Former WWE Tough Enough contestant Sofia Cortez, real name Ivelisse Velez, has revealed that she has been released by WWE.
Writing on Twitter, she said: “I, as well, have been released by WWE. Sorry my #Soljas….”
Velez, an experienced independent wrestler before joining WWE, rose to fame last year on the USA Network revival of Tough Enough hosted by Stone Cold Steve Austin and featuring Trish Stratus as a trainer. Velez was eliminated after suffering a groin injury, but was later signed by WWE.
Most recently, she appeared on the newly rebranded NXT defeating Paige in the first Divas match on the new version.
101 Comments
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Wow. Stupid WWE. They never gave her a chance.
at
it’s weird because she can actually wrestle.. i don’t get it. why even hire someone in the first place if you’re never going to actually give them a chance ?
best of luck to her.
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Fuck you WWE, fuck you so badly !!!!
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I can totally see her shine in ROH or TNA!
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Tbh, I was surprised when they signed her because the way she is in the ring and her look isn’t diva material. But when she was being used I was so happy! I’m shocked and sad at this news. :( I feel bad. I know how much she wanted to be there…
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Didn’t they just praise her performance a few months ago? I will never figure out how any of the people in the WWE think
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Im So Pissed WWE Releases A True Talent Like Sofia & They Keep Girls Like Kelly WWE Big Fucking Mistake
SEXYOFTHESEXIST2011 Reply:
August 11th, 2012 at
And If She Does Some Where I Hope She Goes To TNA & Teams Up With Rosita & Keep Sofia
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Biggest Mistake WWE Has EVER MADE!! No Joke! She has the look and More importantly is One of the Best Wrestlers in the World! Hopefully TNA or whatever company gets her will use her correctly! Future Superstar!!
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O-M-G :O
TNA must sign her now.
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WWE has the tendency to hire and release both males and females before they even get on the main roster. Don’t understand it in this case because clearly she had the talent. Unless there’s some other issue that’s yet to be reported? Or she’s just a victim of the yearly “spring cleaning”. I call it the curse of Tough Enough myself. Unless you’re the Miz or Morrison you really don’t get that far or you don’t for very long.
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It is really not a big lost. I myself didn’t care for her as much, because I felt she didn’t bring anything special. Sad she is unemployed. But to me she was just another girl who did flashy moves and had a stale character. I’m sure she’ll find work somewhere.
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Sofia had her moments where I saw potential but I never found her anything special once she was in front of a tv camera. Out of all the indy women they’ve signed recently, Sofia really didn’t stand a change of making some impact.
She’s not a good character and that is what WWE is looking for.
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WTF! Didn’t they just praise her a few months back? …and with Skyler, Paige & a few others there, the future of the Divas Division looked so promising! Why? It just doesn’t make any sense!
If they released Caylee then that would have made sense, she’s only been ring announced as of late, with this weeks match being the exception. Fml.
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I actually found out about this through a tweet Gregory Helms sent out to Sofia with her tweet in quotations. But yeah it was just a few minutes ago…first it was JTG going off on WWE about his (and possibly others) grievances with the company, then A.W. gets released, and now Sofia Cortez. I wonder what happened because she was one of the developmental Divas that WWE praised along with Paige and Raquel Diaz. That just shows to prove that NO ONE is safe in WWE, no matter how talented. But it sucks that she got released cuz she was soooo talented and her match with Natalya on NXT can already be considered one of the best Divas matches the new NXT has had yet.
T@KESH1 Reply:
August 12th, 2012 at
It better have been one of the best as NXT allows for more to do and both Nat and Sofia got at least a decade of experience each.
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yes yes yes! I always didn’t like her. BUH BYE SOFIA HAHAH
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What a ridiculous move. She had the look like WWE and the talent. It makes absolutely no sense, since NXT only began very recently. Stupid!
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I think she would do alright in TNA, at least for awhile. They’re in need of new blood and now that she’s a former WWE talent, I’m sure there’ll be some kind of interest in signing her.
WWFoverWWE Reply:
August 11th, 2012 at
Agreed.
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WTF?
Feels like some backstage drama had something to do with her getting released.Had great talent which is the bad part after reading reports of how high the WWE officials had on her.
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Wow, thats pretty unexpected. I know I may be in the minority here but I was never a real fan of hers. Something about her, I don’t know what it was.
Also, the way she tweeted that was strange. The whole “I, as well” part..could another diva have been released? I hope i’m just really reading into it lol
Jake Reply:
August 11th, 2012 at
She was probably referring to A.W.
Kantrell Reply:
August 12th, 2012 at
Whose a.w
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Oh well. She had potential but not everyone can make it to television no matter how talented they are. Good luck to her.
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Nobody cares…
Kaledrina Reply:
August 11th, 2012 at
you care enough to comment =)
JillianHallTNA Reply:
August 11th, 2012 at
I just commented so people know that I’m still here :)
Kaledrina Reply:
August 11th, 2012 at
well, people obviously do care lol. you can be whoever you choose to be on the internet. you could even pretend to be a 12 year old girl if you wanted.. why not pretend to be someone a little bit nicer.
AfroJack Reply:
August 11th, 2012 at
um I care. Your point = invalid.
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Just Stupid. Sofia Cortez Released but useless Aksana or Rosa Mendes still there.
iLUVValets Reply:
August 12th, 2012 at
For them to Release Rosa Mendes would be a hoe move on their part, now Aksana can go, shes gorgeous but I don’t see here ever going outside of being eye candy
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She didn’t have a diva look? I guess because she was not some 5’10 tall skinny chick…but damn Ivy was way sexier than many of the current girls..not more than Eve Torres though. Ivy was like a hotter more attractive Beth or Natalya. Her rig persona and attitude sure wasn’t Diva haha I liked that. Stupid decision for sure by WWE But hey Its wwe what do u expect…same guys who let go Kharma Maxine and many good ones. Same guys who rather have suppress the women.
Hope to see Ivy on TNA or Ring of Honor!! Don’t go to shimmer..I don’t watch that :(
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So far
-Brie Bella
-Nikki Bella
-Maxine
-Kharma
- Sofia Cortez
People hate WWE for releasing talents, yet don’t know the reasons why they do it. Is a company it works like that. People make it sound like WWE has a personal problem with everyone. Last I heard they were high on her…something must have happen for her to get fired.
MNMelina1 Reply:
August 11th, 2012 at
Umm as for the bellas there contract was up. & wanted
Time off. I understan the rest. Best of luck too sofia!!
SoapSoDope Reply:
August 11th, 2012 at
Exactly. Can’t hate WWE for the release of Brie, Nikki or Maxine. They left on their own terms. Well, Brie and Nikki just didn’t renew their contracts with the WWE but Maxine did leave on her own terms. Just because we hear news about the releasing of their talents, we all don’t know the back story of why it happened. Best of luck to Sofia though.
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There is probably more to this than we know. WWE rarely releases people just like that in their first year. Even people with absolutely zero talent stay at least a year in FCW. Maybe she pissed off someone?
Aksana Reply:
August 11th, 2012 at
I’m sure during TE she was rumored to have a bad attitude, and seemed to be very bitter towards Christina/Caylee. I’m so shocked by the news though!
Danni Reply:
August 11th, 2012 at
I’ll kick myself if they give her the same reason they gave Su Yung (Sonia) ..”We want you to get more experience” ..like ..what? ..I can sorta understand but I can’t :/ They have girls there that had less experience than her lol but going back to my original point, I could see them telling Sofia to get more experience on the indie circuit considering (like Su) she stayed in practically the same place before she was signed.
Just a thought. :)