WWE: John Cena and the Top 10 Firings That Didn't Last (With Video)

In the WWE, being fired means next to nothing.  In fact, in most cases a firing is simply an angle that creative turns to when it can't think of anything else for its top talent. 

Often, being fired on WWE TV is a good thing.  It means you're part of a big storyline.  It means you're getting attention from the powerbrokers and your character is being further developed.  Getting "fired" in pro wrestling is usually quite meaningless.  Being 'future endeavored' is what should worry the typical WWE superstar.   

Take John Cena for example.  Last Sunday at Survivor Series, tens of thousands of people paid their hard earned money to see how a 'Free or Fired' angle, involving WWE poster child John Cena, would play out. 

The result?  John Cena, as special guest referee for the WWE Championship main event between Wade Barrett and Randy Orton, was fired for calling a match down the middle that ended in his 'boss' Wade Barrett failing to capture the WWE title.

Since being fired as a result of doing right by himself and his fans, John Cena has been actively featured on WWE TV, bypassing security and cutting promos like he had never left.  

Such disdain for a stipulation used to sell a pay-per-view should come as a surprise to nobody who follows professional wrestling even at a casual level.  We've seen this movie before.

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10. Paul Heyman

Paul Heyman firing begins at 7:15

Following the merciful conclusion to a heavily botched Invasion storyline, former ECW executive producer Paul Heyman was publicly fired by a triumphant Vince McMahon following WWE's victory at the 2001 Survivor Series.  

Heyman would return the following year to manage then future WWE and UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar, take on duties as the GM (kayfabe) and booker (legit) of Smackdown! where he was critically acclaimed, and even reboot the cult phenomenon of ECW in 2005.

9. Earl Hebner

Shortly after a wild start to Monday Night RAW in April 2000, that saw Chris Jericho capture the WWE Championship, the popular decision was quickly reversed as Earl Hebner had been threatened by Triple H  (who had considerable stroke as he was married to the boss' daughter).  

Hebner promised to reverse his decision of awarding a pinfall victory to Chris Jericho if Triple H promised "not to put his damn hands on [him] again!" 

Triple H complied, however he subsequently fired Hebner thus rendering him fair game as he was no longer a WWE employee.  

Less than two weeks later, Earl Hebner was reinstated by Linda McMahon.

8. Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho was fired in 2005 following multiple failed attempts to defeat John Cena, who had caught the ire of Eric Bischoff.  

Jericho's firing was an excuse to get him off television as his contract was set to expire, and Jericho would remain away from professional wrestling for two years.  

Chris Jericho returned to WWE in 2007 and would go on to revitalize his character as one of the top heels in the company.  

7. Shawn Michaels

"What are they gonna do?  Fire me?!  You know how many times I've been fired from this company?!" [Shawn Michaels, circa 2005]

Nothing spells controversy like the letters 'HBK', and despite being both storyline and legit fired from WWE, Shawn Michaels has remained a WWE lifer.  

One of HBK's more notable firings was a storyline evisceration, as Michaels was fired on camera for being an insubordinate commissioner while still a member of the Corporation.  

Michaels returned the following week, aligned with Degeneration X, and was involved in a short-lived feud with the Corporation.

Michaels' on-camera/off-camera relationship with the WWE would later blossom into a renaissance as Shawn Michaels would came out of semi-retirement in 2002 to resume a Hall of Fame career as if he had never left.

6. Hulk Hogan

As his feud with Vince McMahon began to cool off in 2003, the McMahon/Hogan rivalry began to take an odd turn following McMahon's decision to make Hogan sit out the rest of his contract.  

Hogan would return, donned in patriotic colors and re-christened as Mr. America.  

Mr. America was WWE's excuse of honoring Vince McMahon's storyline mandate of having Hulk Hogan sit out his contract, yet still feature the Immortal One on television.

Apparently, this was also their way of trying to revitalize Hulk Hogan.

5. Jim Ross

Nobody seems to be more under appreciated and over-harassed than Good Ol' J.R.  

At the conclusion of a ratings grab episode of Monday Night RAW in 2005, that promised somebody was getting fired, Jim Ross was randomly selected as the casualty by Vince McMahon.

Enter Linda McMahon, who was seemingly coming down to make the save.  But poor ol' J.R. would have no such luck as Linda ditched her longtime forced image as a Saint and fired Jim Ross herself.  

The move signaled an ill-advised heel turn for Linda McMahon that fizzled out worse than her on-camera career in WWE.  

Of course, Jim Ross would return in 2006 and resume his duties as the lead announcer for Monday Night RAW.

4. Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan's legit firing earlier this year was one of the biggest stories of 2010.  The story was surrounded by controversy, confusion and even cynicism as to whether the firing was even real. 

But Daniel Bryan was indeed legitimately fired for choking WWE Ring Announcer Justin Roberts with his own tie during the Nexus' initial attack on John Cena and the WWE back in June.    

The WWE's hands were tied as they were reportedly backed into a corner by an unnamed sponsor who was not pleased with the graphic visual of Daniel Bryan choking a WWE employee with a tie.  

The decision sparked an online revolt as wrestlers, fans, and pundits passionately weighed in on what has come to be known as Tiegate with the majority of the principles coming to Daniel Bryan's defense.    

As expected, once the situation blew over Daniel Bryan was reinstated at WWE SummerSlam in August as he was announced as the mystery member of Team WWE in their showdown against the Nexus.

3. Mick Foley

While in WWE, and basically throughout his wrestling career, Mick Foley has been fired more times than he has shaved.  

Foley was fired as Dude Love after failing to defeat Steve Austin at WWE Over the Edge.  

Foley later went on to assume duties as WWE Commissioner, where he was once again fired on camera by Vince McMahon in 2000.

During a 2004 storyline that was one of the focal points of his third autobiography the Hardcore Diaries, published in 2007, Mick Foley was betrayed by Melina after he joined Vince McMahon's Kiss My Ass Club in hopes of saving Melina's job.  
    
Foley was once again fired by Vince McMahon following the betrayal.  

Mick Foley returned to WWE seven months later. 

2. Vince McMahon

Not even Vince McMahon himself could escape from the empty wrath of the fake firing.   

As a result of a stipulation during the main event of WWE Fully Loaded in 1999, where Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated the Undertaker, Vince McMahon was forced to "leave the WWE forever."

McMahon would not only return just a few months later, but he captured the WWE Championship in his first on-camera appearance since being banned from WWE. 

1. Stone Cold Steve Austin

One of the more memorable, well-done, fake firing angles centered around one of the WWE's biggest stars.  

Steve Austin was the appointed special guest referee for the main event of the inaugural Judgment Day pay-per-view.  

Austin was instructed by Vince McMahon to call the match right down the middle or he would be fired.  

Staying true to his rebel persona, Austin attacked both the Undertaker and Kane at the conclusion of their main event, thus compromising his own job.  

McMahon stayed true to his threat to fire Austin telling the WWE's cash cow "Screw You, Austin, You're FIRED!"

Steve Austin would return the following night on RAW to terrorize McMahon in a show-long angle that ended with the WWE Chairman peeing his pants.  

Even when Steve Austin was legitimately fired from the WWE for "taking his ball and going home", the Texas Rattlesnake returned in 2003, via popular demand, to finish off his legendary career...  

...Until he came back to become a babyface RAW GM alongside the heel Eric Bischoff.  Austin was fired from this role when his hand-picked team lost to Eric Bischoff's team at Survivor Series 2003...

...Until he returned that same year as the "Sheriff" and even rehired Shawn Michaels for good measure.  

Let this article serve as a lesson that the next time the WWE hypes a pay-per-view with the threat of a firing, save your money for Christmas shopping.

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