5 recently released WWE Superstars who were once too big to fail
WWE Superstars often become some of the most famous individuals in the sports entertainment business. However, the company does not offer lifetime employment to even the biggest names in the company.
The Undertaker, Kane and John Cena are some big names who might never sign with another wrestling promotion. However, recently, some big former superstars such as The Big Show and Mark Henry have turned heads by moving to AEW.
Similarly, WWE has let go of several major superstars who were once seen as workers who would remain with the company for a very long time. These individuals could have gone on to become the face of the company at any given point, but that did not happen.
Let’s take a look at five recently released superstars who were once destined for greatness and were seen as too big to fail in WWE.
#5. Braun Strowman had a good run in WWE
Braun Strowman feels like the perfect WWE Superstar to kick off this list. Strowman signed with the company in 2013 and began a singles run in 2016. He was first introduced as part of The Wyatt Family, but managed to make a name for himself on his own.
The giant WWE Superstar was arguably the most agile and athletic big man the company has ever signed. He was able to pull off certain moves that were previously restricted to wrestlers almost half his size.
During his WWE career, Strowman competed in 51 pay-per-view matches out of which 24 matches were main events. This showed that the company had a lot of faith in the superstar.
Like Kane and The Big Show, Braun Strowman was seen as someone who’d enjoy being part of the company for his entire career without winning too many world titles. Speaking during an interview with Lilian Garcia in 2020, The Monster Among Men claimed that if he was ever let go by the WWE, he'd retire from the business:
"I've said it time and time again: the day I take my wrestling boots off for WWE is the day I stop wrestling," Strowman said. "I will not wrestle for anyone else. I've been given an opportunity from Vince McMahon and from WWE at life that I would have never gotten [anywhere else]. I told him a long time ago, the day I take my boots off from you, I'm done. And I mean that."
Unfortunately, Strowman never saw it coming. After failing to win the WWE Championship at the 2021 WrestleMania Backlash pay-per-view, Strowman was released from the company.
This came as a major surprise for the WWE Universe, who expected The Monster Among Men to remain with the company for the rest of his wrestling career. Strowman is currently rumored to be looking to sign with some other promotion(s), and could even end up re-signing with WWE in the future.