What Happened Next - 10 Wrestlers Who Were Cut In Epic 2014 Talent Releases

6. Curt Hawkins

Even though Curt Hawkins wasn’t doing much of note when he was released in 2014, many fans were sad to see him go. He showed a lot of potential early on in his run by the side of Edge and Zack Ryder but was sent back down to developmental after the group ran its course. He later reemerged with Tyler Reks and the two were getting a bit of a push until Reks straight up quit. Apparently, he didn’t like the idea of playing a stripper on worldwide television. Hawkins was soon let go.

During his time away he hit up the independent scene and started to make a bit of a name for himself. He briefly emerged on Impact in the Global Force Wrestling invasion angle but quietly disappeared after a few more sporadic appearances.

In 2016, Hawkins was rehired by WWE with the brand split in full effect. It seemed he was going to get a little bit of a push as weeks of vignettes ran featuring his new gimmick. And then, he debuted and lost in seconds to Dolph Ziggler. He hasn’t fared much better since then and has become one of the biggest jobbers in the company. It's possible management will invest in him a little at some point, just don’t expect him to turn things around in 2017.