“I’m Better Than You, And You Know It”

"Every Man Has A Price For The Million Dollar Man"

"The Best There Is, The Best There Was, And The Best There Ever Will Be"

"Whatcha Gonna Do, When Hulkamania Runs Wild On You"

"And That's The Bottom Line Because Stone Cold Said So"

WWE has a huge roster currently, and with the expansion of NXT as the third brand, there are more superstars in WWE than ever before. However, not all the wrestlers can sustain the pressure of working with WWE, and the job security in WWE is not that high.



WWE usually has a spring cleaning during WrestleMania, where many wrestlers are ‘future endeavored’. Apart from these, there are several superstars who get frustrated with their position in the company and request their release to venture into greener pastures.



We look at twenty major names who have left the company in recent years, and how their life has been after WWE.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" style="text-align:center">20. HORNSWOGGLE: INDEPENDENT CIRCUIT</h2>



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At 4ft 5in, Hornswoggle (Dylan Mark Postl) was one of the shortest superstars to ever wrestle inside a WWE ring. Hornswoggle stayed with WWE for close to a decade and was part of several entertaining segments throughout his career.



Hornswoggle left WWE in 2016 and went on to compete in the independent scene and with other promotions like TNA, under the moniker Swoggle. He made a brief appearance at Greatest Royal Rumble last year, where he was eliminated by Tony Nese. He also returned for a comedy spot in the Women’s Royal Rumble match earlier this year. Hornswoggle recently published his autobiography &#8220;Life Is Short And So Am I&#8220;.


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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" style="text-align:center">19. WADE BARRETT: WOS WRESTLING</h2>



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The winner of the first season of NXT when it was in the reality show format, Wade Barrett (Stuart Alexander Bennett) had a topsy turvy career in WWE. He formed the Nexus with his NXT mates, and they were buried by John Cena at Summerslam. Barrett received an opportunity at a title of his choosing after his NXT victory and headlined PPVs during 2010.



Barrett was slowly relegated to the mid-card and won the IC title. He was the last King of the Ring, a competition he won in 2015. He joined Sheamus, Rusev and Alberto Del Rio in the League of Nations in his last year with the company. He was released shortly after WrestleMania 32 and now works for World of Sport Wrestling as a commentator and executive.







<h2 class="wp-block-heading" style="text-align:center">18. DAMIEN SANDOW: NWA</h2>



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Damien Sandow (Aron Steven Haddad) is a part of an elite club of superstars who have failed their Money in the Bank cash-in. His MITB win in 2014 was the biggest highlight of his WWE career and became the first superstar to lose by pinfall in his cash-in attempt.



Sandow had several different gimmicks in WWE and teamed up with a variety of superstars including Cody Rhodes, The Miz and Darren Young. Sandow’s release in 2016 was a major shocker for the fans due to his popularity, and he moved to TNA later that year, going by the name of Aaron Rex. He had a short stint with the company where he was pushed to the main event. He won the Impact Grand Championship and eventually left the company in 2017 to pursue an acting career.



Sandow recently returned to wrestling made his debut with NWA.&nbsp;


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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" style="text-align:center">17. CODY RHODES: AEW</h2>



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One of the highly talented superstars in WWE, Cody Rhodes (Cody Garrett Runnels) was wrestling royalty when he joined the company. His father Dusty Rhodes was a major name in professional wrestling, while his half-brother Goldust was one of the top superstars in the WWE during the 90s.



Cody won several championships and had great runs in WWE, but the company never managed to unlock his full potential. Cody had the most successful run of all the superstars on this list after leaving WWE in 2016. He won several championships in different promotions like ROH, NJPW, TNA, had a major part in the creation of All Elite Wrestling, and is currently battling WWE in the ‘Wednesday Night Wars’.







<h2 class="wp-block-heading" style="text-align:center">16. RYBACK: CURRENTLY OUT OF ACTION</h2>



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Ryback (Ryan Allen Reeves) was one of the top heels in the WWE during 2012-13, and ‘The Big Guy’ came close to winning the WWE Championship. Ryback did win the Intercontinental Championship once and challenged for the US title in his last rivalry in WWE.



Ryback left WWE in 2016, after a contract dispute and has appeared on the indies in the last few years. He has focused more on running his own podcast and has spoken negatively about WWE on quite a few occasions. Ryback currently wrestles on the international independent circuit.


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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" style="text-align:center">15: DUDLEY BOYZ: D-VON (WWE PRODUCER), BUBBA (ROH)</h2>



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The Dudley Boyz made an extremely surprising return to WWE in 2015 after staying away from the company for nearly a decade and confronted the New Day. The Dudley Boyz remained with the company for the next twelve months, following which they once again left.



D-Von (Devon Hughes) made a few appearances before retiring in late 2016, while Bubba Ray (Mark LoMonaco) signed a contract with Ring of Honor and is currently performing in the singles division of the company. D-Von is now a producer with WWE.







<h2 class="wp-block-heading" style="text-align:center">14. ALBERTO DEL RIO: INDEPENDENT CIRCUIT/NACION LUCHA LIBRE</h2>



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Former World Champion Alberto Del Rio (José Alberto Rodríguez) has had a controversial stay in the independent scene ever since he was released from WWE in 2016. Del Rio wrestled for several promotions including TNA/Impact, WCPW, and AAA. His relationship with Paige was much publicized, and the duo broke up in 2017. Del Rio won the GFW World Heavyweight Championship during his time in TNA. He was fired from the company after not showing up for an event and has not been employed by any promotion ever since.



Del Rio and former WWE wrestler Chavo Guerero have started a new promotion in their home country of Mexico, Nación Lucha Libre.


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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" style="text-align:center">13. SUMMER RAE: NHPW</h2>



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Former quarterback and football team captain, Summer Rae (Danielle Louise Moinet) started her WWE career with FCW, then moved to NXT as ring announcer, and transitioned into an in-ring competitor. She made her main roster debut in 2013 as Fandango&#8217;s dancing partner and made her single&#8217;s debut the same year.



Rae was involved with a variety of superstars like The Miz, Damien Sandow, Rusev, Dolph Ziggler, and Tyler Breeze as part of different storylines before aligning with Naomi, Tamina, Emma and Lana leading to a tag team match at WrestleMania 32.



After leaving WWE in 2017, Rae made her independent circuit debut the following year, in 2018. Rae has been announced for the NHPW show on October 26th.







<h2 class="wp-block-heading" style="text-align:center">12. JACK SWAGGER: AEW/BELLATOR</h2>



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Another former World Heavyweight Champion, Jack Swagger (Donald Jacob Hager Jr.) is ranked amongst the worst World champions in WWE history. In his long career with WWE, Swagger never looked like a major deal, even during his run as the World Heavyweight Champion. Swagger was released from WWE in March 2017 and pursued a career in the indies. He joined the highly acclaimed Lucha Underground series and became the Lucha Underground Champion after defeating Pentagon Jr.



Swagger has also joined the MMA industry and is currently signed with Bellator MMA, the second-biggest MMA promotion after UFC. Swagger is currently 2-0 in his MMA career and has looked quite good in his two bouts so far.



Swagger made a shock debut at AEW&#8217;s debut episode of TNT and is currently the powerhouse in Chris Jericho&#8217;s Inner Circle.


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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" style="text-align:center">11. AUSTIN ARIES: MLW</h2>



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Austin Aries (Daniel Healy Solwold Jr.) was a major name in TNA before joining WWE in 2015. He joined the commentary team of 205 Live, and soon became a part of the roster. He faced off against Neville at WrestleMania 33 and lost the match which was the first match on the preshow.



Aries was released a few months later after a fallout with the WWE officials and returned to TNA soon after. He won the Impact World Championship and had a controversial stay in the company. He left TNA in late 2017 and returned to the independent scene. He joined Major League Wrestling earlier this year and made his debut at MLW Fury Road in a winning effort against Adam Brooks.







<h2 class="wp-block-heading" style="text-align:center">10. EMMA: IMPACT</h2>



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Emma (Tenille Averil Dashwood) stayed in WWE for five years but struggled to make a major impact on the Women’s Division. She had a fabulous character and was a huge success in NXT, but could never translate it on the main roster. She was released from the WWE after a loss to Asuka in the latter’s debut match.



Emma has since then performed in Ring of Honor, as part of their ‘Women of Honor’ division. Emma recently signed with Impact Wrestling and will make her debut in the Knockouts Divisions quite soon.


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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" style="text-align:center">9. ENZO AMORE: INDEPENDENT CIRCUIT</h2>



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Enzo Amore (Eric Arndt) was slated for big things in the WWE when he first made his debut in 2016. Along with Big Cass, Enzo Amore formed a formidable tag-team, and Enzo’s top-notch promo work made him one of the best in the company when it came to mic work.



Enzo was accused of sexual assault and was suspended from the WWE in January 2018. A few weeks later, WWE fired Enzo Amore, who was then the Cruiserweight Champion in his second reign.



Enzo has pursued a rap career since his departure and has released two albums in the last two years. He attempted to hijack Survivor Series last year with his antics but was promptly removed from the arena and banned from Staples Center.



Enzo and Cass have reunited recently, and are now nZo and Caz XL. They have teamed up in the independent scene recently, and also took part in a ‘worked shoot’ during an ROH event.







<h2 class="wp-block-heading" style="text-align:center">8. RICH SWANN: IMPACT</h2>



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Yet another member of 205 Live on this list, Rich Swann (Richard Allen Swann) won the Cruiserweight Championship in 2016. He had a decent run in the Cruiserweight division before he was charged with domestic violence in December 2017. He was suspended from the company after the charges surfaced and eventually released from his contract in February 2018.



Rich Swann performed in different independent promotions and signed a deal with Impact Wrestling last year. He won the Impact X-Division Championship and held it for close to 200 days.


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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" style="text-align:center">7. BIG CASS: INDEPENDENT CIRCUIT</h2>



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Enzo Amore’s partner in crime, Big Cass (William Morrissey) was given a short push in the singles division in the WWE. He was Daniel Bryan’s first singles opponent after Bryan’s return from retirement, and it turned out to be Cass’ last feud in the company. He was released in June 2018 after reports of behavioral issues.



Cass has made a few appearances in different promotions such as Big Time Wrestling, House of Hardcore, etc. He recently reunited with Enzo Amore and faced Jon Moxley at an indie event. There were rumors of Enzo and Cass returning to WWE, but they eventually turned out to be false.







<h2 class="wp-block-heading" style="text-align:center">6. NEVILLE: AEW</h2>



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The Man That Gravity Forgot, Neville (Benjamin Satterley) had tremendous potential to become a major name in the WWE. He won the NXT Championship and the first-ever Dusty Rhodes Tag-Team Classic and moved to the main roster in 2015. After a short stay on the main roster, he was put in the Cruiserweight Division, where he found great success with his heel persona.



After a contract dispute and frustrations over his position in the company, Neville walked out of WWE in October 2017. WWE froze his contract, and Neville stayed away from professional wrestling for more than a year.



He was finally released in August last year, and he returned to his previous promotion Dragon Gate. Apart from this, Neville, now wrestling as PAC, was one of the first names announced by All Elite Wrestling. PAC is a major name in the AEW Division currently and even defeated AEW&#8217;s biggest star Kenny Omega at All Out pay-per-view.


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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" style="text-align:center">5. JAMES ELLSWORTH: INDEPENDENT CIRCUIT</h2>



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James Ellsworth (James Ellsworth Morris) became an internet sensation when he featured in a squash match against Braun Strowman. Ellsworth’s popularity led to him getting a contract from WWE, where he featured in a WWE Championship match against AJ Styles!



Ellsworth returned to the independent scene after this release from WWE and quickly became a major name on the indie circuit. He started featuring in major matches and his career changed massively after his stint with the WWE.







<h2 class="wp-block-heading" style="text-align:center">4. HIDEO ITAMI: NJPW</h2>



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Hideo Itami (Kenta Kobayashi) joined WWE after being one of the top guys in Japan for nearly a decade. However, he never found success in WWE, as he was plagued with injuries throughout his NXT run. His main roster stay was underwhelming and he eventually left the company in early 2019.



Itami returned to Pro Wrestling Noah, and made his NJPW debut in June. He joined the Bullet Club stable earlier this month, after competing in the G1 Climax.


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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" style="text-align:center">3. TYE DILLINGER: AEW</h2>



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Tye Dillinger (Ronnie William Arneill) stayed in the WWE developmental system for nearly a decade, before finally making his main roster debut in 2017. He stayed in the mid-card for quite some time and featured in feuds for the United States Championship.



Earlier this year, Dillinger requested his release and was granted. A few weeks later, he appeared on AEW Double or Nothing as part of the Battle Royal and was soon signed to the company full-time. Wrestling under his real name Shawn Spears, Dillinger is a fixture in the mid-card of AEW.







<h2 class="wp-block-heading" style="text-align:center">2. T. J. PERKINS: NJPW</h2>



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The first-ever Cruiserweight Champion and the 2016 Cruiserweight Classic Winner, TJP (Theodore James Perkins) had an uneventful run with the WWE. His stay in the 205 Live roster wasn’t much memorable and WWE released him from his contract earlier this year (February 2019).



TJP returned to Impact after his release, and also wrestled in several independent promotions. He also took part in NJPW’s Super J Cup, losing to eventual winner El Phantasmo in the second round.


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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" style="text-align:center">1. DEAN AMBROSE: AEW</h2>



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Arguably the biggest name in this list and the most recent departure, Dean Ambrose’s exit from the company was equal parts shocking and surprising. Ambrose’s WWE contract ended in April, and he chose to not resign with the company. He went on to criticize WWE’s booking system on several occasions and signed with All Elite Wrestling.



He has also signed a deal with New Japan Pro Wrestling held the NJPW US Championship for several months. Ambrose missed AEW All Out with an injury, but has since returned to the company as Jon Moxley and resumed hostilities with Kenny Omega.

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