10 Shocking WWE Superstar Firings No One Saw Coming

Mainly, Daniel Bryan's 2010 firing was the doing of WWE sponsors, who feared that his choking Justin Roberts with a neck-tie would send out the wrong message to younger viewers.

He should perhaps also blame Roberts himself, though - the announcer's stellar acting made it look pretty convincing - and the anonymous Raw camera-man who lingered on the shot a little too long for Vince McMahon's liking.

Whatever the ins and outs of it, Bryan was abruptly released from the company in June 2010, which came as a huge shock given that he was widely seen as one of wrestling's most promising young talents (and, certainly, the best of the Nexus gang, the rest of whom went on to disappointing main roster careers).

Though it was a huge setback at the time, it actually did wonders for the former ROH star's career. Fans immediately began clamouring for his return, and after WWE re-signed him two months later he went on to enjoy one of the best five-year runs we've ever seen.