10 Wrestlers WWE Regret Releasing

9. Slate Randall

Wrestle Kingdom 11 Kenny Omega Vs Kazuchika Okada
ImpactWrestling.com

Slate Randall accomplished very little in WWE's developmental system. An occasional dark match worker throughout the 2000s, the 11-year veteran eventually signed for WWE in May 2013, and was assigned to the Performance Center. He failed to make a single televised NXT appearance prior to his release in August 2014, however, and soon shuffled back to the independent circuit.

Six months later, Randall signed for TNA, and was reborn as Eli Drake. Impact finally gave him the opportunity to showcase the full breadth of his talents, particularly on the microphone. By early 2016, Drake was rightly regarded as one of the most charismatic wrestlers outside of WWE, with his regular 'Fact of Life' talk show segment putting him over as one of his promotion's most detestable heels.

Drake is a relatively average wrestler, but his elite talking ability makes it extremely surprising WWE released him in the first place. There's a strong chance he'll end up back in the company before the end of the year, however: reports of WWE's revived interest in Drake first surfaced in December 2016, and have persisted ever since, suggesting the company now realise the mistake they made in letting him go.

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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.