WWE has a huge roster filled with numerous superstars. Hence, the superstars have been divided into different categories such as main eventers, mid-carders, jobbers and more. Under Vince McMahon from 2020 to 2022, the promotion made various firings. Some of the firings were fine as the superstars were not able to connect with the audience while a few of them were utterly unexplainable.
They let go of the likes of Bray Wyatt, Keith Lee, Nia Jax, Karrion Kross, and Eva Marie in 2021. Nevertheless, the emergence of Tony Khan’s All Elite Wrestling has also put a bit of pressure on the biggest promotion. Hence, let’s take a look at the top 10 Worst Releases in the history of WWE.
Top 10 Worst Releases in the history of WWE
(The list doesn’t include the rehired superstars)
10. Goldust
Goldust was released from the company when they were trying to keep their wrestlers together. It’s also stated that Goldust wanted to leave the company in order to work alongside his brother, Cody Rhodes in All Elite Wrestling, which was a newly found company at that time. The reason why WWE will regret letting him go is he’s a pro-wrestling mastermind.
9. William Regal
WWE released him in January last year and quickly after that, he joined Tony Khan’s All Elite Wrestling. Joining AEW, he started working with Jon Moxley and MJF, who are the top stars of AEW. William Regal has helped WWE in almost all the departments. From being behind the camera to being in-ring, Regal has done a great job. However, his managerial skills would have been a great addition to the company.
8. Keith Lee
Keith Lee is 340 pounds, but his in-ring agility seems like he’s a cruiserweight. During his run in NXT, he was good with the mic, he was good in the ring, and he had a dominant title run, but still, WWE released him. The former NXT Champion and NXT North American Champion is currently signed with All Elite Wrestling.
7. Rusev
Arguably Rusev’s initial gimmick as the Bulgarian Brute was far better than his wife cheating him with the Bobby Lashley angle. Rusev also opened up about the problems he was having with the company but nothing worked. Hence, without giving him a good gimmick, he was released by the company. He also joined AEW after the release.
6. Cesaro
Debuting in the main roster as the Swiss Superman, Antonio Cesaro then becoming Cesaro, then becoming a part of The Bar alongside Sheamus. Ceraso always gave his best performance in the ring, and it’s a shame that he never won the world title. The Swiss Superman was among the strongest men on the main roster and a proper contender was the WWE Championship if handled properly. Anyways, the promotion failed him.
5. Ruby Riott
Ruby Riott would have been a top star in the company alongside the likes of Charlotte Flair, Asuka, Bianca Belair and Becky Lynch. But unfortunately, Vince McMahon made the decision of ending her contract. She was an absolute asset to the company, she was a good in-ring, with the mic and also with character work. However, she has not joined AEW and she’s also delivering great performances.
4. Aleister Black
Aleister Black’s release by the company was highly shocking as he was released within 10 days of making his last appearance against Big E and Apollo Crews. However, AEW didn’t wait long before signing him. Tony Khan instantly signed him under the name of Malakai Black. His dark and horror gimmick was surely something WWE would have kept.
3. The Revival
After the Revival was released by WWE in 2020, the newly emerged wrestling promotion quickly signed the solid tag team. Moreover, Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson’s former “The Revival” reached new heights when they became FTR. They became the ROH, AAA and NJPW tag team champions at the same time.
2. CM Punk
Going back in time, letting CM Punk go was also not a good decision. Punk was a heel for the majority of his WWE career, but still, the audience loved him, especially the fans in Chicago. He never shared a good relationship with Vince McMahon or even Triple H. Things would have been different if CM Punk would have been a part of WWE.
1. Dean Ambrose
One-quarter of the Shield, Dean Ambrose had a daredevil mentality that is rare in pro wrestling these days. However, Ambrose was desperate to leave the company even when Vince McMahon tried his best to stop him. Since joining All Elite Wrestling, currently, Jon Moxley has been the face of the company.
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