Each year the WWE goes through an annual 'spring cleanup' of sorts, and as such, Vince releases or fires some wrestlers who are no longer being utilized on television in favour of having extra money to bring in new talent for NXT as well as covering other expenses. While the bulk majority of talent that are released each year from WWE are relatively low on the pecking order, there are always a few shock firings that catch fans out of left field. In the past, names such as Damien Sandow and Emma being released definitely riled up fans, and it made the WWE Universe wonder what exactly the company was thinking when they decided to let go two great talents such as Emma and Sandow in such unceremonious ways.

However, not all talents that leave WWE each year are released or fired, because for some wrestlers (especially those aging), Vince simply doesn't renew their contracts. Vince often lets a few wrestlers ride out the remainder of their contracts in WWE, and once their deal runs out, WWE simply decides to opt out of renewing them if they're not adding much value to the bottom line. For the older talents, we all know that every wrestler has an 'expiration date' in Sports Entertainment, and as much as some WWE stars would love to hold onto their fame forever, the simple fact remains at one point, they'll have to hang up the boots - whether it's their own choice or Vince's. Today, we're going to be looking at 6 wrestlers WWE will release in the next year or so, and 12 whose contracts they won't renew.

18 Contract They Won't Renew: Matt Hardy

Matt Hardy may be in a relatively solid position in WWE at the moment, but given Vince's track record, don't expect Matt to be in that WWE locker room for too much longer. Once Bray Wyatt eventually turns on 'Woken' Matt Hardy and ends up defeating him, you can surely expect Hardy to fall down the pecking order extremely quickly, and he'll eventually find himself out of the WWE. Unlike Jeff Hardy, Vince doesn't see a whole lot of potential in the 43-year old Matt at this point.

While some of Hardy's segments have been successful, the shelf life of a gimmick wrestler like Matt is very short. As some of you are bound to know, Vince McMahon has an extraordinarily short attention span when it comes to his talent, and once Matt Hardy is finished with Bray Wyatt, it's doubtful Vince will have any big plans for Matt hence why he'll probably end up leaving once his current deal runs up. If Matt does wish to continue wrestling outside WWE, he'll have little trouble finding success once again, as his Broken gimmick is much better suited on the Indies anyhow. Jeff on the other hand, it's likely Vince will eventually put the WWE Championship on his shoulder seeing Vinnie always viewed Jeff Hardy as the bigger deal.

17 Contract They Won't Renew: Sheamus

Sheamus is one of the talents whose contract won't be renewed not because he's no longer adding anything to the WWE, but because he'll be forced to retire from wrestling in the not-so-distant future, and WWE will want to protect The Celtic Warrior's health. For those of you unaware, Sheamus has recently been suffering from spinal stenosis, and rumours suggest his condition will only worsen over time. In other words, Sheamus is wrestling on borrowed time. The WWE have been attempting to lighten Sheamus' workload the past few months by having Cesaro take most of the hard bumps during their tag matches, but regardless, this is only a temporary fix unfortunately.

The WWE no longer take these kinds of medical conditions lightly, and while Sheamus may wrestle for another year or two, it can almost be guaranteed that Vince won't renew Sheamus' contract when his current deal runs up. However, on the bright side, The Celtic Warrior has been enjoying some of the best years of his career alongside Cesaro, and he'll likely go out on a great high following his successful tag team with The Swiss Cyborg. That said, an early retirement isn't always a bad thing, and Sheamus will probably thank WWE in the future for their decision to opt out of renewing his contract when he's older yet still healthy and strong.

16 Release In The Next Year: Dana Brooke

Perhaps Dana Brooke would've succeeded in WWE a number of years back when the women were considered more to be 'Divas' and eye candy versus actually talented in-ring performers. But in today's day and age of WWE, Dana's shelf life is incredibly short. While Dana does have a fantastic physique and a marketable look, what she does lack is enough in-ring talent to get her by with today's standards of Sports Entertainment. Dana Brooke is an ex-women's bodybuilder, and it's clear she'd be better suited pursuing a fitness career over one in WWE based on what we've seen lately.

Vince and Triple H have attempted to find a suitable role or gimmick for Dana Brooke the past few months with the whole Titus Worldwide gimmick.

But if you actually look a little closer, it's undoubtedly clear WWE are trying to find ways to utilize one of their paid employees until they decide it's time to let her go. Now we're not insinuating that Dana Brooke's a terrible wrestler, because she's not by any stretch (especially compared to other former female wrestlers like Eva Marie), but Dana does in fact lack the substance to make her stand out from the rest of WWE's stacked Women's Division - Vince and Hunter definitely know this.

15 Contract They Won't Renew: Kane

The Big Red Machine has certainly done all there is to do in Sports Entertainment, and at this point, Kane's doing nothing but tarnishing his own legacy with each match. However, for those of you who've been hoping to see Kane hang up the boots, the simple fact remains we may be seeing this much sooner that you'd probably expect. Kane (real name Glenn Jacobs) is currently in a very solid spot to eventually become the mayor of Knox County, and if this does pan out, Kane will likely put forth all of his time and effort into making good on the promises he made to Knox County.

It's highly likely WWE will opt out of renewing Kane's contract when his deal does come to an end seeing Kane will have other priorities on his mind, plus the fact Kane's well beyond his peak and has little to offer the WWE anymore. Kane could always come back every now and then for a surprise appearance similar to The Undertaker, but full-time wrestling? That should undoubtedly be a thing of the past for Kane. Before his run does come to an end, it wouldn't hurt if Kane did put over a few more talents, perhaps Finn Balor and Seth Rollins so they get their wins back.

14 Contract They Won't Renew: Mickie James

Considering Mickie James was originally brought back to the WWE to put over up and coming female wrestlers (which she has done for the most part), it's not hard to imagine that the WWE won't be renewing the former Women's and Divas Champion when her deal comes to an end. Mickie has done all she was supposed to do in WWE, and she's even proved enough worth to Vince to warrant opportunities at the Women's Championship. However, it's clear Mickie won't be in the running for a title reign anytime soon given the WWE's current rumoured storylines and feuds, and seeing Mickie's already 38 years old, James is definitely heading towards the tail end of her career in Sports Entertainment.

When Mickie does end up departing WWE in the near future, it's uncertain if she'd continue performing on the Indies, but with a husband and child to look after, Mickie will most likely hang up the boots when she does leave WWE. Apparently Mickie had signed a three-year deal with WWE when she returned in 2016, so we'll likely be seeing James regularly on television up until 2019 sometime. Mickie James has undoubtedly given a lot back to the business since her return, and she's put over many Women's Division talents who are the future of women's wrestling in WWE, but her work will likely be done by the end of her deal.

13 Release In The Next Year: Dolph Ziggler

Dolph Ziggler unquestionably ranks among the most under-utilized WWE Superstars since the 2010's, and he's definitely at that point where he's unsure if he desires to continue working for Vince given how he's been used the past few years. While rumours circulated a number of weeks back that Dolph had resigned with the WWE for a million and then some each year, the fact remains Ziggler has denied this rumour and claims he hasn't yet signed another deal with WWE. Dolph Ziggler made it known he still has a bit of time left in his current contract to feel things out and decide whether he desires to continue working for WWE or not, but if he chooses not to, I wouldn't put it past Vince McMahon to downright release Ziggler when his deal runs up.

However, things do seem to be looking a bit better for Dolph at the moment given the fact he's been paired with the future main eventer Drew McIntyre, but it may be one of those situations where WWE is temporarily giving Ziggler something to do so that he does decide to resign. Whatever the case may be, Dolph offers lots to the WWE roster despite being a glorified jobber, and his presence will be missed by fans if he is released.

12 Contract They Won't Renew: Tye Dillinger

It's truly unfortunate Vince McMahon isn't a fan of his talent getting over on their own without any assistance from Creative, because it seems like those who do get over are shockingly punished. Tye Dillinger is no exception to this rule. Despite having the potential to be the next Daniel Bryan with his once insanely popular '10' chant, WWE have completely derailed most, if not all of Tye's momentum with their lacklustre booking and presentation of Dillinger. It's clear Tye was never one of Vince's or Triple H's golden boys, and it most likely rubbed them the wrong way when Tye got over to such a large degree when he wasn't supposed to.

However, the WWE have done a great job of slowing Tye Dillinger's momentum to a complete halt by having Tye participate in nothing but low mid-card storylines and having him job out continuously. I believe Tye Dillinger will eventually suffer the same fate as Damien Sandow before him. It's been reported that WWE hates the '10' chant, and they purposefully keep Dillinger off the card just to avoid the chants, and this definitely seems like the beginning of the end for Tye in WWE. Dillinger may have another year or two in his current deal, but once it's over, it can be guaranteed Vince will opt out of renewing Tye Dillinger's contract.

11 Contract They Won't Renew: Big Show

Comparable to Kane, Big Show's run in WWE is slowly but surely coming to an end, despite the fact Big Show's arguably in the best shape of his entire life - or at least comparable to his prime. The Big Show recently revealed last month that he had signed a new deal with the WWE, but the truth remains 'Show will undoubtedly hang up the boots when this contract runs up within the next two years or so. The Big Show has definitely given back a heck of a lot to the Sports Entertainment industry over the past decade by putting over just about any star Vince McMahon desires, and while some fans may have grown tired of Big Show, you can't knock The World's Largest Athlete for continuing to do what he loves.

However with that being said, in a couple of years, The Big Show will be inching closer and closer to that 50 year old club, and it's doubtful Vince will agree to renew The Big Show's contract the next time around even if 'Show desires to continue for the sake of his health and overall well being. Perhaps when Big Show retires from the ring, he'll be given a backstage position of some sort in WWE, but his in-ring days are certainly very limited as you can probably imagine.

10 Release In The Next Year: Lana

The Ravishing Lana is undoubtedly one of the few remaining true 'Divas' in WWE, but that definitely won't be the case for much longer. Although Lana has a lot to offer the WWE in terms of being incredibly attractive, in every other aspect, Lana truly falls short - especially when it comes to her in-ring ability. Similar to Eva Marie, Lana has been given every opportunity to succeed, but her ring work simply doesn't cut it in 2018, and she's been underwhelming since becoming an active Women's Division performer. Lana is unquestionably better suited on reality television shows versus a WWE ring, and it won't be long until Lana's released from her current contract.

Quite possibly within the next year or so. However, while Lana would most likely be released all on her own for not being fit for the WWE's current 'Women's Revolution', the fact remains her real-life husband Rusev's relationship with the WWE has been severely strained in recent months, and considering Rusev is potentially going to be released soon, Lana will likely follow in his footsteps. It's doubtful Lana would succeed on the Indies as a female wrestler, so she'd definitely be better off continuing to manage Rusev wherever he goes like Cody and Brandi Rhodes, plus working as an Instagram model.

9 Contract They Won't Renew: Zack Ryder

One of the more obvious entries on this list of a wrestler whose contract WWE won't renew is the former United States and Intercontinental Champion, Zack Ryder. Zack has definitely had plenty of ups and downs throughout his WWE career, but it's clear the best days are long behind him now. Since Ryder's fellow 'Hype Bro' Mojo Rawley has gone his own way, the WWE have barely utilized Zack on television, and considering Zack has recently been sidelined with an unfortunate knee injury, Zack could easily be one of the talents apart of this years 'spring cleaning'.

Although many fans still believe to this day that Zack Ryder was (and is being) held back in WWE, the fact remains Ryder spent over a decade performing in the largest professional wrestling company in the world and has multiple championship reigns to his credit, so his run hasn't been a complete flop. That being said, it doesn't seem as though the WWE have any long term plans for Zack moving forward, so even if he does return following his injury, don't expect Ryder to be on the WWE's payroll for much longer. Perhaps Zack will find success elsewhere on the Indies where he'll have more creative freedom over his character and booking.

8 Contract They Won't Renew: Natalya

Natalya is without question one of the WWE's most reliable Women's Division wrestlers, and it's definitely one of the reasons as to why Natalya received a surprise Women's Championship run last year. Natty has been apart of WWE for what seems like an eternity now, but the sad reality is Natalya will be gone from the WWE in the not-so-distant future. 'The Queen Of Hearts' has teased retirement in the past and later informed the WWE Universe that she had no intention of retiring.

Though it's definitely not far off considering Natty's 35 years old and has a ton of wear and tear through the years.

Natalya is apparently signed to a three-year deal with WWE as we speak for $300,000 per year, and once her current contract runs up (we don't know the exact date), Vince may very well opt out of renewing her contract as an in-ring competitor. However, Natalya would still have plenty to offer the WWE outside the ring as a co-star on Total Divas, and also perhaps as a trainer down at the Performance Center seeing she knows tons about the business. I'd argue that Natalya's a WWE 'lifer', but her days of being a full-time performer are numbered.

7 Release In The Next Year: Mike Kanellis

I think we can all agree that Mike Kanellis has been a complete and utter flop in WWE. Originally brought into the company when he was totally out of shape and unprepared, Vince McMahon has given Mike no opportunities whatsoever, despite the fact Mike has gotten himself into much better shape recently. I'd say he's in the same boat as the likes of Curt Hawkins, Heath Slater and R-Truth booking wise. That said, I truly believe Mike Kanellis was destined to fail in WWE with his relatively forgettable gimmick and the fact he's using his wife's last name, and it's doubtful he'll be utilized any more prominently in the future.

As a wrestler, Mike's certainly not the worst, but without Maria by his side it's a different story.

I doubt many fans see anything more than 'lower tier mid-card' level guy in Mike. Considering Mike Kanellis has been a total flop and has been used extremely sparingly since, I doubt the WWE will be keeping him around for too much longer, so you shouldn't be all too surprised or shocked if Mike is included in this years (or next years) spring cleaning. It's fairly obvious that Mike and Maria were better off on the Indies, and once they do leave Vince's empire, they'll most likely be better off.

6 Contract They Won't Renew: Goldust

Goldust has lasted far longer in WWE than most fans had originally anticipated following his fifth return in 2013, but most signs point to Goldust retiring in the not-so-distant future. Goldust is one of the few remaining Attitude Era stars in WWE, and he definitely does add something to the roster, but at this point, it'd be no loss for Vince if he chooses not to renew Goldust's contract. The Bizarre One is well beyond his peak at 49 years of age, and he'd probably have more to offer as a trainer down at the Performance Center.

With all the new talent coming up from NXT, old names like Goldust simple aren't needed anymore, and once his current deal runs up as an in-ring competitor, it's highly likely Vince will try to sign Goldust for a backstage role either as a trainer, or road agent similar to Dean Malenko and Finlay. Goldust has really done all there is to do in Sports Entertainment aside from capturing a World Championship in WWE, and considering that's completely out of the question at this point, Goldust most likely won't object to Vince's idea. Though we didn't feature him in this article, Goldust's former tag team partner R-Truth is also in the same boat as we speak.

5 Contract They Won't Renew: Sin Cara

When you think of Sin Cara, the first thought that would come to most fans minds right off the hop is 'flop'. The WWE hyped up the original Sin Cara's debut (Mistico) heavily back in 2011, and Vince made it known that fans were in for the second coming of the insanely popular Rey Mysterio. However, fast forward seven years and that couldn't be any further from the case. No longer portrayed by the relatively talented Mistico (though botch-heavy), Sin Cara's portrayed by the 40 year old Hunico, whose far slower and less agile than Mistico. It's clear Vince had high hopes for Sin Cara when he originally joined the main roster, and he was quickly thrust into a high profile spot.

But as we all know, Sin Cara's time in the spotlight didn't last for very long, and he's since become a low midcard foddler for any stars in need of a small win. Whether Vinnie Mac wants to admit to it or not, the Sin Cara character has absolutely failed miserably in WWE, and while Vince has continued to resign Sin Cara, that most likely won't be the case when Hunico's current deal is through with. With the far superior Andrade Cien Almas amidst the WWE locker room, the WWE no longer needs Sin Cara for their Hispanic audiences. We doubt WWE will renew Sin Cara's contract when it runs up.

4 Release In The Next Year: Brock Lesnar

Now this make come as a shock to some considering it seems as though Brock Lesnar will be the WWE Universal Champion forever, but looking into the future a year from now, it's doubtful Brock will be a current member of the WWE roster. With Brock showing interest in returning to the UFC one last time before he retires from the world of sports, it's becoming increasingly clear that Lesnar's interest in WWE is shrinking. However, it's highly likely Brock Lesnar walks into SummerSlam 2018 Universal Champion, but beyond that? Who knows. While we have no idea when Brock Lesnar's new WWE contract is scheduled to end, it's highly doubtful it'll be going beyond WrestleMania 35 at the absolute latest.

Brock is definitely not a necessity to WWE anymore with the likes of Braun Strowman being extremely over, and Lesnar certainly isn't cheap either.

Brock Lesnar's being paid millions upon millions of dollars each year for his few unwanted appearances, and though he was a draw at one point in time, those days are long, long over. The WWE could do so much with the money they're paying Lesnar, and with Brock showing more and more discontentment towards the company each year, it wouldn't be surprising if Vince releases Brock for good once his unspecified contract comes to a close.

3 Contract They Won't Renew: Neville

Whether fans like it or not, the former 'King Of The Cruiserweights' Neville is on his way out of WWE. Neville has been held up by WWE for quite some time now in an effort to change Neville's mind so that he returns to the company, but their efforts have been fruitless. Neville has since moved out of the United States and has returned to his home country of the UK, so it's clear he's going to be sticking to his guns on leaving WWE. It's truly unfortunate not only for Neville, but his fans as well that things aren't going to be working out between him and WWE, because Neville was undoubtedly the top guy or face of the WWE's Cruiserweight Division.

At this point in time, it looks as though Vince will be holding Neville hostage under contract until his deal expires, but when that current deal does expire, you can be sure that McMahon won't renew it even if Neville had a quick change of heart and desired to come back. That said, Neville will have little trouble making it outside the WWE, and it wouldn't be surprising at all if he has a career resurgence similar to Cody Rhodes on the Indies.

2 Contract They Won't Renew: Aiden English

Aiden English is definitely thanking his lucky stars he found his way to The Bulgarian Brute Rusev, because without Rusev, there truly would be no Aiden English. Now we're not trying to insinuate that Aiden has no promise or potential on his own as a singles star, but given the WWE's track record, English would quickly find himself at the bottom of the card barely being utilized. Unfortunately for Aiden English, this may actually become a reality given Rusev's current situation and feelings towards WWE. However, even if Rusev did stay with WWE, rumours suggest he's going to be turning heel soon, and that leaves Aiden English on the sidelines and away from the spotlight.

While I doubt WWE would blatantly release Aiden English halfway through his contract, you can be sure that Vince will opt out of renewing Aiden's contract when the time eventually comes. Once English is separated from Rusev for good, you can expect his career to hit rock bottom in WWE considering Vince likely has no plans for him. For the remainder of Aiden English's run in WWE, it's highly likely he'll be floundering in the low midcard putting over most anybody in need of a small win.

1 Release In The Next Year: Rusev

It seems like the worst case scenario for Rusev is finally happening... The WWE have since planted the seed that Rusev will be ditching Aiden English in favour of his real-life wife Lana, and given Vince McMahon's track record, it's doubtful Rusev's insanely popular 'Rusev Day' shtick will be lasting either. For whatever reason, the WWE seems to hate talent who get over naturally on their own, and Rusev is one of them. As we've mentioned in previous articles, Rusev has showed dissatisfaction with the WWE and his role, and he's showed a desire to leave Vince's empire for greener pastures.

However, as we've also mentioned before, it would be typical of Vince to derail Rusev's momentum on his way out, and a heel turn is exactly what would do just that. We all know Rusev's ceiling as a heel, and he consistently was utilized as a glorified jobber for Vince's and Triple H's golden boys. It certainly wouldn't be surprising if Rusev asks for his release within the year, and let's hope it happens before all of his 'Rusev Day' magic is gone and buried. If Rusev does leave soon, he'll have no trouble becoming a huge success story outside WWE seeing he has 'all the tools' required in a top Superstar.