10 Biggest WWE Roster Cuttings Ever
8. Late 1997
It would be ghoulish to count Brian Pillman as an entry due to his tragic passing, but he was prominent enough on WWF television at the time that his demise left a void. The sordid headlines created by his death were overshadowed five weeks later, in the wake of the Montreal Screwjob. Deposed champion Bret Hart wouldn't be the only one to head out the door in the fallout.
Brothers-in-law Davey Boy Smith and Jim Neidhart followed out of protest, with Smith buying out the remainder of his five-year contract just to leave. Hart loyalists Rick Rude and Brian "Crush" Adams weren't long for the company either, both joining the trio in WCW shortly after. Another pushed star of the era, Del "The Patriot" Wilkes, retired in the same time-frame due to serious injuries.