10 Wrestlers WWE Gave Up On In 2016
1. Cody Rhodes
Wade Barrett, Damien Sandow, and a number of other popular superstars left WWE in 2016, but none were more newsworthy than Cody Rhodes. The former Stardust left of his own accord on May 22nd, citing long-term frustration with his position in the company as a primary reason, and it’s hard to blame him.
WWE never gave Rhodes a real chance to succeed as a singles act. Stardust worked for a while, but the act’s use expired the day he stopped feuding with his brother, Goldust. Cody’s WWE career had lost all direction by the end of his run, and losing to Arrow star Stephen Amell was the most meaningful thing he’d done in the year leading up to his release. It was a dire situation for the son of one of the most revered professional wrestlers in history, and thus, Cody Rhodes tendered his resignation.
Rhodes had pleaded with management to let him drop the Stardust gimmick and return to his old persona over his past six months of employment, but they weren’t interested. All he wanted was the chance to succeed as Cody Rhodes again, but WWE weren’t willing to give him an opportunity to do so, and if you believe the man himself, they shot down countless storyline ideas without reason.
WWE’s loss has been everyone else’s gain, however. Cody’s schedule has been non-stop since leaving WWE, and with appearances for companies as diverse as PWG, TNA, and EVOLVE under his belt, Rhodes will make his NJPW debut on January 4th. He’s one of the most in-demand wrestlers in the world at the moment, and his release has worked completely in his favour.