While WWE might be seen as the top of the wrestling mountain, that doesn't mean that every wrestler wants to be there all of the time. Because of that, many wrestlers have ended up requesting their release from the company from time to time, which is always an embarrassing situation for Vince McMahon.
Because WWE doesn't like having its top talents possibly working for a different company, a lot of requests can end up being denied by WWE. Even if the wrestler isn't used, WWE has rejected release requests before, with these 10 wrestlers all being denied at one point in time.
10 Luke Harper
While Luke Harper was able to leave WWE eventually, it wasn't as simple as he would've wanted it to be. Harper went public with his decision to request a release, revealing the news on social media, seemingly hoping that would help make the decision happen faster.
However, not only did WWE deny that, but the company actually added six months to his contract due to the time he'd missed when injured. Harper had to wait it out, but he did get to join AEW eventually.
9 Daniel Bryan
When Daniel Bryan had retired from wrestling due to his neck injury and history of concussions, there was a lot of speculation over his future. When he'd begun getting cleared by certain doctors, Bryan informed WWE he wanted to leave to go wrestle elsewhere if the company wouldn't book him to fight.
However, he was unable to do that due to his contract being frozen because of his injuries. WWE rejected the idea and instead of Bryan leaving, he would eventually get cleared by WWE, and he has since continued his fantastic career.
8 Rey Mysterio
Back at the end of Rey Mysterio's original run with WWE in 2014, he was in a similar situation to Daniel Bryan. His contract was frozen and WWE kept him under contract due to injuries that Mysterio had sustained.
Despite the fact he wasn't being used or that he wanted to get out of the contract, Vince McMahon wouldn't allow it to happen. It did lead to some tension at the time, but clearly, things were worked out for when he returned down the line.
7 The Revival
The Revival is one of the best tag teams of the modern era, but for some reason on the main roster, they were never treated that way. The duo should have been massive stars, but it was clear that they became frustrated with how the tag team division was booked.
The duo requested their release multiple times, but they were denied several times as well. WWE obviously saw the value that the two men had, but eventually, their persistence paid off and WWE cracked and allowed it to happen.
6 Oney Lorcan
Sometimes, a release request can have a positive impact on a wrestler, as it reminds WWE what they've got. That seemed to be the case for Oney Lorcan, who has reportedly requested his release from the company, only to end up signing a new deal.
Not only did he sign a new deal, but Lorcan began being heavily featured on NXT, and even went on to win the NXT Tag Team Championships alongside Danny Burch.
5 Neville
Neville had a hit-and-miss WWE career, but his run as Cruiserweight Champion was a brilliant one, but that also brought an end to his career with the company. Neville actually walked out on an episode of Raw because he was unhappy with the spot he was booked in, being set to lose to Enzo Amore in the main event.
Neville then tried to quit the company, but WWE opted to not allow that to happen. Instead, the company froze his contract for 10 months and didn't book him at all during that period either.
4 Mark Henry
When Mark Henry was on the Broken Skull Sessions, he admitted that he tried to quit WWE in 2011 after Vince McMahon himself tried to prank him. Henry wasn't happy with what his boss did, and he wanted to walk away.
Henry stormed into Vince's office and claimed he was done, but Vince wouldn't agree to the decision. Instead, the WWE Chairman let him cool off as he rang Henry to apologize and solve the problem.
3 Rusev
Rusev was one of the wrestlers that WWE decided to release during the pandemic when the company was looking to cut costs. The reason for that was that he has previously requested his release, therefore the company knew he was an easy option to let go.
However, when Rusev initially requested to leave the company, WWE denied him that opportunity, keeping him under contract instead because they were worried about him being a star elsewhere.
2 Mike & Maria Kanellis
Things didn't go to plan for Mike and Maria Kanellis when they joined WWE, and the frustration eventually led to them requesting to leave the company. However, Vince McMahon denied their request and actually offered them new contracts.
At the time, Vince didn't want anybody leaving the company due to the rise of AEW, and the fact that they gained new contracts instead of being given their release shows how well WWE can operate.
1 Sasha Banks
It's clear to see why WWE denied Sasha Banks the chance to be released, as she's one of the best wrestlers on the planet. However, after WrestleMania 35, she did ask for her release, and she revealed on her episode of the Broken Skull Sessions that Vince personally said no.
Instead, he gave her time off to think things through and then return with a clear head. Thankfully for WWE, that is a decision that worked out, as Banks returned and has been putting together the best work of her career.