10 Wrestlers WWE Regret Releasing

Vince McMahon still rues the days he let these guys walk out of his company.

Wrestle Kingdom 11 Kenny Omega Vs Kazuchika Okada
NJPW

WWE's talent roster is in a constant state of flux, and while the company currently have over 200 individual performers on their books, their acquisition efforts never sleep. There are only a certain amount of spots available, however, and when a group of new wrestlers join the company, others inevitably have to make way.

The promotion purged dozens of competitors in 2016, and this year's spree of releases has already begun with the likes of Simon Gotch and Jack Swagger. There'll be countless others before the end of the year, but while the bulk of WWE's roster cuts seem logical at the time, Vince McMahon doesn't always get it right - and countless WWE castoffs have gone on to prove that the decision to part ways was a huge error on the company's behalf.

WWE isn't always the promised land it's made out to be, as proven by the names herein. While a number returned to WWE later in their careers, each of their releases coincided with a big upturn for the performer themselves, their new employers, or in some cases, both...

10. CJ Parker

Wrestle Kingdom 11 Kenny Omega Vs Kazuchika Okada
WWE.com

He might seem like an odd inclusion for those who don’t keep up with NJPW, but former NXT jobber CJ Parker has soared since his WWE release in 2015. Initially joining Japan’s top promotion as a trainee, Parker became Juice Robinson, and has since reached a level of stardom he could only have dreamed of in WWE.

Juice initially stood out for all the wrong reasons, but has improved leaps and bounds throughout 2016, and built a big following among NJPW’s fanbase. This culminated with a huge IWGP Intercontinental Title shot against one of the company’s biggest stars in Tetsuya Naito recently, and while Robinson was defeated in his first main event, his performance was close to flawless.

Robinson’s Japanese success demonstrates just how quickly a wrestler can improve when his employers put a little faith in him. His eco-warrior gimmick was always a heat magnet in NXT, but CJ Parker rarely won, and was primarily used as a victim for the likes of Kevin Owens and Baron Corbin.

A shame, as his time with NJPW shows that Parker could have at least been a solid midcard player had WWE put more effort into his development.

In this post: 
Kenny Omega
 
First Posted On: 
Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.