11 Hugely Talented WWE Stars Who Were Fired Too Soon

9. Chris Masters

The Masterpiece was fired not once, but twice, both times far too early. Debuting in 2005, Masters' entire gimmick was centered around the idea that he looked like a Greek god. He had an elaborate entrance in which he did a few poses while pyro rained down behind him. He was a physical specimen whose look was his gimmick and whose wrestling skills paled in comparison to the Superstars who he beat on a weekly basis. But, despite his look and the push that came with it, Masters always put in great effort. It was clear to see that he was not a performer willing to rest on his laurels because he was handed a push right out of the gate. Matches with John Cena, Shawn Michaels, Kane and Big Show indicated that there was more to Masters than a bunch of muscles. Every bit of work he put in to improve with each passing match, however, was undone by two Wellness Policy suspensions and a subsequent release from his contract. The first firing was completely Masters' fault. He had been popped with a positive test once before and still continued to put things into his body that he knew would not be tolerated. It was a harsh lesson for the talented young star to learn but one that he absolutely had to if he wished to ever succeed in the industry. Masters would make a splash on the independents scene, cutting down his weight and mass and becoming a much better worker as a result. He was smoother, had a better understanding of psychology and learned from working with wrestlers of varying styles. It was his improvement and the buzz surrounding his work on the indies that got him a second shot with WWE. To the fans that had seen him before, the Masters that returned to the company was almost a completely different person. He was faster, better and smarter than he had been before and it showed as he competed on SmackDown against the likes of MVP and Matt Hardy. When he was drafted back to Raw, it looked like he may have a chance at achieving the success the company had hoped for him in his first go-round with them. Unfortunately, he became a lower midcard star whose biggest accomplishment was appearing at WrestleMania XXVI and popping his pecs. Masters was released on April 25, 2011, ending his career with WWE. This time, it felt as though WWE had made a big mistake. Masters was still young, still had a great look and could have easily been a contender for the company's Intercontinental or United States Championships. Unfortunately, the stigma that surrounded him following his first run haunted him and made those in management hesitant to see him as anything but a utility player.