WWE Releases 2020-2021: Where Are They Now?
8. Scarlett
Released: 4 November 2021
Now: Naturally, Scarlett returned alongside Kross as Trips did everything in his power to make the duo feel good about WWE again. Her role has been similar to that of Stephanie McMahon's next to Hunter in 2000-2001, albeit with more of a supernatural vibe.
They're a double act that should never split again.
7. Samoa Joe
Released: 6 January 2022
Now: It's amazing to think that Samoa Joe was hanging about wearing a poncho in the rain with Michael Cole a year or two ago. Now, he's the reigning ROH TV Champion and will be relied upon to do much of the heavy lifting for the upcoming (AEW-promoted) Final Battle pay-per-view on 10 December.
Beyond that, Joe has a regular slot alongside Wardlow as the dreadfully-named 'WarJoe' tandem on Dynamite and Rampage. That's mercifully over now though.
6. Keith Lee
Released: 4 November 2021
Now: Remember 'Bearcat' Keith Lee? Literally anything AEW tried to do with the man was always going to be better than that sh*t. Lee joined in February and had a brief singles run as a squash artist on All Elite programming before forming a tag-team with fellow WWE alumni Swerve Strickland.
That team is in the midst of a breakup story due to Swerve's wild behaviour.
5. Andrade
Released: 21 March 2021
Now: AEW hasn't really panned out for handsome devil Andrade El Idolo. His current role is 90% backstage skits and 10% wrestling; even that might be too generously-slanted in terms of the wrestling side. In fairness, he was sent home for a backstage skirmish with Sammy Guevara in October.
Things need to pick up in a big way for El Idolo though, because his AEW run has been rubbish thus far, and there's zero proof that TK knows what to do with him.
4. Zack Ryder
Released: 15 April 2020
Now: Let it be known that Matt Cardona is some businessman. Like any good business brain, he's unwilling to burn bridges on the WWE side or rule out a return to the promotion someday soon. That's smart, especially when the former Zack Ryder could play to the gallery by slagging WWE off willy nilly.
The guy also has a lot going on. He splits time between the NWA and IMPACT, and has also found some free minutes to work bouts on the independent scene too. Cardona has totally grown out of the Ryder "Woo! Woo! Woo!" stuff, and he deserves praise for that.