Maintaining a job in the crazy and competitive world that is WWE is no easy task. With the turnover of talent fairly high, it is never a surprise to see WWE do some spring cleaning each year, releasing several talents in order to make room for new wrestlers. Sometimes the release is something you can see coming, with a wrestler not being used very much or they may have done something to get into trouble, which is another thing that WWE doesn't allow. Their company policies are very clear, and frankly they just don't need to deal with the bad press a wrestler might bring since they could easily replace them at any moment.
Other times it can catch fans by surprise when a wrestler they like is seemingly randomly thrown to the waste side and released, which can often come down to backstage politics more than anything. A lot of times these released talents fade into obscurity and aren't heard from again, yet other times they become bigger names than when they were with WWE, whether that is in wrestling or something totally different. Many wrestlers have no choice but to find a new way to make a living, while others use their time in WWE as a springboard into other promotions to continue wrestling.
This article will take a look at 25 wrestlers who have been released since 2000, checking up on exactly what they are doing these days.
25 Nathan Jones
Nathan Jones was given plenty of hype when he burst onto the scene in WWE with that era being full of big men which fit the bill of what Vince McMahon typically likes, hence why Jones got a big push out of the gate. He was even scheduled to play a huge role in The Undertaker's WrestleMania XIX match against Big Show and A-Train, which was originally set to be a tag team match with Jones helping Undertaker, but due to his ability in the ring he was just given a small run in.
After parting ways with WWE in 2003 Jones actually ended up retiring from professional wrestling and began to move into the acting world.
He has been in many movies with his most notable performance taking place in Mad Max: Fury Road.
24 Vladimir Kozlov
At one point he was a dominant beast who defeated the likes of Triple H and The Undertaker in matches many fans would rather forget about, instead, most fans actually remembering Kozlov for his tag team run with the previously mentioned Santino Marella.
Since being released by WWE in 2011, Kozlov has gotten jacked (as the above picture proves), making him look like a total action hero who you wouldn't want to cross in a bad mood, and has since got involved in MMA. However, Kozlov mainly spends his time now working as a stunt double where he has worked in some pretty major movies such as John Wick as well as Fast and Furious and has even opened up his own production company, not bad at all.
23 Devin Taylor
Devin Taylor is a former NXT backstage interviewer who never really managed to make a big impact in what is a very difficult and often overlooked job in WWE, which has been made even harder for women since Renee Young has done such a good job nailing her spot in the company.
Taylor's work was fine, but nothing special. It was clear that the company never had major plans to use her so the release was not something shocking, but since then she has been busy. Taylor actually appeared on an episode of The Bachelor, but she had a similar level of success on that show as she did in WWE, which led to her being eliminated in the first episode.
22 Kharma
It was a real shame that things never really worked out between WWE and Kharma because she is one of the most talented women's wrestlers in the last decade and could have made a real impact in the division, standing out from what WWE's roster had at the time. Things worked out for her though and while she did get back into wrestling, returning to Impact as Awesome Kong, Kharma is now starting to make moves in the acting world all while staying connected to wrestling.
Playing the role of 'Tammé "The Welfare Queen" Dawson in the Netflix hit series, GLOW, Kharma was a standout performer and really showed the world what she could do.
With a second series around the corner, things are looking bright for her future in that world should she want to pursue it.
21 AJ Lee
Seeing AJ Lee leave WWE when she did was a major shame as there was no doubt that she had way more left in the tank and when you see the amount of talent there is in the women's division right now, the dream matches we could have seen don't bear thinking about. AJ's WWE departure certainly had a lot to do with the situation involving her husband, CM Punk who left on bad terms, but while he has been fighting in the octagon she has kept herself busy, writing a book.
AJ's book, which is called 'Crazy Is My Superpower' is an autobiography that provides a detailed look into her life, not just in wrestling, but also outside of the ring as well and is a good read for anyone who enjoyed her career.
20 Jack Swagger
The former World Heavyweight Champion had a fairly solid run in WWE, if not a little forgettable and could have done better really, especially after having his time with the World Title.
Despite earning a push from the company, Swagger eventually slipped back down the card and was subsequently released, but he hasn't wasted any time getting back into things, working on the independent scene. As well as wrestling, Swagger is actually training for a career in MMA and has even been practicing with former WWE and MMA star, Batista. He may never reach quite the height he reached when he was WWE champion, but a career in MMA could still be a great way to make a living while doing what he loves.
19 Austin Aries
A better question might be where isn't Austin Aries as the former 205 Live and NXT superstar has been putting himself about since his WWE release, appearing all over the independent scene, picking up titles everywhere he has gone. Aries has been that successful that he has dubbed himself 'The Belt Collector' with his gimmick being that everywhere he goes he becomes a champion, not a bad gimmick if you ask me.
He has appeared in a variety of places from the UK to Impact and Ring Of Honor and is set for a major year as one of wrestlings biggest stars.
As well as that he has also written a book which is based on being a vegan.
18 Manu
As a member of the historic Anoa'i family, which boasts wrestling royalty such as The Rock, Roman Reigns, and Rikishi, you would have thought that Manu would have had a better WWE career than he actually did. A bad attitude reportedly led to his 2009 release and since then he has continued wrestling but struggled to make a big impact on the sport, despite the incredible rise of independent wrestling.
Manu did make it onto an NWA card in 2017, which could be a sign that he might be climbing back up soon, but he has certainly not lived up to the family name and the pressure that comes with that.
17 CM Punk
I think it is pretty well documented what CM Punk is doing with his time following his WWE career, but he is doing something that very few wrestlers would have the guts to do, which is why he joins this list. Punk and WWE parted ways on incredibly bad terms, leaving a sour taste in Punk's mouth about the wrestling business as he moved on to attempt a new career in something he is passionate about; Mixed Martial Arts.
Unlike most people who have to fight their way to the top, Punk immediately joined UFC and was immediately made to tap out in his debut fight, but with his second bought in his home state of Chicago, he will be hoping for a better outcome.
16 Santino Marella
Santino Marella may very well have still been under contract today had it not been for a serious neck injury providing him with problems wrestling as he was a reliable company man who always provided wrestling fans with a laugh when he appeared.
Since leaving WWE, Marella has stayed in the wrestling business though, opening up his own wrestling school; Battle Arts Academy, where he trains the wrestling stars of tomorrow, using the knowledge he has picked up during his career. The school doesn't just have incredible facilities but also allows Santino to put on shows in front of a live crowd, allowing his students to learn in a more realistic setting.
15 Ryback
You might be surprised to hear that Ryback's job after being released in WWE isn't just talking trash about WWE or making claims about things he was going to do during his run because that is something he does an awful lot of, but he does still wrestle as well. Ryback has actually kept himself very busy since his WWE career, launching his own podcast; Conversations With The Big Guy, as well as his own brand 'Feed Me More' where he helps people improve their fitness and makes sure they tackle their goals.
He has written a book and of course, still competes very regularly on the independent scene, although he is yet to pop up for any of the major brands such as Impact or Ring Of Honor.
14 CJ Parker
You will likely know CJ Parker better as Juice Robinson in New Japan Pro Wrestling where he is making quite the name for himself as one of New Japan's brightest upcoming talents. However, in WWE he worked under the name of CJ Parker and performed in NXT where he spent several years without really managing to make an impact in the same way as other names have done.
Despite the fact he was never really a major star in WWE, Parker went away and really worked on himself and has become a very good hand in the ring. He is set to have a major future with New Japan if he continues the way he is doing and no doubt WWE will end up calling him back at some stage.
13 Wade Barrett
If you thought that Wade Barrett would still be wrestling then I am afraid I've got some bad news... he isn't. It is actually a shame that Barrett isn't working on the independent scene as he has so much talent that was wasted by WWE. However, he is still involved in the wrestling business with one job, working as the general manager for UK promotion, Defiant Wrestling, which will likely lead to an in-ring return angle at some point in time.
But when he isn't working as a GM, Barrett spends most of his time as an actor, an interest he started when working for WWE. Funnily enough, he is actually working on a project with CM Punk as they are both doing voice-over work for Netflix show, Beastmaster.
12 Nidia
A former Tough Enough competitor, Nidia is likely best remembered for her time working alongside Jamie Noble, helping him to win the Cruiserweight Championship in a storyline that saw her blinded by Tajiri's mist. Nowadays she is mostly living a quiet life away from the noise of the WWE Universe.
Nowadays she has no real connection to the wrestling business, instead dedicating her time to being a full-time mom of two children and investing all her energy into bringing up her kids instead. In terms of a job, Nidia is actually a chef, which might come in handy at home feeding the children. Perhaps WWE will call her up one day if they need a new chef for the catering department.
11 Mideon
Who would ever have thought that Mideon would end up being a top chef who is known for his incredible cuisine throughout Tampa? If you just take a look at his gimmick of satanism you certainly wouldn't have done.
Mideon launched his cuisine company under his real name, Dennis Knight, and it has been a huge success, taking off way better than his wrestling career did.
That's saying something since he had a fairly good career in the ring. He is often in demand and works on exclusive parties and one-on-one dates, providing the ultimate food for any occasion, a far cry from grappling in the middle of the ring.
10 Rico
Rico was released in 2004 after a fairly short career in WWE but he managed to make a fairly big impact before he was let go by the company and is best remembered for his work alongside Billy and Chuck. Since his WWE career, he has gone on to make sure he was still making an impact in peoples lives, but in a very different way. Rico is currently a Sargent Officer for a Nevada taxi company.
Considering his past career in professional wrestling and the vast number of legitimate tough guys he mixed it up with, Rico is likely not someone you want to be getting on the wrong side of.
9 Juventud Guerrera
Juventud Guerrera was an incredibly gifted wrestler who never managed to make the big impact in WWE during his short time with the company before his 2006 release, but he did have a very memorable run with WCW prior to that. Guerrera continued wrestling after his time was done with WWE and got into acting like many former WWE stars attempt to do, but neither of them are his main passion anymore, with a new job taking over.
Surprisingly, Guerrera is now a DJ, who even puts his mask on when spinning the decks at times, but he has also produced many hip-hop tracks since getting into the industry and has even penned a few verses himself
8 Kristal Marshall
She might not be a Diva that is talked about as much as others, but Kristal Marshall was certainly involved in the build of the women's evolution, paving the way for the likes of Renee Young as a backstage interviewer after her in-ring career. Since her WWE release, she has worn a lot of different hats all while becoming a mom and starting her own family. Kristal spent a lot of time joining the bodybuilding world where she found plenty of success.
As well as that Kristal went back to study and has been able to achieve a degree in Communications as well as becoming a freelance hairdresser and stylist, ensuring she is busy at all times.
7 Tito Santana
Following his career with WWE, Tito Santana did what a lot of ex-WWE stars do and began training the wrestlers of tomorrow as a wrestling coach, which is great given his talent, but clearly, it wasn't his true calling.
Santana spent the majority of his career in the WWF but actually ended his main wrestling career in WCW in 2000 after working a one-off match with Jeff Jarrett and was let go. He eventually found his true calling in teaching, but not coaching wrestling, actual teaching. Santana now teachers Spanish where he focuses on helping high-risk children.
6 Eva Marie
There was no doubt that Eva Marie was going to find success outside the world of WWE because when you consider the amount of success she had in wrestling, despite her lack of talent, then it was never in question she would succeed outside of it. Marie simply has that unteachable 'it' factor, whether that's down to her beauty or her talent she is someone that companies want to hire and use and she has been very busy since her WWE departure.
The Total Divas star has been used mainly for modelling work, but she is also taking acting classes with the hope of jumping into that world outside of just a reality TV show so there could be bright things in her horizons.