10 WWE Releases That Actually HELPED A Wrestler

6. Drew McIntyre

If your WWE fandom goes back more than a decade, you probably have vivid memories of a very different Drew McIntyre than more recent fans possess.

The McIntyre whom WWE released in 2014 was a complete jobber; a clean shaven member of faux rock group 3MB. Yes, that trio of air guitar-strumming, leather-clad goobers who lost to everyone. His release wasn’t much of a surprise, as the former Intercontinental Champion and “Chosen One” had fallen off incredibly.

Banished to the independent scene, Drew Galloway remade a name for himself with stops in ICW, TNA, Evolve, PWG and WhatCulture Pro Wrestling. By the time 2017 rolled around, Drew was a hot commodity again and returned to WWE via NXT, where he became the brand’s top champion. A year later, McIntyre jumped to the main roster.

It would take some time for Drew to really find his footing as a top guy, but McIntyre would eliminate Brock Lesnar from the 2020 Royal Rumble before winning the match, then dethroned 'The Beast' for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 36 – sadly, in front of an empty Performance Center.

McIntyre has been a prominent or featured wrestler during the past 6 years, becoming a 4-time world champion in WWE. That’s a far, far cry from the tall, lanky guy in 3MB, and none of that would have likely happened had he not been released.