8 WWE Superstars who have asked for their release - and whether it has been granted or not
2019 has been a whirlwind year for wrestling so far and we're not even halfway through.
With the world of wrestling outside of WWE set for a revival of sorts, what with the emergence of AEW at the turn of the year, it's a very exciting time - and a very uncertain one.
Several WWE Superstars have been reported as being unhappy, with some quietly requesting their releases - and others, well, not doing it quite so quietly. But why?
Well, WWE is notorious for stockpiling talent and, with so many shows and the risk of injuries, you can't really blame them! But, of course, when you have so much talent in one place, logic would dictate that not everyone can hit the top and achieve their full potential - and of course, that leaves the ones who do not arguably misuses, underutilised, and not very happy.
With the success of ALL IN being followed by the formation of All Elite Wrestling, some of WWE's underutilised stars may very well look over the metaphoric fence to see the grass as being slightly greener on the other side, and may wish to venture away from WWE to see if it really is.
Chris Jericho laid down a hefty precedent when he shocked the world by signing with AEW despite allegedly being offered a WWE deal - and even sending a message to WWE Superstars who may seek to do the same. 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. 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, and whether or not that wish has been granted!
#8 Hideo Itami
Well, Itami was one of the first WWE Superstars this year to request their release, and one of the few granted by WWE.
Hideo Itami arrived in WWE in June 2014 with a huge reputation as Kenta, but injuries at all the wrong times, not that there's ever a right one, 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 has since left WWE, and is now performing back under his Kenta moniker.