WWE stands for World Wrestling Entertainment, and the entertainment part of the promotion can be a little complicated at times. As a result, we get to witness a number of controversies from time to time in the company. These controversies are often fueled by WWE superstars or by even unexpected botches.
However, some superstars have managed to keep their image clean while a number of them have been discarded from the main roster because of being problematic. So, let’s take a look at the 10 most controversial superstars that were released by WWE.
The 10 Most Controversial Superstars who were later fired by WWE
10. Lio Rush
Lio Rush got down in his pro wrestling career as quickly as he got up. He started as a superstar on NXT lives but after some time you found himself being the manager of Bobby Lashley. Then, again he was back in NXT, but as the cruiserweight champion. But it was later revealed that used to make a lot of jokes about his peers in order to have a few more behavioural issues. He was revealed by the company in 2020.
9. David Schultz
“Dr D” David Schultz signed with the promotion in 1984. Later that year, Schultz had an interview with John Stossel. The reporter wanted to know a few secrets about WWE. He accused WWE of being fake in front of the notorious David Schultz. That made the superstar angry and he visibly slapped John Stossel twice on the camera. Following that, a lawsuit was filed against the superstar and that crafted his release from the promotion.
8. Drake Wuertz
Drake Wuertz Initially started his career as a professional wrestler under the name of Drake Younger. He was liked by everyone in the company, and following that, he also found a job as a referee in NXT under his real name. However, being excessively vocal about the political condition of the United States became the reason for his departure from the company in 2021.
7. Bill DeMott
Bill Goldberg’s unbelievable 175-match unbeaten streak started against Bill DeMott. Interestingly, DeMott who was Hugh Morrus at that time was the unlikely candidate to lose. But the match marked the rise of Goldberg and the demise of DeMott. The birthday cause of his release was the allegations of bullying, assault, and hurling slurs at the talent in WWE developmental.
6. Velveteen Dream
Velveteen Dream found instant success in NXT with his absurdly sexual Prince-inspired gimmick. But in 2020, a group came out accusing Velveteen Dream of making inappropriate interactions with underage people in addition to inappropriate grooming practices. He was slowly removed from televised events after the accused, and later he was removed from the promotion.
5. Enzo Amore
Enzo Amore didn’t have a great build or technical abilities but his amazing promo skills made him highly popular among the WWE universe. He was in a tag team with Big Cass, but backstage issues resulted in the disbandment of the duo. Later, Enzo Amore was also reportedly accused of some serious assault allegations. It’s said that he also tried to invade the 2018 Survivor Series.
4. Matt Hardy
The Hardy Boyz have played a major role in the rise of the tag division in WWE. However, Matt wasn’t the list popular Hardy but his dismissal was surely the most controversial. Matt Hardy’s girlfriend Lita cheated on him with Edge and the promotion decided to bring it on-screen. That resulted in Matt Hardy having numerous backstage issues followed by his release from the company.
3. CM Punk
CM Punk walked out of the pro-wrestling equation without a proper explanation. He later joined mixed martial arts but his career there wasn’t actually a success. However, speculations about him being a menace backstage were later revealed by other superstars. He later joined Tony Khan’s All Elite Wrestling but again, his notoriety came to light.
2. The Ultimate Warrior
The superstar who never turned heel in his WWE career, the Ultimate Warrior did have a few issues off-screen. He was seen as the new megastar of the company after Hulk Hogan. He was the one who ended the Honky Tonk Man’s Intercontinental title reign. The Ultimate Warrior also defeated Hulk Hogan without any complications for the WWE Championship. But he was never able to find peace with the management. And an infamous Homophobic rant slammed the final nail in his career’s coffin with the promotion.
1. Hulk Hogan
Many fans label Hulk Hogan as the greatest WWE superstar of all time, but he’s also not really away from controversy. He was long indulged in backstage politics, but everything fell apart in 2015, even though he made racist comments. As a result, the promotion parted ways with Hogan and even removed him from the Hall of Fame. However, in 2018, Hulk Hogan made his return to the promotion.
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