10 WWE Releases That Actually HELPED A Wrestler

8. FTR

As The Revival in WWE, the duo that would be known as Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler were widely regarded as one of the most technically sound tags in the company. However, that alone doesn’t cut it in the land of sports entertainment.

After a celebrated run in NXT, their main roster stay could be summed up in two words: Ucey Hot.

In April 2020, the pair were finally granted their release from WWE. A month later, they were on AEW Dynamite. In their near-6 year run in All Elite Wrestling, FTR has established themselves as one of the best tag-teams in the world today, and are currently in their record-tying third reign.

FTR has worked numerous critically acclaimed matches (their trilogy against the Briscoe Brothers being an outstanding example) whilst being an entertaining act on TV and proving that they always were capable of the “entertainment” part of sports entertainment – just not the kind that WWE was serving up in the late 2010s.

Had they remained with WWE, they likely would have been misused, broken up, feuded with each other and demoted to NXT. Instead, they’re a celebrated team involved in a feud with one of the biggest duos of the 'Attitude Era', Adam Copeland and Christian Cage, and are positioned to have a marquee match at All In this summer.