5 WWE Superstars who actually got fired

Vince McMahon’s ability to look incredibly angry is almost unmatched in professional wrestling.In the course of the last 20 or 30 years, on-screen “firing” angles have become the norm in WWE programming at times. Usually, these firings coincide with a wrestler’s off-screen need for time off related to health or family reasons.But sometimes, the firing is very, very real, and wrestlers actually find themselves looking for other employment. There is a variety of reasons for this, from drugs to just not clicking with management. Here are five guys who found at least moderate success in the WWE before hitting the unemployment line.

#1 Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan has been both a Yes Man and a No Man in his WWE career.

Daniel Bryan’s most successful run in WWE was launched by the on-screen run-ins with The Authority, but he first struggled with WWE brass in real life.

In fact, Bryan was released from WWE twice, only to bounce back to the main roster each time.

The last time Bryan was released in 2010, it came publicly, but after just a few months, he was back on the WWE roster for good. Since then, he’s won multiple titles despite battling injuries and a perception that he wasn’t an ‘A Player’.

#2 Alberto Del Rio

Alberto Del Rio is currently in the midst of a high-profile run in WWE.

Like Bryan, Del Rio made a return after his firing, but his exit was for different reasons altogether. In August 2014, Del Rio was released after he attacked a WWE employee backstage when the employee allegedly made a racist remark.

All that was forgiven when that employee was later fired, and Del Rio has since returned to the company.

The current United States champion, Del Rio has risen to the top of the WWE ranks both before and after his firing, and he’s also in one of the company’s top heel factions, The League of Nations.

#3 Jeff Hardy

Jeff Hardy is as unusual as he is talented in the wrestling ring.

Jeff Hardy is one of the most diverse superstars to ever grace the WWE ring.

He’s capable of wrestling multiple styles, from championship tag team wrestling to main event singles competition, and that led to multiple title runs throughout the company’s divisions.

Unfortunately, his illicit interests outside the ring cost him a WWE contract in August 2003, as drugs were rumored to have played a role in his release. He has since found success in both TNA and WWE, but his mental state is always a concern.

#4 Scott Hall

Scott Hall has been a main event talent in multiple promotions over the last few decades.

Scott Hall had physical gifts and in-ring fundamentals that made him a huge star in both the WWF and WCW from the 1980s to the 2000s. Unfortunately, his well-documented personal struggles have also taken a toll and cost him opportunities.

One such lost opportunity came after the infamous “Plane Ride From Hell” while Hall was in the WWE in 2002. Reports are conflicting as to what role Hall played in that notorious incident, but shortly thereafter he was released from the company, and poor performance related to alcoholism has long been a problem for him.

#5 Shelton Benjamin

Shelton Benjamin won gold in the WWE but never really took hold in the promotion.

When people talk about Shelton Benjamin in WWE, it’s always with reverence for the man’s sheer ability in the ring. His athleticism couldn’t be denied, and he’s still a favorite for lots of wrestling fans from the early 2000s.

Yet, for whatever reason, Benjamin never really took off the way his talent would suggest he could. Whether because of microphones skills or a lack of connection backstage, Benjamin was released in 2010 and hasn’t been back.

Perhaps one day the Gold Standard could return, but there have been no rumors recently.