The WWE is constantly evolving with each passing month. The roster continues to change fairly drastically each year as new stars are signed, and old stars are either fired, released or the wrestler(s) simply quit on their own terms. It can almost be guaranteed that the WWE's roster will be vastly different just two years from now, and some of the company's current Superstars will be released or fired well before 2020 with hot new talents replacing them. This is an unfortunate part of keeping Raw and SmackDown Live interesting for fans. Very few Superstars are able to stay relevant in WWE for years on end, and most wrestlers eventually peak and start to 'fall off' in terms of relevancy which usually ends in a release.
Whether it is their own fault or the WWE Creative team's lack of sound booking, their fate of exiting the company's inevitable. Some ex-WWE stars are able to reinvent themselves on the Indies following their departures from the company, where as others fail to do so and end up falling even further into irrelevancy within Sports Entertainment - performing at small venues that some fans like to refer to as being 'gymnasiums' or 'bingo halls' (though sometimes these events are literally held in these places). Some of these list entries may shock you as a few of the wrestlers are still relevant right now, but as we all know, things can change extremely quickly. Today, we'll be looking at 15 current WWE stars who will soon be main eventing gymnasiums.
15 15. Rhyno
Rhyno may be one of the most experienced big men in professional wrestling. Unfortunately he will soon find himself once again main eventing gymnasiums in the near future as a release from the WWE is imminent. Who knows exactly when (could be sometime this year or early next year), but it's bound to happen, as the WWE have no long term plans or commitments to the 42 year old Rhyno.
'The Man Beast' was originally brought back to WWE to perform as an enhancement talent for NXT's brightest prospects, and he's since done the same on the main roster following his and Heath Slater's tag team downfall. I'd actually argue that Rhyno's done pretty well in his most recent WWE run considering there were no plans of him eventually becoming Tag Team Champ, however. It's clear Rhyno's time in the company is slowly winding down, and he'll be gone before you know it.
14 14. Curtis Axel & Bo Dallas AKA The Miztourage
Both Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas could be much bigger stars in the WWE, but they instead find themselves in the worst possible positions - as The Miz's 'henchmen'. Now on paper, this sounds like a step up considering neither Bo or Axel were being utilized as solo acts, but looking into the past at how Miz's former 'buddies' such as Alex Riley and Damien Mizdow fared after they cut ties with Miz, it's hard to be too optimistic for either Superstar.
Curtis and Bo have already peaked in WWE, and they are at risk of being released soon. Neither Bo Dallas or Curtis Axel have any credibility left as wrestlers, and when they do part ways with WWE, you can expect The Miztourage to find themselves in similar situations to former low-card WWE talent such as Adam Rose - main eventing gymnasiums.
13 13. Zack Ryder
No longer tag teaming with Mojo Rawley, there is no doubt Zack Ryder will be among the released WWE Superstars in the near future (perhaps this year or 2019). Unlike Mojo, Vince or Triple H don't see much potential in Ryder, as his terrible booking killed the momentum Zack had on numerous occasions when he was starting to get over. At this point, Zack Ryder's nothing more than an enhancement talent for WWE, and he's certainly replaceable.
Once Zack is released, he'll definitely continue wrestling, but for the first year or so, it can be guaranteed Ryder will be main eventing gymnasiums or bingo halls. Zack Ryder will have a long uphill battle regaining his lost momentum on the Indies, but if Stardust was able to do so, there's no reason why Ryder won't. He may become a big star outside WWE with a credible non-comedy gimmick.
12 12. Jinder Mahal
Yes you read that correctly, 'The Modern Day Maharaja' will soon find himself main eventing gymnasiums like he had been before re-signing with WWE. Of course the WWE aren't going to bury their former WWE Champion right off the bat, but Jinder Mahal's downfall in the company will be slow and steady. Similar to former World Champs such as Jack Swagger or The Great Khali.
As a wrestler, Jinder offers next to nothing to WWE and his mic skills are nothing special. There's no way the WWE are going to risk their shows ratings with another 'main event Mahal' run, and few fans are interested in seeing Jinder dominate the mid-card title scenes either. Once Jinder's momentum of being a former WWE Champion's been used up like Swagger, expect to see Mahal released without hesitation.
11 11. Dana Brooke
Dana Brooke has recently found herself back on WWE television as a member of the Titus Worldwide stable, but as I'm sure you all can imagine, this is nothing more than a comedic gimmick just to pass the time and so that one of the company's contracted talents is being utilized in some capacity. However, whenever Dana's current contract with WWE runs up, you can expect to see Brooke released without much hesitation.
The WWE's fully aware that there are much better female wrestlers on the Indies that would make for a valuable addition to the company's roster, and Dana's spot will eventually be replaced by a wrestling woman such as Rosemary, Toni Storm or Candice LeRae. I doubt Dana Brooke would make a huge impact on the Indies, so you can expect to see her performing in gymnasiums if she does continue to wrestle following the WWE release.
10 10. R-Truth
R-Truth is a WWE veteran whose managed to stick around with the company longer than most fans could have imagined considering a bulk majority of his career was spent as a low comedy mid-carder. It can almost be guaranteed that Truth will find himself either released or requesting his own release within the next year or so, as it's clear the WWE have no intentions of utilizing the aging Superstar other than for sporadic jobber matches.
R-Truth will likely continue wrestling for a couple more years after he does eventually leave the WWE, and it's highly likely R-Truth will be wrestling some smaller shows - or as some fans like to say, in gymnasiums or bingo halls. However, Truth's definitely an entertaining performer so I'm sure he'll still be able to pull off some Indie bookings.
9 9. The Ascension
The Ascension are a case of a talented WWE tag team being buried before they even saw a glimmer of success. Within a few weeks of their debut on the main roster, The Ascension found themselves at the bottom of the tag team pecking order as comedy acts. Since their rapid demise, Ascension's rarely been seen on television aside from sporadic backstage comedy segments with Breezango.
It's an absolute travesty of poor booking that such a talented duo have found themselves in utter irrelevancy. The Ascension are one of the WWE's tag teams that can easily be replaced, and they eventually will be. It's going to take a massive overhaul on the Indies for The Ascension to gain back a bit of credibility once released from WWE, and for the first year or so, expect to see Ascension main eventing small Indie venues or gymnasiums.
8 8. Curt Hawkins
Considering Curt Hawkins was solely brought back to the WWE as an enhancement talent, he's about as disposable as a Superstar can possibly be. Hawkins has taken nothing but losses since his return to the company, and it's not arguable that he'll be gone from the WWE before you can blink an eye. A win over Curt means absolutely nothing at this point, and the WWE definitely realizes this.
The company will always require low-card talent to be utilized as jobbers, but the WWE has a cycle each year where they bring in a few bottom card guys and release a few at the same time. Hawkins will definitely be among those low-carders released in the near future like Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel, and he'll probably return to main eventing gymnasiums on the Indies like he had been before resigning with WWE.
7 7. The Colons Primo And Epico
The Colons, Primo and Epico are a tag team who are both talented and boring at the same time. They are definitely great between the ropes, but not beyond that. The WWE have tried with The Colons by giving them gimmick after gimmick, but none have caught on simply because neither Colon have the 'it' factor like their cousin Carlito.
Primo and Epico are about as generic as a tag team gets, and they'll certainly be on the WWE's 'chopping block' within the next year or so - without question. If I had to guess, The Colons will likely be gone this year during the WWE's annual spring cleaning. Once released, perhaps Primo and Epico will reunite with Carlito. Considering the far more talented Carlito is stuck wrestling small Indie venues or 'bingo halls', you can expect The Colons to follow suit.
6 6. Heath Slater
One of the few WWE bottom feeders most fans find entertaining is none other than the man who's got kids, Heath Slater. Heath has been able to make the most out of the little he's been given in WWE, and I'd argue that he's succeeded in Sports Entertainment. However, as we all know, comedy mid-carders all have a limited lifespan in WWE, and Slater's life within the company is definitely nearing its end.
Since his successful tag team with Rhyno was halted, Heath Slater's been doing a whole lot of nothing despite being a fairly popular Superstar. Once Heath's released from the WWE in favour of signing a new fresh talent, he'll likely continue wrestling on the Indies. That said, unless Slater rapidly catches on outside the company, you can expect Slater to be performing in very small promotions like his ex-Social Outcast stablemate Adam Rose.
5 5. Alicia Fox
Alicia Fox is one of the few remaining Divas from the WWE's past 'Divas Era' still performing actively today. However, you can expect that to change fairly soon, as Fox is definitely at risk of being released in the near future. For being rather mediocre at best in the ring and on the mic, Alicia's stuck around in WWE for nearly a decade, and the company have utilized Fox to the best of her ability.
That being said, the WWE's Women's Division is constantly evolving, and Alicia Fox is not a women's wrestler the company is going to keep around as there are far more talented female performers WWE is looking to sign. If a talented wrestler like Emma was released, you can say without question Alicia Fox will be on the 'chopping block' very soon. Once released, if Alicia continues to wrestle, she'll most likely be performing at small Indie venues, or gymnasiums.
4 4. Most Of The Cruiserweight Division
Right from the start, many fans predicted the WWE's reintroduced Cruiserweight Division was going to flop badly, and it unfortunately has. Recently, Triple H has taken control over the show Vince had previously been running, and though things are improving, it can almost be guaranteed that 205 Live and the Cruiserweights will be cut as a cost saving measure in the neat future.
Although a few of the CW's show potential, a bulk majority of them will be released once the division's cancelled. Many of the released Cruiserweights will likely return to the Indies, and I'm sure you'd see some wrestling in gymnasiums or small events - none of WWE's CW's are particularly intriguing (aside from Gallagher, Neville and Brian Kendrick). Rich Swann now joins Austin Aries who has since left WWE, and most of the CW division will follow suit soon.
3 3. Sin Cara
Sin Cara's a wrestler who the WWE originally believed would be a huge star for their Hispanic demographic, and it's not arguable that Cara's been a complete flop in WWE. Originally portrayed by Mistico, Sin Cara simply didn't live up to the hype, and his constant botches, not being able to speak English and failing the Wellness Policy hindered his chances of becoming Rey Mysterio 2.0 - the current version of Sin Cara portrayed by Hunico's no better.
At this point, Sin Cara's only with the WWE as an enhancement talent, and Hunico quite honestly offers very little to the company. During the WWE's next 'spring cleaning' this year, expect to see Sin Cara among those released. Considering the Independent wrestling scene's filled with talented masked luchadores, expect to see Hunico main eventing gymnasiums while living off the bit of WWE fame he still has left.
2 2. Tye Dillinger
Unfortunately for Tye Dillinger, getting over without the WWE's approval is a 'deadly sin'. Since being brought up to the main roster, Dillinger's been utilized as a low midcarder, but his popularity with the WWE Universe says otherwise - his '10' chants apparently annoy top WWE officials. However, Tye's popularity will slowly fade away with WWE's monotonous booking, and he'll eventually find himself in a similar position to someone like Zack Ryder - hindered.
Once all of Tye Dillinger's momentum has been used up, expect to see Tye on the receiving end of a release. It's clear Vince McMahon sees little value in Dillinger aside from a glorified jobber, and once released, it can almost be guaranteed Tye will start off on the Indies main eventing gymnasiums or small Indie venues. However, Dillinger may be able to pick up the pieces on the Indies, and perhaps he'll become a star like Cody Rhodes.
1 1. Rusev
The most shocking entry on this list of a WWE star who will soon be main eventing gymnasiums is without question, Rusev. Now this may sound crazy because Rusev's currently one of the WWE's top merch movers with his 'Rusev Day' shtick, but if there's one thing fans have come realize about WWE, it's the fact that the company hates stars who get over without the WWE's approval - and that's exactly what Rusev has done.
Similar to popular wrestlers like Damien Sandow, Rusev's momentum will be squandered over time, and after Vince has jobbed out Rusev to the point of a win over him meaning nothing (pretty much now), he'll be released from WWE. Considering he'll leave WWE in a completely hindered position with no momentum, expect to find Rusev wrestling at small Indie events while he gains some of his lost credibility back. Over time, Rusev will become a star outside WWE just like Cody Rhodes.