Checking in on the Biggest WWE Stars Released over the Last 2 Years

WWE has released many great wrestlers, but the last two years have stood out for the sheer number of performers who were let go.

Bray Wyatt, Braun Strowman, Mickie James, Ruby Riott, Rusev, Samoa Joe, Aleister Black, The Revival, The Good Brothers and more stand out immediately. This is not including recent releases who are still stuck in their 90-day non-compete clauses.

The wrestling landscape has evolved since these releases and will continue to do so. This goes beyond just All Elite Wrestling, WWE's closest competition. These stars have gone to Impact Wrestling, Ring of Honor, National Wrestling Alliance, Game Changer Wrestling, Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide and more.

After James' surprise appearance in the 2022 women's Royal Rumble match as Impact Knockouts champion last weekend, it is the perfect time to check in on where these wrestlers landed post-release.

This doesn't include wrestlers who let their contracts expire, such as Bryan Danielson, Adam Cole and Paul Wight, or those who have not been released long enough to redefine themselves like Hit Row, Keith Lee or Toni Storm.

The focus will be those who have had enough time to choose their new path, exploring what they have managed to do outside WWE in a unique wrestling landscape. This is about the talent who were stars in WWE or became stars once they left.

Luke Harper/Mr. Brodie Lee

Released: December 8, 2019.

Post-WWE Record: Signed with AEW, 1x TNT champion, last title holder of original championship.

On April 16, 2019, Luke Harper requested his release from WWE. This was after years of stop-and-start pushes where he worked well with The Wyatt Family, but the company would never let him be on his own for long.

He was not released until December 8, 2019. Mr. Brodie Lee returned to wrestling on the March 18, 2020 edition of AEW Dynamite to be revealed shockingly as The Exalted One, the leader of The Dark Order.

From that moment on, Lee was treated as one of the top stars in AEW and battled Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship.

He defeated Cody Rhodes in just over three minutes to become the second TNT champion before dropping the title back 55 days later after a brutal Dog Collar match.

Lee would not wrestle another match after that night. On December 26, 2020, he died due to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. It was a shocking moment for the industry.

From the start, Lee knew his worth. He was a valuable hand in WWE, but he knew he could be more. He proved it quickly not just through his in-ring talent but also his combination of menace and humor. He helped revitalize The Dark Order, a stable that had seemed destined to fail.

He impacted so many in and out of the ring, showcased through the overwhelming wave of support after his death. AEW held a beautiful tribute show for him and his family, ending with the retirement of the original TNT Championship last held by Lee.

His impact is felt to this day. CM Punk and Bryan Danielson both gave credit to the treatment of Lee and his family as a reason they chose to join AEW.

His wife, Amanda Huber, and the couple's two sons, Brodie Jr. and Nolan, are under the constant support of AEW, fulfilling a final promise to the man Jonathan Huber. Lee stands as a symbol for knowing your own worth.

The Revival/FTR

Released: April 10, 2020

Post-WWE Record: Signed with AEW, current AAA world tag team champions, 1x AEW world tag team champions.

The Revival went through a bumpy road to success in WWE. Scott Dawson was hired in 2012 followed by Dash Wilder in 2014. Once Wilder arrived, it was obvious the two would work best as a tag team.

It was not until the inaugural Dusty Tag Team Classic that Dash and Dawson began to rise up the ranks. Their old-school style earned them two reigns as NXT tag team champions. They would go on to win the Raw Tag Team Championships twice and SmackDown Tag Team Championships once.

While both men were respected for their tag team prowess, WWE creative grew bored of their act and began a process to change their gimmick. After some terrible pitches, the two demanded their release, which was granted in April 2020.

The two would rebrand themselves Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler, FTR. It was an easy decision for them to join AEW, a company with the most defined tag team division in the world. The duo defeated "Hangman" Adam Page and Kenny Omega to become AEW world tag team champions three months into their run.

FTR would lose the gold to The Young Bucks but they have rarely lost steam and are always near the top of the rankings in the division. They would defeat The Lucha Brothers to capture the AAA World Tag Team Championships.

WWE has never been much for respecting tag teams. It took years for The Usos and The New Day to prove themselves as the only groups with real staying power. Wheeler and Harwood found a better home for their love of tag team wrestling.

Zack Ryder/Matt Cardona

Released: April 15, 2020

Post-WWE Record: Signed with Impact, working with NWA and GCW, current Impact digital media champion, 1x GCW world champion.

The story of Zack Ryder cannot be boiled down to a few paragraphs. The original man to get himself over on the internet in WWE, he created a cult following for himself when he could not get on television.

However, WWE has never taken kindly to talent going into business for themselves. Arguably, the company only embraced social media because ofThe Ultimate Broski, yet he would be repeatedly embarrassed on television before he was simply ignored.

Along the way, he earned brief United States and intercontinental title reigns plus two tag team runs with his good friend, Curt Hawkins. The two would be released in April 2020, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise for a man who could not get his due in a confining system.

Matt Cardona has made a name for himself since his release by getting himself over everywhere. He signed with Impact where he is now the digital media champion after nearly winning its world title.

His most infamous move was to arrive in GCW and defeat the company's biggest face, Nick Gage, to win the GCW World Championship. While it did not last long, this singular moment brought new eyes to a promotion that recently ran its biggest show ever in the Hammerstein Ballroom.

He briefly appeared in AEW to help out Cody Rhodes, and he recently began feuding with NWA world champion Trevor Murdoch. He is everywhere in wrestling, which only seems fitting for the man who proved it does not take a big stage to become a star.

Serena Deeb

Released: April 15, 2020.

Post-WWE Record: Signed with AEW, worked with NWA, 1x NWA world women's champion.

From early 2018 to early 2020, there may not have been a greater unsung hero than Serena Deeb. Working as a coach in the WWE Performance Center, she helped build the skill set of the company's loaded women's division, especially in NXT.

However, WWE did not see the value in her work enough to keep her around after the 2020 budget cuts. This left her open to taking on whatever role suited her interest the most. She chose AEW.

She won the NWA World Women's Championship as a member of the AEW roster. Unfortunately, she suffered a leg injury that hampered her reign, but it was still an important accolade to add her underrated resume.

She now works in AEW as a wrestler, coach and road agent. In her many roles, she not only puts on great matches but also helps the rest of the women improve their own skill sets. Her work with Hikaru Shida stands out immediately, but her training of Jade Cargill is equally as impressive.

Many have called Deeb the best female wrestler in the world. Her smooth in-ring work is hard for anyone to match and makes anyone she works with look better. As she builds up wins in 2022, she could even elevate herself to AEW Women's World Championship contention.

Deonna Purrazzo

Released: April 15, 2020.

Post-WWE Record: Signed with Impact Wrestling, working with AAA, current ROH women's world champion and AAA Reina de Reinas champion, 2x Impact Knockouts champion.

Deonna Purrazzo never got her due in WWE. Despite making the most of her role in short squashes on Raw, she barely got any featured time with any brand before a disappointing release.

While Impact Wrestling has often been known to scoop up WWE talent without thought, Purrazzo showed within one month of arriving in the company that she had immeasurable value. Her second reign as Impact Knockouts champion nearly broke the record for longest KO reign in company history.

In her reigns, she put on great matches with Jordynne Grace, Jazz, Thunder Rosa and Mickie James. While she is no longer the Knockouts champion, she won the AAA Reina de Reinas Championship and ROH Women's World Championship, making her a dual champion for multiple promotions.

She is widely regarded as one of the best female wrestlers in the world despite not working for either of the top two promotions in the world. She has proved herself worldwide, and AEW and WWE have to be paying close attention.

For the time being, The Virtuosa is dominating anywhere she competes. At just 27 years old, she is going to be highly sought after when her Impact contract expires.

The Good Brothers

Released: April 15, 2020

Post-WWE Record: Signed with Impact, worked with AEW, 2x and current Impact world tag team champions.

Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson followed AJ Styles into WWE in January 2016. At a time when the company still couldn't figure out what to do with the tag team divisions, they got moments on top followed by time spans where TV minutes were fleeting.

They would ally with Styles and Finn Balor along the way, winning the Raw Tag Team Championships twice as well as the 2019 WWE Tag Team World Cup. Even if they were not always featured, The Good Brothers seemed content, only to be blindsided by their April 2020 release.

It did not take long for Gallows and Anderson to land in Impact, quickly winning its world tag team titles. The duo were also the primary benefactors of its relationship with AEW, appearing regularly on Dynamite alongside Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks.

They briefly lost the tag team titles before regaining them, holding them for a total of 322 days so far. It is a testament to what Impact sees in The Good Brothers that they have taken up so much of the promotion's time and focus.

While Gallows and Anderson have never quite lived up to the hype of signing as a packaged deal with Styles, the duo continuously deliver as a reliable tag team that will likely soon be working in New Japan Pro-Wrestling as well, given their growing feud with The Bullet Club.

Rusev/Miro

Released: April 15, 2020

Post-WWE Record: Signed with AEW, 1x AEW TNT champion.

Rusev had to buck a lot of stereotypes to succeed in WWE. He was brought in as The Bulgarian Brute, a man with limited English who needed Lana to speak for him. He was the foreign heel that Superstars like John Cena needed to overcome.

He won the WWE United States Championship twice in this role, but it was his work after that character had run its course that showed his real potential. Rusev Day became one of the hottest angles on TV, proving he also had the talent to speak for himself.

Instead of promoting the star for getting himself over, WWE threw him into a terrible angle where his wife, Lana, cheated on him with Bobby Lashley. He would request his release multiple times before it was finally granted in the April 2020 budget cuts.

Miro arrived in AEW as The Best Man to Kip Sabian, playing the video game nerd just around to protect his best friend. However, as he grew more frustrated, he turned against Sabian and forged his own path.

He captured the TNT Championship, defending it successfully for 140 days before Sammy Guevara defeated him. Since that time, he has made infrequent appearances on AEW while cutting foreboding promos on his faith in God.

According to Fightful Select (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Marc Middleton), Miro has been dealing with a hamstring injury, which has kept him off TV. When he returns, he looks poised to begin dominating AEW again, building upon his impressive 21-3 record in the company.

Taynara Conti/Tay Conti

Released: April 20, 2020

Post-WWE Record: Signed with AEW.

Taynara Conti barely got a chance in NXT before her release. She was seen as a green talent who was not developing fast enough in the Performance Center. After three years in NXT, she requested her release, finally granted as a part of the April 2020 budget cuts.

Tay quickly showed she had more to offer by signing with AEW and competing at a higher level than before. In 2021, she had the most wins of any female wrestler in the promotion, including quality performances against Britt Baker and Nyla Rose.

She and Anna Jay formed a tag team that would also make an impact. In particular, their Street Fight with The Bunny and Penelope Ford on AEW Rampage was so memorable it pushed WWE to provide a letter to the Toronto Star, denouncing the violent exhibition that so many enjoyed.

Conti is still only 26 and looks to be on the verge of stardom for AEW. She is a victim of timing at the moment as Baker dominates AEW and Jade Cargill is the company's most important project.

Conti is just waiting for her opportunity.

Andrade/Andrade El Idolo

Released: March 21, 2021.

Post-WWE Record: Signed with AEW, appeared in AAA.

Andrade joined WWE in 2015 where he slowly but surely acclimated to the company's style. With the help of Zelina Vega, he captured the NXT Championship. His main roster run was rough beyond a brief run as United States champion.

After an awkward alliance with Angel Garza fell apart, he requested his release, hoping to find success outside WWE. After a few weeks, it was granted.

He first appeared in AAA to challenge for the AAA Mega Championship held by Kenny Omega before formally signing with AEW. He has not done much yet in the promotion, though his series of matches with PAC were some of the company's best in 2021.

Recently, Andrade El Idolo has taken on a more comedic role as a businessman, purchasing a majority stake in the Hardy Family Office while seeking to buy the services of Darby Allin. This should lead to a great match between El Idolo and Allin before long.

AEW has often played it slow with talent, and Andrade's continued usage on Dynamite and Rampage indicate he's seen as a priority. He also has a chance to compete in AAA whenever he pleases. One of the two promotions should crown him before long.

Mickie James

Released: April 15, 2021

Post-WWE Record: Working with NWA and Impact, current Impact Knockouts champion.

Mickie James may be one of the greatest women to step inside a wrestling ring. Her career accomplishments span decades and generations. She still is performing at a higher level than many of her peers. However, her latest run in WWE was a disaster.

Over four years, she struggled to get television time, even when the veteran could have been helping WWE through a rough patch in terms of undercard depth. Other than her work with Asuka, she never looked ready and comfortable as the performer with infrequent screen time.

When she was released, the 42-year-old made sure to call out the way WWE disrespected her and other talent on their way out. She was sent a garbage bag containing her belongings, seemingly putting a serious damper on any potential for the veteran to return.

She signed a deal with NWA to produce their first-ever all-women's pay-per-view, NWA EmPowerrr. As part of that event, she would travel to Impact Wrestling, beginning a feud that would lead to her defeating Deonna Purrazzo for the Impact Knockouts Championship.

WWE and James would come to terms on an appearance in the women's Royal Rumble where she got to walk out as Impact champion with her Impact entrance theme. In that appearance, she looked more dangerous than she did in most of her time in WWE over the past four years.

Unless WWE builds a bridge with Impact, James is likely to remain on Impact and NWA television for the foreseeable future. A valuable veteran to both companies, Hardcore Country has a lot left in the tank.

Samoa Joe

Released: April 15, 2021, January 6, 2022.

Post (First Release) WWE Record: Signed with WWE again, 1x NXT champion.

Samoa Joe has the rare distinction on this list of being the only wrestler to be released twice in these two years. A multi-talented performer, he has dealt with a bevy of injuries but always found a role in WWE.

The Samoan Submission Machine spent a year as a color commentator, adding needed dimension to the commentary booth. He is one of the best talkers in the business, and even while injuries piled up, he could still compete with the best in the ring.

When Joe was fired, Triple H quickly hired him back as NXT general manager. He would also return to action, defeating Karrion Kross to become the only man to win the NXT Championship three times.

Due to the evolution of the brand into NXT 2.0 and an undisclosed injury, he vacated the belt and transitioned to a scout role before his second release.

An argument could be made that Joe's injury history makes it hard to rely upon him, but he is just so good at everything. Even if he rarely wrestles, he can be a manager, commentator or authority figure for any promotion that needs him.

It will be up to The Samoan Submission Machine where he lands. The options are plentiful. It seems unlikely he will ever return to WWE after a bumpy final year, though.

Braun Strowman/The Titan

Released: June 2, 2021.

Post-WWE Record: Working with EC3, appeared in ROH.

Braun Strowman was a home-grown WWE Superstar. After a series of impressive results in strongman competitions, Mark Henry took notice and recruited the big man to join the company. After just two years of training, he arrived as a new member of The Wyatt Family.

He was the rare performer who could challenge anyone, including a great series of matches with Roman Reigns. After a few close-calls against Brock Lesnar, he finally won the Universal Championship, replacing The Big Dog at the last minute and dethroning Goldberg.

He would also win the Greatest Royal Rumble, Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, Money in the Bank, Intercontinental Championship and Raw Tag Team Championships twice. With that kind of record, he never should have been released.

Since that time, he has enjoyed freedom. Looking to not be tied down by another contract, Strowman has worked when he wants and where he wants. He chose to return to wrestling in EC3's Free the Narrative 2 pay-per-view event, reintroducing him as The Titan.

His biggest appearance so far has been with ROH where he came out during ROH Final Battle to protect EC3. He looks to be tied to his friend at least until he finds an opportunity that suits him better.

The Monster Among Men is the rare kind of talent who is too natural to miss. Many companies have likely expressed interest, but he has always known his value. He won't choose a landing spot until it's worth his time.

Ruby Riott/Ruby Soho

Released: June 2, 2021.

Post-WWE Record: Signed with AEW, won 2021 AEW women's Casino Battle Royale.

Ruby Riott was never the typical WWE Superstar. Even in the modern era of women's wrestling, she stood out from her peers with a punk look that could never be dampened. But WWE never seemed to have a strong sense of how to use her.

After a limited run in NXT, she debuted on SmackDown with her Riott Squad, Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan. The friends had great chemistry outside the ring but could not find a spot on the card to stand out.

The group broke up and reformed over time, but no one had a chance to actually stand out in the midst of the booking. It was not long after that point that both Riott and Logan were released. Only Morgan remained, and she has finally gotten her chance as a title contender in recent weeks.

Reports surfaced before Ruby Soho's 90-day non-compete clause was up that she would be heading to AEW. She did just that, arriving in a major fashion as The Joker in the 2021 AEW women's Casino Battle Royale at All Out, winning her debut match to earn an immediate AEW Women's Championship shot.

While she has not yet captured gold in AEW, she has come impressively close. She pushed Britt Baker to her limit. She fought to the finals of the AEW TBS Championship tournament where she would lose a tough fight to Jade Cargill.

With a record of 13-3 in AEW, her only losses have been to AEW's top women, all current or former champions. She has showed up in big matches, proving she is ready to take that final step that has eluded her too long.

It is only a matter of time before Ruby is an AEW champion. It's all about the timing.

Aleister Black/Malakai Black

Released: June 2, 2021.

Post-WWE Record: Signed with AEW, current PWG tag team champion (with Brody King).

Aleister Black was a unique presence from the moment he arrived in NXT. Crafting a character on the black-and-gold brand that seemed almost supernatural, he dominated opponents with his unique striking offense.

He came off as a star who could stand the test of time on any brand, but his shine faded quickly when he arrived on Raw. Just as he looked poised to reheat himself in a rivalry with Big E, Black was released.

Due to what seemed to be a clerical error by WWE, it took only 35 days for Malakai Black to arrive in AEW, taking out Cody Rhodes. He is still the only man in AEW to hold two singles victories over The American Nightmare.

Evolving his supernatural aura into a complete gimmick, he has become a terrifying cult leader with the ability to disappear at a moment's notice. His motivations are unclear, but he has been joined in his House of Black by King, the man he holds the PWG Tag Team Championships with.

With a 10-2 overall record built purely on the main AEW shows, he is one of the most well protected performers on the roster.

He has not won gold in AEW yet, but he feels poised for a massive 2022 in AEW where his creativity has been unleashed with an angle that grows creepier by the week.

Bray Wyatt/Windham Rotuna

Released: July 31, 2021.

Post-WWE Record: On hiatus.

Few releases over the past few years have been more shocking than that of Bray Wyatt. The son of Mike Rotunda and grandson of Blackjack Mulligan, Windham Rotunda has wrestling in his blood. He was a born in-ring storyteller and proved it time and again.

However, WWE has never been good with careful long-term booking, leaving Wyatt high and dry several times. After a rough start as Husky Harris fell apart, he was rebranded as Wyatt, a cult leader with a family consisting of Luke Harper and Erick Rowan, later Braun Strowman.

While he would win the WWE Championship, his momentum stopped abruptly due to rough booking. He was repackaged as The Fiend, a horror-movie monster that controlled Wyatt in order to fight his battles. Despite repeated interesting stories and two Universal Championship reigns, his booking was inconsistent.

Details on exactly why Wyatt was released are unclear. After the passing of Brodie Lee, he was rarely on TV, and when he was, he did not seem completely invested. WWE made the shocking announcement of his release on July 31, 2021 and almost no one has heard from him since.

After leaving WWE's confining creative process, he has immediately turned to filmmaking, creating a horror movie with his friend and special makeup effects artist Jason Baker. As Baker advised Alistair McGeorge of Metro, filming started in November, so we likely won't hear from Rotunda for a while longer.

Wrestling is in Rotunda's blood, and he showed again and again that his creativity could bring new life to the sport. It seems impossible to consider that Rotunda would leave the sport entirely, but nothing is certain at the moment beyond the creative entertainer forging his own path.