The wrestling industry has not been this healthy for performers outside of WWE since the Monday Night Wars ended. WCW and even ECW going out of business in 2001 created a shift in the landscape. Wrestlers that wanted to make a comfortable living for most years following that needed to sign with WWE as the alternatives were just not on that level. Things have changed completely in recent years as many talents are now turning down WWE.
All Elite Wrestling is a major reason for this as another juggernaut promotion run by a billionaire with a great television deal is always going to create change. New Japan, Ring of Honor, Impact Wrestling, and other promotions also create nice places for wrestlers to make their home. Some wrestlers just seem to work better and have a happier life without WWE. We will look at 10 specific wrestlers that should not even entertain the idea of joining WWE right now.
10 Marty Scurll
Ring of Honor star Marty Scurll is the only member of the Elite to remain under contract there. There will be a bidding war for the services of Scurll when he becomes a free agent at the end of 2019. Ring of Honor will badly want to keep him with WWE and his friends in AEW calling.
Scurll will be best served skipping out on joining WWE. The rise of AEW will have a lot of interest heading into 2020 shortly after the television deal starts Scurll’s close relationship with the Young Bucks, Cody Rhodes, and Kenny Omega also would provide a better chance to be booked well with his Villain character.
9 Pentagon Jr. and Fenix
The tag team of the Lucha Brothers joined AEW with an incredible tag match against the Young Bucks at Double or Nothing. Both Fenix and Pentagon are the most popular and successful luchadors on the North American wrestling scene outside of WWE since Rey Mysterio in the '90s.
The fit in AEW is perfect as the promotion could use them as either singles stars in the main event picture or as a tag team in the stacked tag division. WWE has dropped the ball with almost every luchador since Mysterio and that should be enough for the Lucha Brothers to avoid them.
8 Tenille Dashwood
The talent of Tenille Dashwood was never utilized to her full potential in WWE. Dashwood’s time as Emma in NXT showed she could have great matches and deliver impressive character work, but the main roster tenures all ended in huge disappointment.
A short run with Ring of Honor showcased the talent of Dashwood before suffering an injury. The return of Tenille this summer will likely see many promotions wanting to add her to their roster. Dashwood is talented enough in every aspect of wrestling to thrive and should avoid WWE, so she has a fair chance to prove her skills this time.
7 Killer Kross and Scarlett Bordeaux
The couple of Killer Kross and Scarlett Bordeaux are both under contract to Impact Wrestling, but they have requested to get released due to unhappiness. They each have found success as rising stars for their work in Impact.
Neither seem like an ideal fit for WWE despite the potential of offers coming in once they hit free agency. Kross has showcased a gritty and edgy persona that WWE would clearly want to water down. The Smokeshow character of Scarlett has found success, but WWE already does a weaker version of it with Mandy Rose. Both wrestlers need a home that allows to continue their current character work.
6 Juice Robinson
The decision from Juice Robinson to request his release from WWE was a genius move for his career. Robinson is a very respected person in wrestling and used his connections to get a chance in the New Japan dojo working his way up.
This risk worked out for the best as Robinson would get an opportunity and hit a home run. Robinson is one of the top rising stars for NJPW as his United States Championship recently ended to Jon Moxley. He is a great story of a wrestler not needing WWE and he should not return any time soon.
5 Johnny Impact
The former WWE star John Morrison has thrived and found a happy life outside of WWE. He is currently known as Johnny Impact as one of the faces of Impact Wrestling. The time away from wrestling sees him working on various projects for his acting career as well.
Impact certainly has found more success since leaving WWE when it comes to the freedom of outside projects while continuing to wrestle. He even gets to work with his wife Taya Valkyrie in most promotions. A WWE return makes little sense for Johnny at this point in his life.
4 Zack Sabre Jr.
WWE had a chance with Zack Sabre Jr. during the Cruiserweight Classic tournament. Sabre worked without a contract and was eliminated in the semi-finals by Gran Metalik. WWE signed most of the cruiserweights to smaller contracts, but Sabre turned down his offer.
It was a genius move as Sabre would get a chance in New Japan shortly after to great success. Sabre is now one of the top stars for Suzuki-Gun and continues to rise in the rankings of NJPW. The unique technical wrestling skills of Sabre is better suited in a more serious promotion than WWE to fulfill his potential.
3 LAX
The tag team of Santana and Ortiz in LAX has become one of the top duos in wrestling today. Impact Wrestling lucked out when pushing LAX with Konnan as their manager as it was a huge hit. LAX had incredible matches against The Lucha Brothers, OvE, and other teams in Impact.
WWE will likely express interest in the young duo when they hit free agency, but they rarely utilize tag teams well. LAX will be better off signing with a different promotion or remaining with Impact rather than losing momentum in WWE.
2 Will Ospreay
The incredible work of Will Ospreay in New Japan is making one of the top junior heavyweight wrestlers in company history. Ospreay consistently delivers classic matches against anyone NJPW books him against as one of their top overall performers.
Various interviews have seen Ospreay express a desire to never work for WWE in his career since he’s happy having more creative freedom over his matches. Ospreay has even received some chances in the heavyweight division as NJPW clearly views him as a top star to build around. It is highly unlikely for him to receive the same success in WWE.
1 Tessa Blanchard
The boom for wrestling outside of WWE has benefited many male wrestlers, but female wrestlers have rarely received the same opportunity. New Japan does not book women and Ring of Honor’s attempt at building a women’s division has failed. However, Tessa Blanchard is proving you can be a top star outside of WWE as a woman.
The incredible work by Blanchard in Impact Wrestling and other indie promotions have made her a star. Tessa can shine in both women’s matches and intergender matches. AEW will likely offer Blanchard a big contract and a bigger platform to do something special than WWE will.