8 WWE Superstars who have allegedly asked for their release
Well, it was only a matter of time. 2019 looks to be an explosive year for wrestling with the world outside of WWE set for a revival of sorts. It's a very exciting time, but it's also a very uncertain one.
WWE is notorious for stockpiling talent and, with so many shows and the risk of injuries, you can kind of see why - but this does come with its pitfalls. When you have so much talent in one place, it's only logical that not everyone can hit the top and achieve their full potential - and of course, that leaves others unhappy.
With the success of ALL IN being followed by the formation of All Elite Wrestling, some of WWE's underutilised stars may very well see the grass as being slightly greener on the other side and want to venture away from WWE to see if there is something better for them out there - and it looks like some may just be prepared to test the theory out.
Chris Jericho laid down a hefty precedent when he shocked the world by signing with AEW despite allegedly being offered a WWE deal. Likewise PAC walked away from his Neville persona in WWE, seeing out his contract and has ended up in the same place - so it begs the question, will anyone actually leave WWE for AEW directly?
The answer is most likely a resounding yes - if WWE will let them go. Sure, WWE is the dream for a lot of wrestlers, if not all of them, and it's undoubtedly the place to go if you want your name in lights - but if those lights are dimmer then you expected, maybe a compromise to be in a more fulfilling position elsewhere may be considered, and that's just what some WWE stars have allegedly done.
Will WWE release them and essentially gift them to the competition? That's another story, but here are eight names who have asked for their release from WWE recently, if reports are to be believed.
#8 Hideo Itami
The most recent release, and one that's been granted by WWE, apparently. Hideo Itami arrived in WWE in June 2014 with a huge reputation, but some big injuries at big moments hindered the Japanese star and killed his momentum at key points - particularly when he was allegedly slated to win the NXT Championship at the Beast in the East special.
Itami is said to be done with WWE immediately, having completed this week's 205 Live taping. He tweeted this out earlier, hinting that his release is official.