10 Most Shocking WWE Releases Ever

Before Vince McMahon screwed Bret Hart at the 1997 Survivor Series, a sign in the crowd implored 'The Hitman' to not bother waiting around.

It was as if that Montreal native knew the eventual ugly outcome, much like the trusted peers that had advised 'The Excellence Of Execution' against letting himself be vulnerable earlier in the day. In the locker room (and within the relatively primitive internet wrestling community thanks to Dave Meltzer's detailed breakdowns in the Wrestling Observer), it was widely known that Hart's days were numbered in the company following McMahon's decision to intentionally break the terms of the 20 year deal the pair had signed one year earlier.

What happened at the historic conclusion of the WWE Championship match was - apart from to McMahon, Shawn Michaels, Triple H and Gerald Brisco - a shock. But Bret's exit was not.

It's interesting to think about the alternate timeline where 'The Best There Is, The Best There Was and The Best There Ever Will Be' departs with dignity, but it's honestly quite tough to imagine fully how it might have played out. So few get the opportunity to do it and, if anything, there's more precedent for being hoofed out the back door than being carried on the shoulders of your colleagues.

Such was the case for the below names. All stars, most of them big ones, then all gone. And where better to start than with 2021's biggest...

Braun Strowman was the headline name amongst yet another string of WWE talent cuts in 2021, chiefly on account of the fact that he got his pink slip just weeks removed from co-headlining WrestleMania Backlash for the WWE Championship and working a long feud with Shane McMahon ahead of a cage match on the 'Show Of Shows' itself.

Reports quickly emerged that a huge deal Strowman had signed in 2019 may have been the primary motivation - as with most recent releases, "budget cuts" was given as the primary reason and 'The Monster Among Men' may have represented one of the bigger ones they could have made. Still, the ripple effect of his exit will be felt for weeks and months to come; WWE aren't just producing television that feels meaningless in the moment, they're now publicly acknowledging that the superstars themselves can be held in similarly low regard.

Strowman wasn't just in major programmes this year, but massive ones last year too. He was a surrogate for Roman Reigns over the company's Performance Center summer, winning the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 36 and carrying it until SummerSlam where 'The Tribal Chief' made his shocking return.

That somebody who was plugged in at that level could be booted out just a year later will doubtlessly serve as a reminder (if one was even needed) to the rest of the roster than nobody is safe.