WWE Releases Towson Alum

Katana Chance (real name Kacy Catanzaro) was released from WWE on May 2, 2025, as part of a significant roster reduction that included several high-profile talents such as Braun Strowman, Dakota Kai, Shayna Baszler, and her longtime tag team partner Kayden Carter .

Born on January 14, 1990, in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, Catanzaro initially gained national attention in 2014 by becoming the first woman to complete the City Qualifiers and City Finals courses on NBC's American Ninja Warrior. Before her television fame, she was a competitive gymnast, starting at age six and reaching Level 10 in the Junior Olympic program by 2007. She competed at Towson University from 2009 to 2012, earning titles such as ECAC Gymnast of the Year and Southeast Regional Gymnast of the Year in her senior year.

In 2017, Catanzaro signed with WWE and debuted in NXT in 2018. She later adopted the ring name Katana Chance. Alongside Kayden Carter, she became a one-time NXT Women's Tag Team Champion, holding the record for the longest reign in the title's history at 186 days, and a one-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champion. Carter and Chance are also the first women's tag team to have won both the WWE and NXT Women's Tag Team Championships .

Their most recent WWE appearance was on the April 11, 2025, episode of SmackDown, where they competed in a Women's Tag Team Title #1 Contendership Gauntlet match . As of now, there has been no official statement from Catanzaro regarding her release or future plans.

Sources: Fightful, Sportskeeda, Towson University