Speculating on the Next WWE Star to Exit Company
With WWE's roster depth currently greater than at any other point in the last two decades, there are inevitably going to be those who fall through the cracks, leading to random rounds of releases throughout the year and other abrupt departures.
Karrion Kross went from having a regular role on Raw and being somewhat prominently featured in a program with Sami Zayn that culminated at SummerSlam to not being with the company a week removed from the event—and not of his own volition.
Andrade also recently left WWE due to a disciplinary issue that resulted in his contract being "effectively released," according to Jon Alba of SI's The Takedown. He, too, had been underutilized during his second stint with the company.
Although there's always speculation that certain Superstars are either unhappy with their spot on the show or would be better suited elsewhere, a number of contracts aren't expected to expire imminently. Bayley eventually joining AEW, for example, isn't a far-fetched possibility, but having just re-signed with WWE in early 2024, she won't be able to exit the company anytime soon.
It's unknown how much time others have left, but based on the booking (or lack thereof) of an elite few, the writing might be on the wall.
Shinsuke Nakamura
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Shinsuke Nakamura left New Japan Pro-Wrestling at the peak of his popularity in 2016 and was a great acquisition for WWE. He enjoyed success in NXT as a two-time NXT champion and was immediately over with the audience the night of his arrival.
Unfortunately, his main roster run was never quite what it could have been for a variety of reasons.
Despite winning the 2018 men's Royal Rumble, he was simply never slotted at the main-event level permanently. He was instead relegated to reigns as Intercontinental and United States champion, neither of which was remotely memorable.
He resurfaced on SmackDown last November after an extended hiatus and quickly recaptured the star-spangled prize at Survivor Series, but his television time was largely limited and uninspiring. Aside from the occasional backstage segment, he has been absent from the blue brand since June.
Nakamura has re-signed with WWE multiple times over the years, presumably because he's content with his lot. Whenever his contract comes due, however, it's far from a guarantee that he'll be sticking around again, meaning a return to his old stomping grounds in NJPW may not be out of the question entirely.
Austin Theory
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No one in WWE has had a bigger fall from grace in recent years than Austin Theory.
He kicked off 2023 with wins over the illustrious likes of Seth Rollins, Bobby Lashley, Edge and even John Cena at WrestleMania 39. The latter half of his second run with the United States Championship was horribly handled and he never really recovered.
Outside of winning the WWE Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania 40, he and Grayson Waller have primarily served as stepping stones since joining forces. They then teased tension for over a year and broke up off-screen due to Theory sustaining an injury at the end of the summer.
At this point, fans have lost all hope they had for Theory as a top prospect in WWE. There's no reason to think he'll bounce back once he's cleared to compete again, whenever that may be.
It's unlikely the company would release Theory while he's sidelined, but they could just as easily allow his contract to expire if it's up soon and call it quits. He's someone who won't get beyond a certain level in WWE until he leaves and takes a chance on himself elsewhere before returning as a bigger deal down the road, a la Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes.
Santos Escobar
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Santos Escobar's presence on SmackDown, which has been drastically curtailed this year, hasn't gone unnoticed by fans.
After dwindling down in developmental for a few years, he finally made it to the main roster within months of Triple H taking creative control of the company, signaling that he'd be afforded the opportunity to show what he can do.
It took time for Escobar to find his footing from a booking standpoint, but being paired off with Rey Mysterio and joining The LWO gave him the direction he needed. There was potential for their subsequent rivalry to launch Escobar into singles stardom, but the lack of follow-up caused him to lose any momentum he may have had.
He's been spinning his wheels alongside the rest of Legado del Fantasma since then, and with his last televised match happening all the way back on May 2 (not counting June's Worlds Collide event), it isn't unrealistic to assume he could be on his way out.
If so, WWE will have wasted the tremendous talent he has to offer. He's exceptional both on the mic and in the ring, but needs to be put in a proper program instead of losing whenever it matters most.
Omos
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There have been a handful of Superstars who have all but disappeared from WWE programming since WWE's Triple H era got underway three years ago, and Omos is chief among them.
The last two years with Vince McMahon at the helm saw Omos pushed fairly aggressively, first alongside AJ Styles in the tag team ranks for roughly a year and then on his own with MVP as his manager. As soon as Triple H usurped McMahon as WWE's head honcho, Omos's appearances on programming became far less frequent.
He actually transitioned into a bit of an attraction role for WWE starting in 2023, losing every high-profile match he had with Braun Strowman, Brock Lesnar and Seth Rollins. Since he went undrafted in the 2023 WWE Draft, you could count his televised matches on one hand.
He had a good thing going in Pro Wrestling NOAH, where he briefly held tag gold earlier this year, but that was inexplicably cut short.
While Omos isn't the most polished performer on the roster by any stretch, there has been zero attempt to utilize him in any capacity, not even as an enhancement left. Most fans have concluded that WWE is choosing to bench him for the remainder of his contract, as his absence has been puzzling, to say the least.
Michin
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Amazingly, Michin has been the most active of everyone listed up to this point, and there has been no indication that she will leave on her own accord in the foreseeable future or that WWE plans to release her early.
That said, it's worth noting that she returned to the company three years ago this November. If she signed the same length of deal as everyone else brought back by Triple H in 2022, her contract should be up imminently.
Karrion Kross' contract not being renewed was certainly a surprise, considering the storyline he was involved in prior to his departure. Similarly, Michin might fall into that same category if WWE feels they've done everything they can with her in her latest run.
That includes unsuccessfully challenging for the Women's United States Championship multiple times, having a brief stint in NXT, feuding with most of the midcard scene on SmackDown and joining The O.C. for faction warfare with The Judgment Day.
It's doubtful that Michin will attain world championship glory in WWE, so if she's reached her ceiling, it's possible she gets let go to make way for a fresher face from NXT to fill the spot she leaves behind.
There's value in having someone such as Michin act as a utility player in the division, so she should be re-signed when the time comes, but nothing is set in stone.
AJ Styles
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There has been a lot of chatter among fans regarding AJ Styles' status for many months, with the latest word being that his current contract is set to expire in early 2026. This comes after he signed a one-year extension with WWE at the onset of 2025, per SI's The Takedown.
Over the last decade, Styles has achieved remarkable levels of success in WWE, winning several championships and participating in numerous memorable matches and moments. Oddly enough, his booking hasn't changed all that much under Triple H compared to Vince McMahon, with him firmly being positioned at an upper-midcard level instead of in main events.
The Phenomenal One is now 48 years old and has made it abundantly clear in recent years that in-ring retirement is drawing near, but surely there's more WWE could be doing with him in the final stretch of his decorated career. His now-official match with John Cena at Crown Jewel on Oct. 11 is a solid start.
Should Styles choose to close out his days inside the squared circle elsewhere, he could be a free agent as soon as February and debut in AEW shortly thereafter. There are plenty of circumstances to consider, but only Styles knows what's most important to him at the end of the day and how much longer he intends to wrestle for.
Regardless of where he winds up, he deserves to have a sensational sendoff worthy of the all-timer that he is.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.
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