE’s tag team division is arguably the deepest it has been in years, and the tournament format will provide a natural process of attrition. Whether the winning pair will ultimately have the tools necessary to exploit the obvious fault lines in Team Hell No’s exterior, however, remains to be seen.

The bracket revealed on SmackDown showed the following first-round matchups: Team Rhodes Scholars (Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow) vs. Jimmy & Jey Uso; Santino Marella & Zack Ryder vs. Justin Gabriel & Tyson Kidd; former champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth vs. The Prime Time Players (Darren Young & Titus O’Neil); and Epico & Primo vs. Rey Mysterio & Sin Cara.

The newly formed unit of Rhodes & Sandow put away The Usos in the first bout of the tournament on the very same night it was set up. With one team down, seven duos remain in contention.

source: wwe.com

JR Comments on Future Stars In NXT, More

NXT was the best night of TV that we’ve produced in Orlando to date. NXT Champ Seth Rollins got a great ‘rub’ from WWE Champion CM Punk. The impromptu tag bout that occurred after the official taping ended between Punk/Rollins vs. Cesaro/Ohno was simply outstanding. We called it just for the Hell of it just in case it ever airs on a DVD, etc. It was really fun.

Big E Langston continued to take giant strides and is a star in the making if he continues to steer the course and gets a break once he debuts on one of the WWE rosters which I feel will happen some day soon. Just a gut feeling.

Michael McGillicutty can be a star and he is beginning to really bring it. The duo of Tyson Kidd and Justin Gabriel impressed me as does the team of Ascension every time I see them.

Paige is the top young diva in NXT for my money and the young lady from England has a bright future.

I’m really enjoying the new TV persona of the talented South African Leo Kruger.

WWE NXT Championship Tournament Participants

The following individuals have been revealed to be competing in the WWE NXT Championship Tournament:

Bo Dallas, Richie Steamboat, Leo Kruger, Jinder Mahal, Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre, Michael McGillicutty, Justin Gabriel

Triple H Advertised for SmackDown

RAW stars are scheduled for this coming Tuesday's SmackDown tapings as Triple H, John Cena, Edge, Big Show and Rey Mysterio vs. Alberto Del Rio, Wade Barrett, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel and Ezekiel Jackson is advertised.

The Corre Added to the Royal Runble

WWE added all four members of The Corre to the Royal Rumble match. The wrestlers who make up the new faction are Wade Barrett, Ezekiel Jackson, Heath Slater, and Justin Gabriel. There are now 25 wrestlers advertised for next weekend's 40-man Royal Rumble match.

WWE NXT New Rookie Rankings

#1: Daniel Bryan
#2: Wade Barrett
#3: Justin Gabriel
#4: Heath Slater
#5: David Otunga
#6: Skip Sheffield
#7: Michael Tarver
#8: Darren Young

Win/Loss Records for the NXT Rookies

The WWE NXT Rookies will be evaluated by the Pros on next Tuesday night's show based on the criteria of win/loss records, strength of opponent, work ethic and "it" factor. Here are the current win-loss records of the NXT Rookies going into next week's voting by the Pros:

* Daniel Bryan - 0 wins, 5 losses
* Darren Young - 3 wins, 1 loss
* David Otunga - 3 wins, 1 loss
* Heath Slater - 4 wins, 0 losses
* Justin Gabriel - 3 wins, 1 loss
* Michael Tarver - 0 wins, 3 losses
* Skip Sheffield - 0 wins, 3 losses
* Wade Barrett - 2 wins, 2 losses

Cast of WWE NXT

WWE released the cast member information for the NXT television show, which begins next Tuesday night on Syfy. The eight developmental wrestlers listed first followed by the names of their main roster mentors.

Wade Barrett with Chris Jericho

Justin Gabriel with Matt Hardy

Skip Sheffield with MVP

Michael Tarver with Carlito

Daniel Bryan with The Miz

Heath Slater with Christian

Darren Young with C.M. Punk

David Otunga with R-Truth

Rumor Mill - Talent List for WWE NXT

Dave Scherer is reporting the following names are slated for WWE NXT which debuts next week on SyFy:

* Justin Angel
* Daniel Bryan
* Kaval
* Joe Hennig
* Skip Sheffield
* Brett DiBiase
* Darren Young
* Heath Slater
* Michael Tarver

The above rookies will be paired with a WWE veteran where they will compete to advance as a full-time member of either Raw or Smackdown. They will also be available to make crossover appearances on the main shows while competing. The original concept was to have eight teams but in this report there are nine listed.