Former champion Jinder Mahal leaves WWE, other stars surprisingly released on Friday

Former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal announced his departure from WWE Friday night as he other stars were released from the company.

"I Quit. Maharaja Out," Mahal posted on social media.

Mahal also changed his bio on X, formerly known as Twitter, to "free agent." Shortly after his announcement, Fightful confirmed his release from WWE.

It was a surprising announcement as "Friday Night Smackdown" was aired live. Mahal was one of the longest-tenured stars on the roster. He returned to the company in 2016 after spending five years with WWE from 2010-14.

In his return, Mahal ascended to the top of the ladder when he shockingly won the WWE Championship in 2016 in one of the most unexpected title wins in recent memory. His reign lasted 170 days.

Mahal found success in the years following, including winning the United States Championship at WrestleMania 34 in 2018. Recently, Mahal had made various appearances on WWE programming, and he was the person taken out by The Rock when he returned on Jan. 1. He challenged Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship on Jan. 15, which he lost, and that wound up being his final match with WWE.

Xia Li released by WWE

Xia Li was also released by WWE, and she thanked the company on social media for the seven years she spent there.

"As the first female Chinese superstar, I feel proud!" she said. "I am sincerely grateful to WWE and (Paul Levesque) for welcoming me into this big family.

"This journey with WWE has been wonderful, and I sincerely thank everyone who has been a part of it. This is not the end but a new beginning!"

Li started in NXT in 2017, and she made the main roster in 2021. This year, she competed at the Royal Rumble, and her last match was on Feb. 19 in a battle royal match.

Xyon Quinn released by WWE

Xyon Quinn was also released by WWE, Fightful reported.

Quinn made his debut with the company in 2020 and spent most of his time in NXT. His last appearance was on March 1 when he lost to Bron Breakker in a six-second match.

There is expected to be shakeups on the WWE roster in the coming weeks with the WWE Draft beginning on April 26.