Yes, you read that title correctly. Whether the almighty Vince McMahon or 'The Game' Triple H are willing to admit to it or not, they are both prone to making mistakes as WWE's top two executives, especially when it comes to their talent. The business of professional wrestling has always favoured wrestlers coming and going from WWE to keep themselves fresh and interesting to fans, but sometimes WWE makes terrible choices when it comes to releasing or firing certain Superstars who shouldn't have been. Vince and Triple H are human beings just like the rest of us, and they've both made some rather questionable decisions when it comes to firing stars. While some of Vince's firings are justified, some talent end up proving McMahon and Hunter wrong by becoming huge stars elsewhere, in turn, making Vince or Triple H regret firing them.

Although Triple H is in a position of authority as we speak, all decisions are still up to Vince, so that means McMahon is the man responsible for all of the firings on this list - Hunter is McMahon's right-hand man who definitely disapproved of some of these firings. A perfect example that reflects Vince and Triple H regretting firing a Superstar would undoubtedly be Cody Rhodes. Cody begged and pleaded with WWE to allow him to return to his original Cody Rhodes character instead of the limited 'Stardust' gimmick, but WWE refused and approved of his release - Cody's now one of the biggest stars on the Indies. With that said, today we're going to be looking at 8 wrestlers Vince regrets firing, and 8 Triple H regrets Vince firing.

16 Vince Regrets Firing: John Morrison

It's still quite surprising to me that John Morrison AKA Lucha Underground's 'Johnny Mundo' never became a main eventer in WWE. Morrison had 'all the tools' as fans like to say, and he definitely looked like Vince's typical top tier star. While John did find some success in WWE such as the ECW and Intercontinental Championships, in all honesty, he never reached his full potential. John Morrison would end up requesting his release from the WWE in 2011, and shockingly, Vince didn't even blink an eye and approved of the release without hesitation.

As most of you surely know, Morrison hasn't had any trouble making it outside the WWE unlike many other ex-WWE stars.

This all stems from the fact that John simply has the 'It' factor about him. Considering the likes of Jinder Mahal are capturing WWE Championships in recent years, it can almost be guaranteed that a talent like John Morrison would've had a real World Title reign under his belt by now had he stayed. Vince McMahon certainly regrets releasing Morrison, and he's attempted to bring him back to no avail. John Morrison would be a main event player in today's WWE if he ever does return.

15 Triple H Regrets Firing: Emma

One of the most most bizarre and unexpected WWE firings in recent memory would undoubtedly be the super talented (and underrated) Emma or Tenille Dashwood. Prior to her shocking release from WWE last October, Emma was finally beginning to be utilized on WWE television consistently, and she even had a pay-per-view match up against Asuka after winning an elimination match for the opportunity which featured the likes of Sasha Banks and Bayley. Darren Young and Summer Rae's releases or firings were justified given their position on the card and lack of television time.

Emma's release certainly came out of left field, and it totally caught fans off guard.

Perhaps Vince McMahon wasn't pleased with Emma for failing to grow into her 'Emmalina' gimmick like he'd anticipated. I'm sure Triple H wasn't too fond of Vince's decision whatsoever. It's pretty clear Hunter saw the potential in Emma that many fans did, and he's unquestionably regretting that poor decision for Vince McMahon. However, not all bad has come out of this bizarre firing, as Emma's back on the Indies and in Ring Of Honor where she's able to 'control her destiny' so to speak much better than she could while employed by WWE who keep their talent on tight leashes.

14 Vince Regrets Firing: Ethan Carter III

As we've mentioned before, while WWE offers the largest stage of Sports Entertainment for wrestlers to perform on, that certainly doesn't mean it's the right place for all talent all the time. Ethan Carter 3, formerly known as NXT's Derrick Bateman, was fired from the company without hesitation back in 2013 after a number of uneventful years, and it was definitely no big loss for WWE at the time of Bateman's release. However, Derrick Bateman would soon find himself amongst the TNA Impact Wrestling locker room, and with a new persona as Dixie Carter's spoiled nephew ' Ethan Carter 3' or 'EC3', he was poised for a prominent role in the company.

For the next five years or so, EC3 would move between the main event and upper mid-card scene of Impact Wrestling, and he became a 2-time TNA World Champion. Perhaps Vince didn't recognize Derrick's potential while in WWE, but it can be guaranteed that McMahon was plotting to bring Carter back to WWE the past couple years given the fact he has Vince's ideal main event looks. Had Vince kept Bateman around, who knows, he could've found his character like he did in TNA and spent those years for WWE making Vince money - a possibility that's sure to piss Vince off.

13 Triple H Regrets Firing: CJ Parker

Former NXT Superstar CJ Parker, better known as New Japan Pro Wrestling's 'Juice Robinson' is without question a talent Triple H regrets Vince firing. Throughout Parker's run down in NXT, he was mainly utilized an an enhancement talent for Hunter's 'golden boys', and he even took a loss at the hands of a 2014 Great Khali which pretty well summed up what management thought of CJ at the time. Perhaps it was no major loss to WWE or NXT back in 2015 when CJ Parker was initially fired, but since leaving the world of WWE behind, CJ's gone on to become a success story in New Japan.

While Juice Robinson's not on the level of say Cody Rhodes or Kenny Omega, he's still a valuable addition to NJPW's roster, and he's a well booked mid-card talent. Triple H undoubtedly dropped the ball big time with CJ Parker while he was in NXT, as he had plenty more to offer the brand than simply jobbing week in and week out. Who knows if Parker will ever return to the WWE, but if he did choose to come back in the future, he'd definitely be booked far better. Triple H would likely place Robinson in NXT's upper midcard - the North American Championship picture.

12 Vince Regrets Firing: Bobby Lashley

Bobby Lashley was without question Vince McMahon's creation through and through. The powerhouse made his WWE debut back in 2006, and it certainly didn't take long for fans to catch the hint that Lashley was poised to become a huge Superstar in the coming years. While Vince already had established names such as Edge, Batista, John Cena, Randy Orton and Undertaker during Lashley's initial run in WWE, Bobby definitely brought a level of power that had previously only been seen in Brock Lesnar. However, we all know the story of Bobby Lashley in WWE, and he definitely didn't stay with the company as long as most fans had anticipated.

Instead, Lashley would request his release just two years following his debut in 2008, and it wouldn't be until just a few weeks ago that Lashley would again resurface in WWE - over a decade later. After Bobby left WWE, he improved dramatically in every aspect, and he truly became a star for Impact Wrestling. Vince unquestionably missed out on the peak years of Bobby Lashley's career in Sports Entertainment, and he definitely regrets firing him. That being said, at 41 years old, Lashley looks better than ever, and he'll most likely capture a World Championship in WWE before his career wraps-up.

11 Triple H Regrets Firing: Austin Aries

While Vince McMahon was never very high on Austin Aries, the same could not be said for Triple H. Hunter always saw potential in 'The Greatest Man That Ever Lived', and following his stint down in NXT, Aries was poised to become a cornerstone of WWE's reintroduced Cruiserweight Division. For a short period of time, this was indeed the case for Austin, as he was continuously vying for the Cruiserweight Championship. However, Austin Aries would end up finding himself fired from WWE last July, and apparently he was very unpopular with writers and those of power backstage.

Obviously McMahon saw little loss when Aries was released, but Triple H on the other hand definitely regretted Vince allowing for Austin's release.

While Austin Aries was just a Cruiserweight, he certainly brought something to the table that was lacking on 205 Live - some personality and charisma. Austin Aries has had little trouble finding success outside WWE on the Indies and in Impact Wrestling, and seeing Triple H has taken over for Vince and is now in control of 205 Live, Hunter undoubtedly would've wanted Austin featured on his show like he was in NXT. Perhaps (and hopefully) Aries will be given a second chance sometime down the road.

10 Vince Regrets Firing: AJ Styles

Perhaps Vince McMahon wasn't entirely sold on AJ Styles when he made his debut at the 2016 Royal Rumble match, but if there's one thing for certain when it comes to AJ Styles, it's the fact that he's proved to be one of the WWE's most significant assets. AJ Styles undoubtedly proved his worth to Vince McMahon, and it wasn't long before Styles was vying for the WWE World Championship despite originally being brought to the company to fill in a mid-card role. AJ's now a 2-time WWE Champion (current) and a 2-time United States Champion, and Styles' momentum isn't going to slow down anytime soon despite being in his early 40s.

AJ Styles is unquestionably the face of SmackDown Live, and his multi-million dollar salary per year has definitely been earned. However, despite being one of the WWE's top Superstars today, a part of Vince McMahon still regrets relieving Styles of his contract back in the early 2000s when WCW had been bought out by WWE. Who knows, AJ could've been a huge star for the company all these years had Vince taken a chance on a relatively unknown talent at the time. That said, as the old saying goes, it's better late than never, and that can definitely be applied to Styles in WWE now.

9 Triple H Regrets Firing: Kenny Omega

Kenny Omega is a former WWE developmental talent who has gone onto become one the biggest stars of the professional wrestling industry - a surefire talent Triple H regrets Vince releasing. For those of you unaware, Kenny Omega was signed to WWE between '05-'06 in Deep South Wrestling, but Omega would later request his release from DSW due to being unhappy with promoters Bill DeMott and Jody Hamilton, as well as trainer Bob 'Hardcore' Holly. Since his firing from Deep South, Kenny Omega has established himself as a huge star in New Japan Pro Wrestling, and the WWE have asked for Omega to return to the company on multiple occasions with no success thus far. Kenny Omega is just the kind of talent Triple H seeks for NXT.

Considering names such as Shinsuke Nakamura and Finn Balor have been able to be convinced to come over to WWE, it's highly likely that Kenny will find himself in a WWE or NXT locker room sooner rather than later.

Considering Omega's a well established and recognizable wrestling star now, I doubt Vince will be putting up much of a fuss if Kenny does in fact return. If not, Triple H will undoubtedly be regretting the decision of letting Omega go for the rest of his days..

8 Vince Regrets Firing: Kurt Angle

It can almost be guaranteed that Vince McMahon is still kicking himself for approving of Kurt Angle's release all those years ago when Kurt was still amidst his prime in Sports Entertainment. At the time (roughly mid 2006) Kurt was wrestling while injured, and he requested his release due to health reasons. However, considering TNA Impact Wrestling would pick of Angle's contract just months later, Vince must've been incredibly angry about it considering Kurt Angle was one of McMahon's top talents prior to his release, not to mention one of the highest paid wrestlers at the time as well.

Kurt Angle may not have been the man he was 10 years prior, but Angle still wrestled plenty of solid years for TNA despite having some troubles. Thankfully for fans, Kurt Angle would go onto return to the WWE in January 2017 after a near 11 year absence, and it was unquestionably a huge signing. While Kurt certainly still has plenty to offer fans with his part time wrestling appearances and as Raw's General Manager, Vince most likely regrets releasing Kurt back in '06 instead of allowing Angle some time to recover. Kurt is definitely a 'shell of his former self' ring-wise these days, unfortunately.

7 Triple H Regrets Firing: Wade Barrett

Without a shadow of a doubt, Wade Barrett is one of the most misused and mistreated WWE Superstars of all time. Right from his debut as the leader of the Nexus stable, Wade showed promise and potential as a main event level competitor, but unfortunately for Barrett and his fans alike, things never went as planned for Wade. Barrett ended up becoming a perennial mid-carder with no signs of ever coming out of mid-card purgatory despite his promising performances as 'King Barrett' or 'Bad News Barrett', and he was eventually released from WWE in 2016 with little momentum left.

Apparently Triple H was a huge Wade Barrett supporter, but it seems like he was never able to convince Vince that Barrett was a main eventer waiting for that big push.

To me, it's quite shocking and surprising that Vince never went all out with Wade Barrett, as he was a prototypical Vince McMahon wrestler - 6'7", 260 pounds and in absolutely fantastic shape. Regardless, Triple H is definitely regretting Vince's decision of approving Wade's release, as he would definitely be a huge asset to either Raw or SmackDown considering he has a lot to offer in terms of being an extremely solid performer - perhaps even as a main eventer.

6 Vince Regrets Firing: Rey Mysterio

Rey Mysterio has definitely had a fantastic and long career in Sports Entertainment, but if there's one thing for certain when it comes to Mysterio and Vince McMahon, it's the fact that Vinnie Mac regrets firing Mysterio back in 2015 following a near year long absence from television. While Rey may not have been very relevant towards the end of his last WWE run, it was still a pretty terrible decision in all honesty. After his release from WWE, Rey Mysterio quickly proved to Vince that he made the wrong call - Mysterio became a top Independent wrestler in no time at all, plus he got himself into the best shape of his entire career.

While Vince has tried breaking into the Hispanic market again since Rey Mysterio with talent such as Sin Cara and Alberto Del Rio, Rey was a very special talent who had far more to offer fans than those two names hence why he was extremely successful in capturing that niche market where as Del Rio and Sin Cara weren't. Although Mysterio's past his peak at 43 years old, Rey still has a lot 'left in the tank', and he certainly could've been a major player the past few years had McMahon kept him around in WWE.

5 Triple H Regrets Firing: Gail Kim

Gail Kim was undoubtedly a women's wrestler way ahead of her time, and she certainly didn't fit well amongst the 'Divas' of WWE during her stints in Vince McMahon's empire. Gail would've definitely been better suited in today's WWE Women's Division versus the Divas Division of the past, but thankfully for Gail and her fans, she was able to perform for numerous years in some absolutely fantastic matches for TNA Impact Wrestling which is where she believes the whole 'Women's Revolution' started in Sports Entertainment. Vince, Stephanie and Triple H can take some credit for revolutionizing women's wrestling, but TNA definitely had a hand in the movement as well whether Vince or Stephanie want to admit to it or not.

While Stephanie was a crucial contributor in the evolution of women's wrestling in WWE, Triple H was very much apart of the transition as well, and he most likely regrets the decision of releasing Gail Kim considering she was incredibly talented. It's truly unfortunate that Gail Kim retired from in-ring competition this past February, as she deserved one last proper run in WWE during a time where women are just as important as the male talent. That said, who knows what the future holds, and I wouldn't fully rule out a potential comeback to WWE for Gail down the line.

4 Vince Regrets Firing: Alberto Del Rio

Whether you love or hate the controversial former WWE Champion Alberto Del Rio, the fact remains Vince McMahon regrets firing him - on both occasions. Perhaps Del Rio never captured the Hispanic audience as well as Rey Mysterio did before him, but he certainly did draw in some Hispanic fans who would've otherwise tuned out. Vince was always very high on Alberto (Triple H not so much), and Del Rio was presented as an upper mid-carder to main eventer right from his debut all the way up until his firing in 2014 due to unprofessional conduct.

Alberto would later return to the WWE just over a year later, and he was once again presented in a high profile role. However, as time went on, Alberto grew unsettled with how he'd been utilized (not the main eventer he'd hoped for), and he was granted his release in 2016. Although Alberto Del Rio has been the epitome of 'controversial' since his last firing from WWE, Vince still seems to find himself regretting the decision of allowing for Alberto's release. It's clear McMahon thinks Alberto would add something to the roster that's been lacking, but with the recent call-up of Andrade Cien Almas, that Hispanic void is no longer an issue, and it may change Vince's mind on bringing Del Rio back.

3 Triple H Regrets Firing: CM Punk

As much hatred and heat there is between former WWE Superstar CM Punk and Triple H, with how much of a void Punk has left since his firing in 2014, Triple H is undoubtedly regretting the decision Vince made to fire one of their biggest stars on the most important day of his life, CM Punk's wedding day with AJ Lee. Punk certainly hasn't forgotten the controversial way he'd been ousted out of WWE, and he never looks to return to Vince McMahon's empire.. Ever..

While CM Punk proved to be a difficult man to work with during his run in WWE, it's not arguable that his polarizing presence has been missed by fans considering they're still chanting his name regularly to this day despite the fact that Punk's been gone for over four years now. Punk may have bad mouthed Triple H and his wife Stephanie McMahon on multiple occasions, but unlike Vince McMahon, Hunter seems to be able to look past his own personal troubles for the betterment of the WWE. If it were up to him solely, I'm sure he'd attempt to make right on the wrongs that had been done to CM Punk, and he'd likely try to mend a working relationship between WWE and CM Punk.

2 Vince Regrets Firing: Drew McIntyre

Thankfully for Vince McMahon, he now has the opportunity to make right on the man he once dubbed ' The Chosen One', Drew McIntyre. Prior to his firing from WWE in 2014, Drew McIntyre showed promise as a potential breakout singles star (obviously before he was thrown into the 3MB stable with Heath and Jinder). While Drew was fairly green during the first couple of years in WWE, it wasn't very hard to imagine Drew sitting atop the Sports Entertainment mountain as the WWE or World Heavyweight Champion, and it was rather surprising and shocking when things never turned out the way many fans had anticipated given how high Vince was on McIntyre.

Drew would end up getting fired in 2014 much to the disappointment of fans, but if there's one thing for certain, it's the fact Vince McMahon has regretted the day he fired his 'Chosen One'. Given the fact Drew McIntyre has the 'It factor' that so many wrestlers simply lack, it took little to no time for Drew to establish himself as one of the top Independent wrestlers in the world, and he was also a success story in Impact Wrestling where he captured their World Championship once. Drew looks better than ever now, and it's only a matter of time before the Universal Championship rests on the shoulder of the Scotchman.

1 Triple H Regrets Firing: Cody Rhodes

If there's one man in a position of power backstage in WWE who regrets the day Cody Rhodes was granted his release, it'd undoubtedly be 'The Game' Triple H. While Vince is most likely regretting the decision as well given how successful Cody Rhodes has been outside the WWE, it's likely that Triple H is regretting it far more. It can almost be guaranteed that Triple H was more open to the idea of Cody returning to his Cody Rhodes gimmick over the Stardust shtick that had been holding Rhodes back tremendously, but unfortunately, the efforts were futile.

Understandably, Cody Rhodes would end up leaving WWE out of pure frustration, and in all honesty, it was the best decision of Cody's life. No longer saddled down as 'Stardust', Cody Rhodes has morphed into one of the biggest wrestling Superstars today, WWE or not, and he's making big money every year for his efforts. Even prior to Cody's success after leaving WWE, it certainly didn't take a real genius to recognize the fact that Rhodes had 'all the tools' required to be a top tier star. It's an absolute shame that Vince never saw money in Cody Rhodes, but I'm sure Hunter will try to bring Cody back in the future if he has the chance.