10 Superstars Who Should Probably Leave WWE

Today, the WWE roster is the biggest it has ever been, with large rosters for each of WWE's brands. Not only are RAW and SmackDown overrun by talent, but WWE also has full rosters for NXT, NXT UK and 205 Live.

And while seeing so many amazingly talented Superstars in the company all at the one time can be a good and fun thing, it also causes problems. The main issue is that there are so many Superstars on the roster, that mainly are getting lost in the shuffle, and some are even struggling to find TV time.

For a long time now it seems like WWE has been the only option for a performer to make it big and make good money in doing so at the same time. However, that doesn't seem to be the case anymore.

Not only has the independent scene all over the U.S.A and Europe/UK been pretty hot recently, but we now have All Elite Wrestling too. While other companies rose up from WCW's ashes over the years to try to take on WWE, AEW is the first to do so with a serious checkbook and buzz behind it.

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That said, it seems like now more than ever might be the best time to leave WWE, should a Superstar feel there are other options. Several talents such as Sasha Banks, Luke Harper and The Revival have already requested their release to no avail, while others like Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson and Mike and Maria Kanellis have expiring contracts and are in no hurry to renew.

And with so many more being underutilized, here are who I think are the top 10 current WWE Superstars who should probably leave WWE.

#10 The Colóns

No, seriously, they do still work for WWE

It's surprising but true, Primo and Epico are still working for WWE. And no, that is not a dig on them, quite the opposite actually. For two very talented performers, WWE has done nothing with them in years.

After their turn as The Shining Stars was a complete washout, they reverted back to being The Colóns and have done nothing ever since. I'm not even sure if they have even been seen on WWE TV since the 2018 Survivor Series pre-show, where they were apart of a winning team.

These former WWE Tag Team Champions will never be mentioned in the same breath as the Road Warriors or Dudley Boyz, but do deserve better than what they are getting today. And it wouldn't even be very difficult to find a place for them on TV as the WWE tag team division is in desperate need of... Tag teams! At this point though, it may be just time to stay in the Caribbean or wrestle elsewhere.

#9 Chad Gable

Unlike the aforementioned Colóns, who are just not being used period, Chad Gable is popping up on TV every few weeks but is deeply lost in the shuffle. I think a big part of the problem for Chad is he has always been portrayed as a tag team wrestler. From American Alpha with Jason Jordan to Shelton Benjamin to his most recent team with Bobby Roode.

It is a very popular opinion that Gable's team with Roode was just out of place and didn't really do either man many favors, despite winning the WWE Tag Team Championships on RAW. Despite that, it is still probably a little better than his current position of just showing up on SmackDown every other week to put someone else over.

I think WWE needs to strike with Gable soon and stick him in the Intercontinental Championship ranks and work his way to being a credible Champion. If not, they could still play it safe by having him reunite with Shelton Benjamin, just at least to give them both something to do. And, they were actually a decent team, so Tag Team titles shouldn't be out of the question. Despite all of these possible options, WWE just refuses to do anything with him, but I think he could be a pretty good candidate for All Elite Wrestling.

#8 Eric Young

Former TNA Impact Wrestling World Heavyweight Champion Eric Young had a pretty positive debut in NXT back in 2016 as the leader of the faction SAniTy. The group feuded with NXT's top Superstars and became the NXT Tag Team Champions. They would be drafted to SmackDown on the post-WrestleMania Superstar Shakeup in 2018, but it would be three months before the actually debuted on camera.

Following their debut, they were sparingly used on SmackDown and were mostly on the losing end. They were split up during the 2019 Superstar Shakeup and ever since, EY has found himself chasing the new WWE 24/7 Championship, to no success.

Now while I am actually finding the 24/7 Championship matches/segments entertaining, they still could be doing much more with Eric Young. Unfortunately, it seems like they have zero plans for the Impact Wrestling original, and it's probably time he returns to life outside WWE, for better opportunities.

#7 Apollo Crews

Apollo Crews can probably be now filed under a big signing that went to waste. No, Crews wasn't the World Heavyweight Champion for another big company, but he was still a major player in Dragon Gate and throughout the independent scene, and his signing brought some buzz with him. Following a lackluster run as apart of Titus O'Neil's 'Titus Worldwide' faction, Crews finally returned to singles competition last October but has done nothing of note ever since.

There were rumors for a while that WWE was planning on giving him some kind of a push and he did win a couple of matches on RAW for a few weeks running, but he has been barely featured on TV in 2019. Crews was drafted to SmackDown during the Superstar Shakeup, and I don't think anyone remembers when was the last time we saw him on SmackDown.

Either WWE reevaluates their plans for Apollo Crews soon, or I think he needs to consider re-signing with them the next time his contract expires. I think Crews is the kind of performer who may do pretty well if he was nabbed up by All Elite Wrestling.

#6 Cesaro

Cesaro has arguably been WWE's most underrated performer for the past six years, at the very least. There have been times where it seemed like he may get a prominent push, only to fall right back down.

For the past two and a half years, Cesaro had seemingly found a comfortable spot on WWE TV as apart of The Bar tag team with Sheamus, where the duo have been 5-time WWE Tag Team Champions. And as entertaining and a solid team as they have been, Cesaro deserves to be a main event player.

Cesaro, pound for pound, has been one of the best wrestlers in the world, for a long time. And despite wrestling some excellent solo matches, WWE still just doesn't seem to want to pull the trigger on him. So if that is the case, I think it's time for Cesaro to take his talents elsewhere. I think Cesaro could easily excel on the independent scene, or back in Ring of Honor, but could also do wonders in All Elite Wrestling, should they come knocking.

Hopefully, it's not all over for Cesaro. As of this writing, he has been featured on WWE RAW several weeks in a row, having entertaining matches that he has both won and lost. If he doesn't go any further from here though, it might be time to leave.

#5 Rusev & Lana

At one point, Rusev was one of the most protected stars in all of WWE. As being pushed as the new big foreign heel in town, Rusev took on a year-long winning streak and won the WWE United States Championship. Things went a little downhill following his loss to John Cena at WrestleMania 31, but he was still doing alright for a while.

Rusev has been on a downward spiral, pretty much since 2017. And despite what was supposed to be a one time joke, 'Rusev Day', getting over incredibly well to the point that it was made into a t-shirt, WWE chose not to push Rusev accordingly. Things have gotten so bad to the point now that Lana is actively complaining about both of their positions on WWE TV as of late, neither has appeared on WWE TV in a month now and, including pre-shows, Rusev has lost at 19 consecutive WWE pay-per-views.

Unfortunately, I think it is getting to the point where it may be too late for Rusev to become a Heavyweight Champion in WWE, but he and Lana both have the skills to be successful outside of WWE, both in wrestling and other ventures. Maybe it's time to exercise this.

#4 Robert Roode

How could it go so wrong? Robert Roode is one of the most decorated performers in TNA Impact Wrestling history, he did it all in both singles and tag teaming. Roode would join WWE in 2016 and almost immediately became the top heel in NXT, which was soon followed by becoming NXT Champion and defeating every other top performer on the brand.

Roode's main roster debut wasn't ideal in the eyes of many fans as the natural heel debuted as a babyface. And although he soon became WWE United States Champion, he lost it shortly after and wasn't given very much to work within the aftermath. He was eventually paired randomly with fellow struggling superstar Chad Gable, and while they did become WWE RAW Tag Team Champions, they just never meshed well together.

Roode's new character certainly shares similarities to how he was in NXT, but he isn't being given much TV time and has only been featured lately in WWE 24/7 Championship shenanigans. I don't think it's too late for Roode to become a serious contender for a WWE Heavyweight Championship, but if they do not act soon then his time will pass. However, that doesn't mean he can't shine elsewhere, like All Elite Wrestling for example. Roode seems like the type who would be featured prominently in the new organization.

#3 Shelton Benjamin

So here is another shocker: Shelton Benjamin is also still employed by WWE. And no, like the aforementioned Colóns, that is not a dig at Benjamin. In fact, I still think he is one of the best wrestlers in all of WWE and could still compete in a show stealer if given the chance.

Despite taking in some big singles victories in 2018 over the likes of Randy Orton and Daniel Bryan, Benjamin only appeared on TV sparingly throughout the year. In 2019, we have only seen him on WWE TV four times. Unfortunately, this is nothing new for Shelton Benjamin as this type of booking is also something he was plagued by during the final two years of his first WWE run.

I think that since WWE has used Benjamin so sparingly over the past year, WWE fans may find it hard for him to recover and maybe not even accept him in WWE Intercontinental Championship pursuits. Before returning to WWE in 2016, Benjamin had a pretty good run with Ring of Honor, so I think he could easily succeed in a return to the league, or even in All Elite Wrestling. Either would be a major improvement over his booking this past year.

#2 Shinsuke Nakamura

Now this one is just mind-boggling. Shinsuke Nakamura signing with WWE in 2016 was a major deal. The singing announcement was treated as a big deal, his arrival in NXT was a big deal and his run in NXT was a big deal. Nakamura was arguably the biggest star in all of wrestling in Japan at the time of his signing and brought all his hype, skill and mystique with him.

Nakamura had a very successful run in NXT, where he was a 2-time NXT Champion and defeated everybody in his way. His main roster debut was handled pretty well for the most part, as he was generally featured in the main event scene for most of 2017. Nakamura would then win the best WWE Royal Rumble match in nearly a decade, and go onto face AJ Styles at WrestleMania. Here is where things went downhill.

Nakamura would have a very misguided heel turn at WrestleMania and would fall right down the card following his feud with Styles. Due to him having to use so many heel tactics, particularly the low blow, Nakamura's matches have also dipped in quality. Ever since the summer, Nakamura has barely been featured in any feuds and has been treading water in a go-nowhere tag team with Rusev since January.

Nakamura reportedly does plan on sticking with WWE but has apparently 'mentally checked out' and is just going through the motions in the ring, while he enjoys life outside the ring with his family. Regardless of that all being true or not, I think it's time WWE either changes him back to the way he was pre-heel turn, along with a push, or Nakamura should seriously consider joining All Elite Wrestling, where he would shine and be treated like the star he is.

#1 EC3

Former TNA Impact Wrestling World Champion EC3 returned to WWE in 2018, with his now established and loved character looking to make everyone forget about his previous run as Derrick Bateman. Incredibly, the heavily underutilized Derrick Bateman was treated like a megastar, compared to how EC3 has been doing.

Impact Wrestling is generally an entertaining show. However, there was one point a few years ago where they were really struggling with ratings and financially, almost to the point that Impact higher ups inquired with WWE about a potential sale. Impact didn't have much going for it then, but what it did have was the main reason to watch it, EC3. The storyline Carter is a very skilled performer, looks like a Million bucks and carries himself well in matches and promos. He's got the whole package.

There were high expectations for him when he arrived in NXT, but he had a surprisingly underwhelming run. When his main roster debut was announced, fans were excited to see what would happen. And... Nothing has. EC3 has not competed on WWE RAW since February, has been taking in regular losses to the like of Tyler Breeze and Titus O'Neil on WWE Main Event and has been a background player in the WWE 24/7 Championship shenanigans.

During a recent party segment on RAW, EC3 can be seen drinking from a cup while looking dissatisfied and not bothered. A likely reflection of how he feels off camera about his current status. WWE's booking of him is beyond poor and needs to change. If not, I hope EC3 signed a short term deal so he can get out of his contract as soon as possible, and hopefully join another league, such as All Elite Wrestling. I don't think anyone would have a problem with an EC3/MJF tandem and he, of course, has all the potential in the world to be the AEW Champion.

Edited by Israel Lutete