Impact Wrestling terminates relationship with Eli Drake

Eli Drake is no longer with Impact Wrestling.

Impact issued a brief statement today announcing that the company has terminated its relationship with Drake: “Impact Wrestling announced today that it has terminated its relationship with Shaun Ricker, known as ‘Eli Drake’.”

Drake had said his contract with Impact was going to expire on May 31.

Drake was originally announced as Tessa Blanchard’s opponent for this past Thursday’s United We Stand show, but Drake tweeted on February 22 that he wouldn’t be participating in the match. “I have amazing respect for @IMPACTWRESTLING and @Tess_Blanchard and can see that she is likely the greatest female talent in wrestling today,” Drake wrote. “Although that said, I will not participate in a one on one intergender match.”

Joey Ryan instead faced Blanchard at United We Stand. Drake didn’t have a match at the show, but he wrestled at Impact’s television tapings in Windsor, Ontario, Canada in March and continued his storyline with Eddie Edwards.