5 WWE Superstars who recovered after getting fired
WWE is considered to be the promised land for countless wrestlers the world over. Becoming a member of the WWE roster means you've reached the pinnacle of the wrestling industry and can (ususally) expect riches and fame to follow.
That doesn't mean, however, that a wrestler is always 100% safe once they've become a WWE Superstar. Like most workplaces, Superstars are expected to bring a certain level of class and, above all else, value to the company. If higher ups begin to feel they are no longer living or performing up to their expected standards, it isn't out of the ordinary for the company to show Superstars the door. This is something we've seen countless times over the years.
Sometimes the wrestler in question will join a rival promotion. Other times, they may retire and see a release from WWE as the end of the road for their wrestling career. On some occasions, with enough improvement mentally, physically, and athletically, they may one day return to the hallowed halls of World Wrestling Entertainment to become a bigger star than in their initial run.
Here are 5 WWE Superstars who recovered after getting fired.
#5 Matt Hardy
During the early 2000s The Hardy Boyz had taken the professional wrestling world by storm, helping to innovate and popularize the now iconic Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match which, arguably, made them more famous, and almost certainly more popular, than any other tag team in the company at the time.
Fast forward a few years and Matt Hardy is enjoying a well-respected run as a singles competitior, with his brother Jeff on the sidelines dealing with some personal issues (we'll get back to that later). His "Version 1" gimmick was well-received by audiences and he was enjoying a long term relationship with fellow WWE star Lita. That is until his world was turned upside down...
Upon discovering Lita was engaging in an affair with future WWE Champion Edge, Hardy flipped and took to the internet to share his disgust with the situation in a very public manner. Unsurprisingly, this led to his immediate dismissal on April 11, 2005.
Luckily for Hardy, fan support for the man who was betrayed by his fiancee and best friend was strong at live shows, and WWE knew they needed to take advantage of the situation. They re-hired Hardy after exactly three months later, as he returned on the July 11, 2005 edition of RAW to attack his former friend. Matt's popularity exploded while feuding with real-life rival. WWE created a narrative that blurred the lines between fiction and reality that made for essential viewing.
After enjoying a successful 5-year run after his July 2005 return, he was released in 2010 and worked hard all over the world. Matt's 7-year absense led to the eventual creation of his "Broken" gimmick, which became the most talked-about thing in all of professional wrestling and attracting the attention of WWE, to which he returned with his brother in 2017. Matt's 2 different releases led to 2 separate character revitalizations, and his legacy will be stronger than ever because of it.