10 Wrestlers WWE Has Given Up On
Has Vince McMahon mentally written off ex-WWE Champions and fan favourites?
WWE burns through a ton of pro wrestlers, but this isn't a new thing. What feels fresh and exciting in Vince McMahon's company suddenly becomes old overnight, at least internally - it's a constant pursuit for the shiny new toy. Who, after all, is going to be the "next Hulk Hogan/Steve Austin/John Cena"?
McMahon is obsessed with this.
Of course, creating money-drawing superstars isn't a bad thing. There's a sense that WWE has forgotten how to do this though, especially on the babyface side. Wrestlers are met with unrealistic expectations, handed page after page of scripted promos that prioritise verbatim over organic performances and more.
Sink once, or fail to do what the boss demands, and the road to relevance becomes even harder. Christ only knows what's actually been said about the workers on this list backstage, but their TV output and downward slides as characters show that they're not exactly Vince's favourites.
Is there a way back? For some, possibly. For others, as McMahon's entrance theme barks, there's just "no chance in hell". WWE has already given up on them, and the booking proves it.
10. Mustafa Ali
An obvious starting point.
Mustafa Ali is currently locked in a stand-off with WWE. He's had enough and wants out, but they don't seem super-keen to cut him loose despite releasing everybody and their dog throughout 2021. It's a weird situation, and one that probably won't end with a Raw or SmackDown comeback.
Truthfully, the creative team had seemed to give up on Ali before he started shouting from the rooftops about his desire to leave WWE. That Retribution nonsense was horrible, and his tag-team with Mansoor went absolutely nowhere too. The dude was pretty directionless as a character, which is a real shame for someone so clearly talented.
That superhero-like gimmick Mustafa was playing before he took charge of the world's worst faction was promising to fair, and yet that seems like it happened a lifetime ago. There's only one solution here: Ali leaving WWE behind and going on to pastures new.