Why are so many WWE stars leaving?
It's been a long time since we've heard Vince McMahon scream the words "You're Fired" to his wrestlers in the middle of the ring. Now, the power has shifted as more superstars are saying "I Quit" as they're not happy with how the company has treated them.
With some of their top stars - including Dean Ambrose, Luke Harper, and now Sasha Banks -either released from their contracts or rumored to be on the way out, the WWE Universe is curious as to what's going on with the company and their recent inability to hold on to their talent.
As of now, the list of talent who have left or rumored to leave includes the following:
Released from their contract: TJP, Tye Dillinger, Hideo Itami, Dash Fuentes, Rhyno, Goldust.
Pending: Luke Harper, Dean Ambrose, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, Revival.
Rumored: Rusev and Lana, Sasha Banks, Mike and Maria Kanellis.
Reasons Behind The Request?
The obvious reason many fans at this point will point to is the emergence of AEW, but there are other promotions who are interested in top stars who are currently under contract with WWE. New Japan Pro Wrestling offered Shinsuke Nakamura a deal to come to the promotion since he hasn't done much during his run with the WWE besides his NXT and United States championship reigns. However, since then Nakamura has reportedly agreed to stay with WWE.
Other reasons include the fact that the wrestlers within the company have yet to be offered any benefits including health insurance, and many of the talent are unhappy with their creative direction and character arcs.
Stars leaving the company makes WWE look bad and it's no longer the go-to destination for future aspiring wrestlers. Though up and coming stars like those in NXT are received well under the guidance of Triple H, a lot of the uncertainty stems from Vince McMahon, who changes things in the blink of an eye and is still picky as to whom he sees as main roster material.
As more wrestlers are requesting their release, in addition to other promotions making their bids for the talent, we will continue to watch and see who remains with the company, and who leaves for greener pastures.