10 WWE Stars Who Have Gone AWOL

5. Harper

Luke Harper
WWE.com

When Rowan turned on Daniel Bryan and revealed he was the one behind SmackDown's ongoing Roman Reigns murder plot, there were probably a lot of people wishing it was Luke Harper; of the two, Harper is the more accomplished wrestler, and his promos have a quiet, Jake Roberts-like intelligence to them when he's allowed to talk.

That would've been 10x preferable to splitting the Rowan/Bryan dynamic that was working.

The problem is that WWE seem content to let Harper waste away and run down his contract without actually wrestling. His contractual issues with the company are well-reported. The only thing that hasn't been reported is some sort of resolution that'd stop this childish exile of a good worker from continuing.

Harper hasn't been seen on WWE television since working the Battle Royal before WrestleMania 35. His predicament is a sad reminder, one that sucks for both fans and Luke, that corporate pettiness still exists in pro wrestling's largest organisation.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.