8 Released WWE Superstars Who Will (Ultimately) Be Better Off Elsewhere
The future’s bright for these former WWE Superstars. Sadly the future’s on hold right now...
Let’s be clear from the start. Wednesday was a dark day for all concerned, made worse by WWE’s cruel and cynical timing. This will not be an easy time for any of the talent affected, even those who have previously asked for their releases.
So in saying that these superstars will ultimately be better off, that isn’t to suggest we should have anything but sympathy for the circumstance they find themselves in. It may be good a while before any of them grace our screens, or rings, again.
Nor does your writer mean to suggest that only the superstars listed here will find success. Hopefully all of the released talent will forge successful paths for themselves either within or outside of this fickle industry.
That said, it would be disingenuous to pretend that some talent aren’t in a better position than others. While question marks hang over some heads others seem almost certain to thrive once things return to some semblance of normality.
Another quick note: this list has grouped tag teams together as a single entry. So you’re actually getting 10 Superstars but spared having to read two near identical entries.
8. Zack Ryder
Is that even how we spell his name? WWE couldn’t always remember, spelling it Zach on a 2019 episode of Raw. He had only been with the company for 14 years at that point.
Charismatic, and good looking, 'Long Island Iced Z' was another act seemingly punished for getting himself over. He could still thrive in a promotion that rewards that kind of thing. In fact, his YouTube work could be seen as a precursor to Being The Elite.
Ryder has a powerful friend in Cody Rhodes who has already singled out his buddy for praise on Twitter. The action figure aficionado was perhaps undone by his clear fanboy level love of all things WWE. He was the classic case of a guy who was just “happy to be there”. A less starry eyed performer might have done a Cody and sought greener pastures years ago.
In another generation Ryder’s years as jobber-to-the-stars might have seen him stuck forever in that role, stigmatised as a loser. AEW have made a habit rehabilitating talent and pinning the blame for past failures on their former paymasters. They may yet work that magic again for Ryder.