Despite the fact that professional wrestling has had a huge resurgence on the Independent or "Indie" scene the past few years, as always, the WWE is still arguably the end goal of most sports entertainers.
The WWE offers the largest platform for wrestlers to showcase their skills and further their name in the business, and along with that comes some hefty paychecks, providing a performer establishes themselves as a midcarder or main eventer.
Even for the lowest ranking Superstars, WWE still pays handsomely in the six figures per year range, hence why getting to WWE is so incredibly competitive or "cutthroat".
Every year, the WWE releases or fires a couple Superstars to make room for new talent, and the reasons vary -- sometimes wrestlers are released for their actions behind the scenes, where as other times WWE rids themselves of wrestlers who are no longer adding anything to the product.
However, just because a Superstar is released, that certainly doesn't mean that it's the end of the line for the wrestler, as the company is always willing to offer ex-WWE stars a second chance if they have added some kind of momentum to their career -- with that being said, some wrestlers' poor choices (the ones that got them released in the first place) has unfortunately placed them on the "banned for life" list in WWE. Today, we are going to be looking at 3 recent releases WWE will bring back soon, and 2 banned permanently...
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#5 Could Bring Back Soon: Emma aka Tenille Dashwood
Emma unquestionably ranks among the most underutilized and underrated WWE women's wrestlers in history, as the Aussie certainly could have just as easily been a top Superstar as she was a "stepping stone" or enhancement talent to the companies "chosen ones" such as Charlotte Flair, Paige and plenty others.
However, following her surprise and shock release from the WWE last year, Emma, real name Tenille Dashwood, has quickly established herself as a top indie wrestler like many fans had expected she would.
Emma was vastly underrated in WWE, and Tenille's certainly not having any trouble finding bookings for shows. Perhaps it was a miscalculation on WWE's part to release Emma when they did, but the door will undoubtedly be open for Emma if she desires to eventually return to the company in the near future.
#4 Could Bring Back Soon: Ryback
"The Big Guy" Ryback has been rather outspoken about his feelings regarding the WWE and his overall run with the company which ended in May 2016, but looking past the pettiness, it isn't arguable that Vince McMahon would love to have Ryback back in the company.
Despite the fact that Ryback was a bit green when he started out his solo career in WWE, leading up to his release, Ryback improved drastically -- in fact, Ryback was absolutely underrated beyond belief in the ring.
While Ryback didn't leave on the of best terms with WWE, The Big Guy has stated that he simply needed a break to fulfill other career aspirations, including launching his own supplement line which has seemingly done well thus far.
With that said, Ryback has also stated that he wouldn't be against a WWE return in the future, and despite their differences, Vince would definitely welcome The Big Guy back -- we all know Vinnie Mac loves a big sweaty guy, especially one that can actually wrestle...
#3 Banned Permanently: Rich Swann
As most of you are well aware, the WWE have a strict zero-tolerance policy when it comes to anything related to domestic abuse (it reflects poorly on the company and brings on negative PR), and unfortunately for the former Cruiserweight Champion Rich Swann, his actions outside the squared circle cost him his safe and secure job with WWE -- Swann was released from the company in mid February.
Despite the fact that Rich Swann was and still is a talented wrestler, his involvement in a domestic abuse scandal is undoubtedly a mistake the WWE will forever be unwilling to look past. While Rich Swann has been cleared from the charges and has been wrestling consistently elsewhere, the WWE certainly won't be calling Rich for a return anytime soon, if ever.
On top of all this, Rich Swann was a cruiserweight, and considering the division has not fared nearly as well as the WWE believed it would, 205 Live performers are a low priority. Besides that, Rich Swann has recently signed a multi-year deal with Impact Wrestling...
#2 Could Bring Back Soon: Big Cass
Although many fans did not shed many tears following the shock and sudden firing of Big Cass back in June, we have yet to see the last of Colin Cassidy in WWE despite his backstage issues which led up to his release.
Since his firing, Big Cass hasn't talked negatively about the WWE, and instead, he has acknowledged the fact that he was behaving very poorly towards the end of his run (personal conduct issues), and if the decision was up to him, Cass would have released himself -- this showcases Big Cass owning up for his mistakes, which Vince McMahon definitely respects.
While it's unlikely Cass will be back with WWE this year, don't rule out the possibility of Big Cass being offered a second chance sometime next year. It's clear Vince was very high on Cass, but at the same time, Vinnie Mac was unable to look past Cass' behavior which was said to garner heat not only from his co-workers, but high ranking officials as well.
This parting from WWE is likely what Big Cass needs to readjust his outlook on the business, and before long, he will be back amongst the WWE locker room.
#1 Banned Permanently: Enzo Amore
Enzo Amore was unquestionably one of the best mic workers in recent WWE history, and regardless of his lack of in-ring talent, his promo skills were enough to get "The Certified G" over with fans in WWE.
Prior to the rape allegations which led to Enzo getting terminated immediately, the former Cruiserweight Champion had a solid niche going for himself on 205 Live, and he definitely stood out from the rest of the roster -- Enzo Amore had the charisma and personality which was lacking from the show.
However, despite seemingly having a firm and secure position in WWE, knowing the company, it was evident that Vince was going to fire Enzo Amore as soon as the rape allegations hit the media outlets. As we had discussed in the Rich Swann entry, the WWE have a zero tolerance policy for anything related to assault (whether sexual or physical), and Enzo Amore will certainly not be welcomed back with open arms.
With that being said, in a recent interview, Enzo Amore stated that he doesn't intend on wrestling ever again, so it's clear that he's not too unhappy about the fact that the WWE won't be calling him up for a return...