7 Wrestling World Champions Who Were Fired

A wrestling promotion's World Champion should theoretically be amongst the most secure performers on the roster.

This is the person that the company has chosen to represent their brand at the highest level and usually somebody they've invested a great deal of time, effort, trust, and other resources into, hoping they'll be repaid by a money-drawing, attention-grabbing run at the top of the card. Security is almost universal, as it stands to reason that the man or woman with the biggest, shiniest belt is the performer most valued by the promotion at that given time. People like Triple H and AEW's glut of Executive Vice Presidents are obvious exceptions thanks to their seats in the boardroom, though they don't break the rule outright.

Nobody typifies this better than Brock Lesnar. 'The Beast' could seemingly get away with anything he wanted while on top, though he's pretty much unsackable even without the strap. Few are as bulletproof as him, but most top champions aren't exactly worrying about their jobs while main-eventing shows and popping numbers.

History tells us, however, that certain acts, behaviours, and bust-ups can render even a World Champion's position untenable. Let's dive in...