From WWE Dreams to New Beginnings: Karyn Best’s Journey Through Injury and Hope
Karyn Best, known to WWE developmental fans as Summer Sorrell, recently announced her departure from WWE in a heartfelt message that resonated with many wrestling enthusiasts. Taking to Instagram, Best shared the difficult news with her followers, expressing both gratitude for the opportunity and disappointment that persistent injury issues prevented her from fully demonstrating her capabilities in the ring. Her journey, while cut short at WWE, reflects the challenging physical demands and emotional resilience required in professional wrestling—a world where passion and perseverance often collide with the harsh realities of physical limitations.
“It is hard to find the right words to express what wrestling means to me,” Best wrote in her candid Instagram post. “I have developed a passion and love for this business that is unlike anything I have felt before. I have loved every second. From long, stressful days filming, to challenging days in the ring, to many hours of rehab.” Her words paint a picture of complete dedication to the craft, highlighting the intense connection many performers develop with professional wrestling despite its grueling demands. Best’s reflection reveals the bittersweet nature of pursuing a dream so physically taxing—the joy of the performance constantly balanced against the toll on the body, especially when dealing with injury.
The former collegiate track and field athlete joined WWE through a summer 2024 tryout and gained visibility through the reality series “LFG” before competing on WWE’s Evolve brand. However, throughout her time at WWE’s Performance Center, Best battled a persistent injury that ultimately limited her potential. “The reality is that I struggled with the same ongoing injury during a majority of my time at the performance center,” she explained in her statement. “This held me back from ever being able to show my true potential in the ring.” This revelation offers a glimpse into the hidden struggles many developmental talents face—the constant rehabilitation, the frustration of physical limitations, and the psychological challenge of knowing one cannot perform at full capacity while trying to impress decision-makers.
Best’s release comes amid a larger wave of cuts from WWE’s developmental system, with over a dozen talents reportedly released in the past week alone. Notable names like former NXT North American Champion Wes Lee and Lance Anoa’i (of the famous Anoa’i wrestling family) were among those let go, indicating a significant restructuring within WWE’s talent development approach. Such widespread releases create a challenging atmosphere for developmental performers, many of whom relocate their lives to pursue their wrestling dreams. The collective experience of these talents represents both the opportunity and uncertainty inherent in developmental systems—where even promising careers can be cut short by injury, changing company directions, or the intense competition for limited roster spots.
Despite facing this professional setback, Best maintained an optimistic outlook about her future. Her parting message carried a tone of determination rather than defeat: “But if that was only a fraction, imagine what happens when I’m finally at a hundred percent… the story doesn’t end here—it finally gets interesting.” This forward-looking perspective demonstrates the resilience that defines many professional wrestlers, who often face numerous rejections and setbacks before finding success. Best’s ability to view her WWE departure as a new beginning rather than an ending speaks to her character and suggests that fans may see her return to wrestling once her health improves.
The timing of these developmental releases coincides with a period of transition for WWE’s NXT brand, which recently held a historic “Showdown” event against TNA Wrestling. As NXT navigates the fallout from this cross-promotional endeavor and prepares for the return of industry veterans like Matt Cardona to WWE programming, the developmental system itself appears to be undergoing significant changes. For talents like Karyn Best, these shifts represent both the unpredictable nature of the wrestling business and the ongoing evolution of WWE’s approach to developing future stars. While Best’s immediate journey with WWE has ended, her story reflects the broader narrative of professional wrestling—where passion, perseverance, and the ability to reinvent oneself after setbacks often determine who ultimately succeeds in this demanding industry.
