5 WWE Superstars who were shunned by the company
Throughout WWE history, many Superstars have departed the promotion under dubious circumstances. Some have eventually returned, while others never do. However, the backstory tends to be the most intriguing part of these situations.
WWE have long said that they will always do "what's best for business", but in the case of some Superstars, things seem to be a bit more personal.
Be it contract disputes, personal animosity or personal issues, some former performers have been met with a DO NOT ENTER sign when they knock on the door of Titan Towers. Often, it was because Vince McMahon himself harbored some sort of issue with that individual.
Here are five WWE Superstars that the promotion shunned at one time or another.
#5. Mr. Kennedy
Ken Kennedy went from being a main eventer and future world champion to being unemployed. He was initially a rising star and was reportedly set to be involved in a storyline with him being revealed to be Vince McMahon's illegitimate son. That's a pretty lofty spot on the card.
But a funny thing happened on the way to success.
Already rubbing franchise player John Cena the wrong way, Kennedy committed the Cardinal sin when he dropped Randy Orton on his head during a tag match. From there, the writing was on the wall. The two veterans approached management, and Kennedy was suddenly a former contender.
Before long, he was released and was never brought back to the company since. His last appearance for WWE was in 2009.
#4. Enzo Amore
Enzo Amore was shown the door by WWE in 2018 after it was reported that he was being investigated for rape. Despite being cleared of the allegations, the company still fired him.
Never a great wrestler, Amore found a niche with his wise-cracking character and quick wit. It appeared he was going to stick with WWE and possibly even remain the cornerstone of the company’s Cruiserweight Division. Unfortunately, that never happened, and Amore’s actions afterwards didn’t help his cause, either.
Amore would attend Survivor Series 2018 as a spectator, but many in attendance spotted him and began to think it was his return. Instead, the wrestler-turned-rapper jumped on his seat and caused a distraction.
He was escorted from the building immediately and politely asked to never attend another WWE event.
#3. Lex Luger
Luger fled WWE in 1995 to appear on the first episode of WCW Monday Nitro. The surprise wasn't amusing to the folks at Stamford. He was basically non-existent to the folks at Titan Towers from that point forward.
Working without a contract, The Total Package was reportedly miserable when he called up his good friend Sting. Stinger contacted Eric Bischoff and Boom! Just like that, Luger packed up in the middle of the night to head south.
In later years, it was rumored that Vince McMahon was also upset by stories he heard regarding the way Luger treated then-girlfriend Miss Elizabeth.
All seems well today, as Luger has been involved in some projects with the company. It now appears that he could eventually be enshrined in the WWE Hall of Fame.
#2. The Ultimate Warrior
In one of the most bitter goodbyes in WWE history, Warrior reportedly 'held up' Vince McMahon prior to SummerSlam 1991 on the day of the show. The boss paid him, got the match he wanted and then suspended Warrior immediately afterwards. He would not make another appearance for several months.
The two sides tried to reconcile in 1996, but it only lasted briefly. The former world champion (once again) was malcontent and alienated those around him before quickly departing.
The blood was so bad that WWE went so far as to produce a DVD entitled, "The Self-Destruction of The Ultimate Warrior", essentially burying their former mega-star. Ironically, they would produce another documentary years later about the face-painted muscleman that portrayed him in a positive light.
Things improved to the point where The Ultimate Warrior received his rightful spot in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2014. He would appear on RAW two nights later, where he gave a legendary speech, and then - astonishingly - collapse and die of heart complications the following night. He was 54 at the time of his passing.
#1. Sadly, Randy Savage wasn't inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame until after his death
This was reportedly 100% a Vince McMahon call, as the Chairman had a chip on his shoulder for The Macho Man for years. In fact, the bitterness supposedly lasted beyond Savage's death in 2011.
McMahon had a couple of reasons to be upset. One is a fact and the other that's basically just a rumor.
Let's start with the speculation: rumors have swirled for years that Savage was previously engaged in a relationship with Stephanie McMahon. While there have been many jokes and memes over the years, this story has never been confirmed at all.
In the most likely scenario, the CEO was upset that Savage jumped ship to WCW, taking his valuable Slim Jim endorsement deal to his new promotion. Along with him, went one million dollars in annual revenue.
The bad blood lasted for years and there was no closure for The Macho Man, as he wasn't inducted into the Hall of Fame until four years after his passing.