10 Wrestlers WWE Regret Releasing

Derrick Bateman accomplished next to nothing in WWE. A competitor in NXT’s third season, Bateman’s most notable angle came through a love triangle with Maxine and Johnny Curtis in 2011, but he was shunted back to developmental in the aftermath. There, Bateman treaded water until May 2013, when he was eventually let go.

Three months later, Bateman, like so many WWE castoffs before him, joined TNA. It was the making of him was a professional wrestler, and as Ethan Carter III, his career went through the roof. Starting life as a snobby, entitled heel, EC3 eventually became Impact’s franchise player, winning the company’s World Heavyweight Championship on two separate occasions, and establishing himself as one of the sport’s most charismatic competitors.

EC3 would be a perfect fit for WWE’s current programming. His microphone and character skills are second to none, and he’s good enough to hold his own with anybody between the ropes. Carter’s tale is proof that nobody really knows how much potential a wrestler has until they’re given a chance to shine, and his ongoing success must be a source of regret for Vince McMahon & co.