You're RE-HIRED: 10 wrestlers welcomed back to the WWE after being fired/released
Being in Vince McMahon's favour is a tenuous position at best (unless you marry his daughter) and it's no wonder that so many wrestlers get shown the door.
But there's an upside to Vince's mercurial temperament; He often has a change of heart and gives those fired athletes a second, or even a third shot. Here's a list of wrestlers fired, and then re-hired, by WWE.
#10 Alberto Del Rio
José Alberto RodrÃguez, better known to the world as Alberto Del Rio (or Alberto El Patron) started his career under a mask as Dos Caras Jr. He competed in both MMA shoot fights and worked as a professional wrestler in Japan.
The powerfully built Luchador was finally recruited by the WWE in 2010 and was immediately pushed to the top of the card. His flashy entrance, complete with personal ring announcer Ricardo Rodriguez and a shiny Rolls Royce, put him over the top with fans who are always eager to hate a rich man with lots of privilege.
Why he was fired: Del Rio got into a backstage altercation with Cody Barbierri, a low-level social media agent for WWE. Barbierri made a racist joke at Del Rio's expense, and the ex-MMA fighter confronted him about it. When Barbierri didn't apologize, Del Rio slapped him down.
This immediately led to his release, though not without a public outcry. Many fans believed that Del Rio got a raw deal, which may have influenced the company to re-sign him.
Why he was re-hired: Del Rio is a strong drawn in Mexico, which is where WWE has been trying to expand for the last decade. Also, WWE drew a lot of heat from the firing, both from fans on social media and the 'boys in the back' -- his fellow wrestlers. The fact that Del Rio can work a match with any wrestler of any size in any style probably had something to do with it as well.
How he's doing now: Unfortunately, not so well. As of this writing, Del Rio no longer works for WWE, having been released for a Wellness Policy violation. Though he now works for Impact/GFW, he has also been arrested for domestic violence against girlfriend Paige. His chances of being re-hired seem bleak but never say never.