5 Current WWE Superstars you may not remember were once fired
The wrestling business is a hard place to become part of and an even harder place to stay involved in. WWE Superstars have to be at the top of their game for years to retain a high position in the company and not become part of the conversation when budget cut meetings roll around.
Many superstars are unable to do this and are inevitably released from WWE, as seen earlier this year when the company made mass releases due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This doesn't mark the end for several of these stars, though, since many have seen it as a wake-up call and have been able to be re-signed a few years later.
Of course, this isn't always the case, several of the stars on this list were fired for some much more interesting reasons as well.
#5. WWE Champion Drew McIntyre
It is hard to believe just six short years ago Drew McIntyre was one of the Superstars who was handed his release papers and told that he was free to leave. McIntyre had been part of the company for several years at that point, been seen as "The Chosen One" and then dropped back down through the ranks and ended up as a member of 3MB.
McIntyre and Jinder Mahal were both released, and Heath Slater was left alone, splitting the group completely.
McIntyre saw this as a wake-up call and worked hard in several other promotions before getting the call from NXT to make his WWE return.
In an interview with Fightful last year, McIntyre revealed that his release came as a huge shock, but he understood because he didn't see where his character could go at the time.
"When I got fired that day. I got the phone call, I was a little surprised. I think the person on the phone was a little surprised; the fans were a little surprised. But to be honest, there was no way I could logically transition into anything serious. And I don’t think it would have panned out if I did. I think I had to go away, apply the lessons I learned outside of the nonstop WWE environment. Cause this place never stops. We’re always creating content. It’s very difficult to re-invent yourself, you know, within this world if people know you a certain way."
McIntyre is now WWE Champion and has dominated the company since his return.