What They Did Next: WWE 2021 Releases - Part 2
8. Ezra Judge
To say that Ezra Judge was surprised when he was let go by the WWE is an understatement. Continually told that guys like him don't come around often, and that he had to be protected and saved for the right presentation, Judge waited on WWE's massive creative staff to find that presentation. And then, the same week the 6'8" former bodybuilder filmed a commercial for SmackDown Live!, he was fired.
On 24 June, it was revealed that he'd signed with Major League Wrestling under his real name EJ Nduka. A month later he made his television debut at Battle Riot III and showed that MLW had figured out the presentation that eluded WWE for two years. The giant entered the 40-man Battle Riot match and dominated. Before his eventual elimination, he personally took out ten men, a figure only matched by record holder Tom Lawlor in the very first Battle Riot.
By the end of the night, EJ Nduka was a name wrestling fans who'd never heard of him before knew, with many thinking of him as "The Judge" breakout talent of the year.