5 Recently released WWE stars who could return this year
WWE's vast roster is filled with the most talented wrestlers on the planet. The company occasionally scopes out talent who are creating a buzz in the industry to offer them the opportunity to work for the wrestling entertainment juggernaut.
Wrestlers who attain success usually become major stars and multi-time champions. Meanwhile, those who struggle to get over often end up being future endeavored by the company. These stars are also more likely to find themselves on the receiving end of WWE's annual budget cuts.
Last year, many talented stars were released amidst the global crisis, and this year, the WWE Universe was forced once again to bid farewell to some of their favorite wrestlers. So far, here are all the names who were recently let go by WWE.
List of WWE stars released in 2021:
- Samoa Joe
- Billie Kay
- Andrade
- Peyton Royce
- Mickie James
- Chelsea Green
- Kalisto
- Tucker
- Bo Dallas
- Wesley Blake
- Steve Cutler
- Lars Sullivan
- Velveteen Dream
- Alexander Wolfe
- Ezra Judge
- Skyler Story
- Vanessa Borne
- Jessamyn Duke
- Kavita Devi
A lot of these wrestlers had the potential to become main event stars in WWE, and it's quite sad that we might never get to see them on RAW, SmackDown, or NXT again. However, when it comes to WWE, anything can happen.
Many wrestlers over the years have left on bad terms and vowed not to step foot in the company again, only to end up returning a couple of years later. Thea Trinidad, who competed in WWE under the ring name Zelina Vega, was released last November for not complying with the company's third-party platform rules.
According to recent reports, she is headed back to WWE very soon and was last seen at the Performance Center. This means that all hope is not lost, and a few other stars may also find their way back to the company.
Here are five recently released WWE stars who could return before the end of 2021.
#5 Former WWE NXT star Jessamyn Duke
Jessamyn Duke signed with WWE along with her friend Marina Shafir in 2018. The two wrestlers are collectively known as the Four Horsewomen of MMA along with Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler. Before joining WWE, Duke competed in the UFC, with her last fight taking place on July 25, 2015, against Elizabeth Phillips.
In WWE, Jessamyn Duke made some appearances on NXT and RAW Underground. She also worked as a content creator for WWE's UpUpDownDown YouTube channel. She was reportedly released by the company this week along with several NXT stars and referees.
However, it's possible that she could return later this year. Fans have been waiting for a long time to see a showdown between the Four Horsewomen of MMA and the Four Horsewomen of WWE (Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Bayley, and Sasha Banks).
WWE teased a match between the two groups years ago, and it would be a shame if fans never got to see it just because of Jessamyn Duke's absence.