5 Wrestlers you didn't think WWE would release
2020 and 2021 have been unprecedented years in WWE history. Apart from continuing television programming through the COVID-19 pandemic, the company also released more superstars than they ever have before.
Unfortunately, WWE even released several backstage staff and others working behind-the-scenes to make the product what it is. With "budget cuts" being the most cited reason, nobody is sure what WWE's exact process is when putting superstars on the chopping block.
Even then, some of the names that WWE released aren't that surprising. Normally, there are rumors of certain superstars asking for their release and getting it. There are also many of other released superstars who weren't being utilized by the company.
However, there are a handful of top-tier names that were released by WWE that come off as a bit surprising. This list focuses on five wrestlers who you didn't think WWE would release, including one instance from this past decade.
Honorable mention: Lana
Lana never won a championship in WWE, but she maintained a high level of popularity inside and outside the ring. She had been with WWE since 2014 and spent a few years with Rusev in a managerial role before transitioning into an in-ring competitor herself.
Lana was never praised as a spectacular in-ring competitor, but she had a good enough presence to have fan support behind her for years. She was a part of a heavily featured storyline on RAW in late 2020 where Nia Jax hit the Samoan Drop on her for several consecutive weeks. She was even the sole survivor for Team RAW in 2020.
Although her release shouldn't be considered surprising, it ultimately was because she was a valuable star for WWE.
#5. Alberto Del Rio - Released by WWE in 2014
Alberto Del Rio was abruptly released by WWE in August 2014 over "unprofessional conduct." In reality, Alberto Del Rio claims that he heard an employee in WWE making a racist joke towards him and he felt the need to stand up for it.
He reportedly slapped the employee, after which WWE told him that he would be fine. His point of view was understood but the reaction wasn't:
"My response was that it is just not easy to do that. It is easier said than done, especially when you have a guy who isn't bringing any money in by taking any bumps, or sweating and bleeding for this company, he's just a Social Media guy and comes to disrespect me and my family; disrespect my culture at the place where I was born," El Patron said. (H/T WrestlingInc)
A few days later, Triple H called Alberto Del Rio to tell him that he was being released. Naturally, Alberto Del Rio was shocked and WWE was criticized for their decision. The social media manager who made the joke left the company as well.
It was a big surprise because Alberto Del Rio had been pushed in his early WWE tenure and was seen as a key figure in WWE entering the Mexican market. He would return to WWE 14 months later. However, this stint lasted less than a year and he mutually parted ways with WWE in 2016.