The shocking firing of Enzo Amore proved that anyone could be released from WWE at any time. Within 24 hours of the sexual assault allegations against Enzo being made public, WWE stepped in and fired him. Despite being the Cruiserweight Champion, WWE did not hesitate to let him go when it was discovered he was being investigated for serious claims. Enzo did not make WWE aware of this and it led to him getting the boot. WWE set a precedent that no one is safe if they make the wrong decisions to shame the company.
We will look at some of the current wrestlers on the WWE roster that may be next on the chopping block. These Superstars are nearing the point of getting the boot whether it is a firing or agreeing to get released. WWE is always looking to update their roster with the hiring of new talents seemingly coming more often than ever before. NXT and the Performance Center is full of great performers meaning some main roster talent will have to get fired as part of the process. Find out if your favorite WWE star is on the way out as we forecast who may be next to follow Enzo. These are fifteen WWE stars that are on the brink of a WWE release.
15 15. Mickie James
The current run of Mickie James has seen her rightfully treated as a legend for her time in the women’s division back in the mid-2000s. James helped bring credibility at a time when WWE treated the women’s division with minimal respect. A few programs have seen Mickie provide depth on the roster and help put over some of the new stars.
James didn’t sign as a long-term fixture and will likely see her run come to an end soon.
Following WrestleMania, we will see many call-ups from NXT. There are plenty of women ready for the main roster. Mickie barely gets any television time today and likely is going to be one of the cuts to make room for new talent. At least we got to see James have one more run to add to her legendary career.
14 14. Dolph Ziggler
There were actually rumors and speculation going around that Dolph Ziggler would win the Royal Rumble. Ziggler walked away after winning the United States Championship by relinquishing it and implying retirement. However, he returned in the 30th entrant spot and was eliminated quickly. Ziggler once again showed that WWE has no plans for him to do anything relevant again.
This was his last chance of being booked to have a bigger role. Reports have circulated for the past few years that Ziggler is unhappy with his status in WWE and wants to leave. Dolph even confirmed that he is frustrated when Edge and Christian asked him about his role on their podcast. WWE and Ziggler parting ways soon seems likely given all the bad blood and lack of purpose for him.
13 13. The Revival
The tag team of Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder delivered classic matches in NXT as The Revival. It became a guarantee that you would get an outstanding match from them at every TakeOver special. Things have not gone as well for them on the main roster. Dawson and Wilder have each suffered injury to keep them off television for most of 2017.
The recent use of The Revival indicates they are not high on the totem pole when it comes to the tag division.
D-Generation X and the Balor Club destroyed them on Raw 25 as if they were comedic enhancement talent. Dawson was reportedly in hot water with Vince McMahon for making an anti-sports entertainment comment. The time may be ticking on The Revival if they don’t gain some momentum soon.
12 12. Rhyno
Rhyno has been one of the veterans on the Raw roster over the past year as part of a tag team with Heath Slater. The odd couple tag team achieved success together at the beginning of the brand split. Slater and Rhyno were surprisingly the first ever SmackDown Tag Team Champions. The act ran its course and the tag team has been a flop on Raw since moving over.
WWE has been teasing a breakup of the tag team with Rhyno challenging Slater to toughen up. Slater is more valuable to WWE as a comedy act meaning he will likely win out. It is hard to envision a role for Rhyno once the team ends and WWE needing spots open for new talent. Rhyno will likely see his WWE stint end with a release at some point this year.
11 11. Rich Swann
The charges against Rich Swann for false imprisonment and battery have been dropped. Swann looked to be in trouble when reports broke that he did these horrible things to his wife and fellow wrestler Su Yung. The judge dropped the case due to a lack of evidence and Yung stating the reports were inaccurate. WWE still has Swann suspended meaning his future is in doubt.
Despite being cleared in the court of law, Swann still has controversy following him.
Triple H and Stephanie McMahon went on the record that Swann will be fired instantly if the company finds out anything concrete about his actions. WWE not lifting the suspension means they may still be waiting for more information to come out. Regardless, it wouldn’t be a shock if Swann is never back in WWE. The company doesn’t want to risk negative perception or bad publicity.
10 10. Daniel Bryan
Daniel Bryan’s future remains one of the biggest questions in wrestling. The WWE contract of Bryan will expire in September of 2018 and he wants to wrestle again. Bryan is adamant that he will not settle for a General Manager role. Despite having success as a character, Bryan’s real passion is in the ring and he refuses to give it up since his doctors say he is healthy enough to compete.
WWE’s doctors disagree, and that stance is highly unlikely to change any time soon. Bryan wants to wrestle for WWE, but he has stated he will leave if they don’t allow him to have matches. The best bet here is that Bryan and WWE will part ways as they let him make his own decisions once the contract ends.
9 9. Zack Ryder
Zack Ryder has been a fixture on WWE roster for the past decade. A few short stints of popularity have seen Ryder able to get fans on his side. The best success story of Ryder’s career was the online web-show he created to get fans to cheer for him every week. WWE pulled the rug from under him by burying the beloved character after a short run with relevance. Another big win came when he won the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 32 before dropping it the next night.
Basically, the story of Ryder’s career is that WWE doesn’t believe in him.
It has been proven again as Ryder was only used to put over Mojo Rawley in 2018. Ryder has nothing going on and is likely going to be left in the past as WWE tries to free up roster space soon.
8 8. Tamina
The women’s division is thriving with so many ladies vying for spots on Raw and SmackDown. There are usually two storylines on each show for the women meaning only a few of them will have spots on the television show. Tamina is struggling to find a role as she doesn’t have much going for her unless all the women are in a match.
The talent of Tamina just doesn’t measure up to most of the other ladies in WWE.
It is becoming more difficult for WWE to justify putting her on television with almost every woman providing stronger interest. Tamina is one of the ladies that should worry about her spot with NXT call-ups ready for the main roster. Don’t be surprised if she is one of the first WWE stars fired after WrestleMania season.
7 7. Primo and Epico
Most fans have forgotten that Primo and Epico are even on the main roster today. It’s hard to blame them considering the tag team is doing absolutely nothing on SmackDown. Unless there is a backstage segment or a lumberjack match, Primo and Epico are hard to spot on television. WWE has seemed to give up on them after injuries ended their last push.
The tag team act moved to SmackDown in the Superstar Shakeup and appeared ready to have a push as a heel duo. WWE took them off television and we have not seen them in months. Primo and Epico have had multiple gimmick changes through the years in the tag team division. Nothing works as fans continue to treat them with apathy. This may be an instance where a couple of wrestlers could benefit from leaving WWE.
6 6. Dana Brooke
Dana Brooke has joined the group of misfits in Titus Brand. The trio of Titus O’Neil, Apollo Crews and Brooke are all hoping to find success together as a group. All three have struggled with different weaknesses holding them back. Brooke does appear to be more entertaining in this role as the statistician of the group rather than a basic wrestler with no character progression.
Sadly, the Titus Brand will not have a long-term future given the lack of importance they are being treated with. Once it ends, all three wrestlers involved will struggle to find a new role. Dana may be in the most trouble. The argument can be made Brooke is the least relevant woman on the WWE roster. A need for new stars being called up could see her getting cut.
5 5. Neville
One of the biggest backstage stories in WWE right now revolves around Neville. The talented wrestler left the company after requesting his release. Neville spent almost a year in the Cruiserweight division and dropped the Cruiserweight Championship to Enzo Amore. WWE wanted Neville to lose another match to Enzo on Raw and it led to him asking to be fired.
Neville has remained home since this incident as WWE is reportedly freezing him out.
Vince McMahon reportedly wanted to keep Neville sitting at home rather than releasing him as a petty form of revenge for walking out. McMahon delving into the XFL project again may open the opportunity for Neville to get his release. Vince will both want to save money and care less about WWE drama with such a big risk coming for him in 2020.
4 4. Paige
A sad story to start 2018 features Paige potentially having to retire from the ring. Paige returned at the end of last year to lead the Absolution faction after a long stint on the shelf. Neck surgery kept Paige sidelined for over a year until her return. The response to Paige’s return made it clear fans still wanted to see her back in a major role. However, a live event injury in a match with Sasha Banks saw her need to get helped backstage.
Paige has not been cleared and the rumor is that WWE will never clear her again.
The posts of Paige on social media have implied that she is not retired. Paige wants to have another chance to compete. If Paige and WWE aren’t on the same page, we may see them part ways since there has already been a lot of drama between to the two sides.
3 3. Tye Dillinger
The popularity of Tye Dillinger in NXT has not helped him have a successful main roster career. Dillinger was called up to the main roster for SmackDown after WrestleMania 33. The long stint of Dillinger in NXT made him an underdog story worth rooting for. Fans love chanting “10” at him and he has enough talent to make a name in WWE.
Sadly, the lack of opportunity has shown that Dillinger just isn’t viewed as a priority.
The fact that he was off television after a few months is what his placement is on the card. Dillinger will likely only appear every other week in a match that sees him put over a bigger name. WWE doesn’t have much faith in him and it could lead to a release sooner than later. Dillinger must change something to get noticed or he’ll be gone before you can’t count to ten.
2 2. Lana
Lana has been trying to prove to WWE that she belongs in wrestling matches over the past few years. WWE gave her a big character change as a singles star when she moved to SmackDown in the 2017 Superstar Shakeup. Instead of being refereed to as Rusev’s wife, Lana was pushed as a wrestler on her own. Unfortunately, a few terrible matches to start the run killed any chances of being pushed. WWE has moved her into a role managing Tamina with the rare match every now and then.
Lana is likely never going to get her wish of being a major star in the women’s division.
Considering she has great opportunities outside of WWE in acting and other forms of entertainment, it wouldn’t be too surprising if things ended soon. Lana wants to wrestle, and WWE wants her to manage. The difference in opinions could see her released or walking out soon.
1 1. Sheamus
The WWE career of Sheamus is underappreciated when you think about all he has accomplished. Sheamus is one Intercontinental Championship win away from joining Edge as the only “Full House” Grand Slam winner in WWE history. The various titles, Money in the Bank, Royal Rumble and King of the Ring victories all make Sheamus a truly decorated star in the company.
One thing that should make fans appreciate Sheamus more is the fact that he has been dealing with severe neck issues. The injury is the same one that forced Edge and Steve Austin to retire at young ages. Sheamus’ close friend Wade Barrett chose to let WWE release him in 2016 when his contract was coming to an end. Don’t be surprised if Sheamus does the same sooner than later. The health of Sheamus must be his main priority and this injury sounds like a very dangerous one to continue wrestling with.