10 Wrestlers Who Saved Other Wrestlers From Getting Fired

2. CM Punk Saves Big E

Dave Trips
WWE.com

This might be a stretch, but WWE conducted what was gently (and frivolously) labelled "spring cleaning" up until 2017 - when the first glimpse of real competition had materialised in years and years, coincidentally. This practise of course refers to releasing talent before their deals expired to "balance the books".

In reality, WWE simply had no use for the unfortunate talents affected - and this might have been true of Big E once upon a time.

He floundered after his initial, promising run, which was a dismally similar fate to so many emerging acts in the 2010s. It's staggering to recall this now, years after he became one of the most beloved babyfaces of his era, and it should never be forgotten how miraculous it was for the New Day to get over as much as they did when they did. The graft, creativity and balls required to do that was unreal. Still, it took a while for that to actually happen, and until they did, Big E could have been another development misfire - until CM Punk petitioned to work him under the steadfast belief that there was money to be made.

There was, as it turns out - and Big E was hugely appreciative of that on a Talk Is Jericho appearance.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!