5 WWE Superstars you wouldn't believe are still under contract to the company

WWE Superstars often don't have a very long shelf life and the company has been known over the years to clear out a lot of the talent they aren't using when budget cuts are needed. As a rule, performers are generally released when WWE has no new storyline ideas for them.

With that in mind, it is understandable that many fans believe that it's impossible to remain part of WWE for very long without appearing on WWE TV. However, there are a number of WWE Superstars who have stayed under contract, despite barely being featured by the promotion in several years.

Here are five currently-contracted WWE Superstars that many fans don't know are still with the company.

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#5. Bo Dallas

Bo Dallas looked set to be a big star in WWE when he became NXT Champion back in 2013. It was after he was promoted to the main roster, though, that his career went downhill. Dallas is a former Tag Team Champion and has been part of a number of teams in WWE, most recently alongside Curtis Axel in The B Team.

Axel was released from WWE as part of the budget cuts back in April and it would not have come as a big shock to many had Dallas been released alongside his teammate.

This proved not to be the case, but despite still being contracted to WWE, Dallas still hasn't made his return. Sadly, as part of those budget cuts, Dallas's father who was known as IRS in WWE was furloughed from his backstage role in the company.

It's widely believed that his brother Bray Wyatt's current position in WWE saved Bo from being released. Dallas has been missing from WWE TV for a while, but could we see him return as a part of the Firefly Fun House?

#4. Eve Torres

Eve Torres is a former WWE Divas Champion, who left the company in 2013. Since her departure, Torres has dedicated her energies to her Gracie Self Defense projects alongside her husband Rener Gracie, with whom she has welcomed two children.

Torres's work as part of the self-defense program has allowed her to join up with WWE many times. In fact, the partnership has been so successful that Torres is under contract with the company as an ambassador. Many former WWE stars including Nikki and Brie Bella also have these particular contracts with the company.

These ambassador roles are usually reserved for former or retired WWE Superstars not actively performing. Torres has been an ambassador for several years, even though she has yet to make any appearances on WWE TV as part of the women's revolution or to promote her self defense program.

Torres does appear at the Performance Center regularly to teach the women self-defense classes. The 35-year-old is clearly enjoying life away from the ring and would seem to have no plans to return. WWE, though, appreciates the benefits that Torres can provide to the women's roster of today with her training and so has been keen to maintain a relationship with her.

#3. Tyson Kidd

Tyson Kidd hasn't been seen on WWE TV since he was injured at the hands of Samoa Joe back in 2015. The former Tag Team Champion was part of a dark match on Monday Night RAW that was scheduled to allow Vince McMahon to watch Samoa Joe wrestle before he was moved to the main roster.

The match ended with a muscle buster that Joe had performed more than a hundred times previously. Sadly on this occasion, Kidd was injured by the move and forced to undergo career-threatening neck surgery. Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer noted at the time that Kidd was lucky not to have been more badly injured by the botched move:

"It is unbelievable that Tyson Kidd came through as well as he did", and noted that most people who survive the injury end up quadriplegic, comparing it to Christopher Reeve's injury."

Kidd's injuries meant that he was forced to retire from in-ring competition, but WWE later hired him as a backstage producer. Kidd has worked in the role since 2017. His wife Natalya is also still part of the company and has been performing as part of WWE's women's division for more than a decade.

#2. Jamie Noble

Jamie Noble was once an integral part of WWE's Cruiserweight Division in his early career, but Noble was last regularly seen on WWE TV as one half of J & J Security, alongside Joey Mercury, as the pair were called in to protect Seth Rollins as part of his 2015 World Championship reign.

Noble and Mercury were injured by Brock Lesnar later that same year and both men were writtten off of television. However, while Mercury was released from the company, Noble was retained as a backstage producer.

Noble has briefly been spotted on WWE TV several times over the past few years in backstage segments and was recently visible helping Jeff Hardy after he had been framed for a hit and run on SmackDown.

Noble has quietly become one of WWE's more long-tenured employees. Noble began his current run with WWE in 2005 and, ever since retiring from in-ring action in 2009, has been a producer for the company. This means that Noble has been a consistent employee in WWE for more than 15 years.

#1. Mark Henry

The World's Strongest Man Mark Henry was a driving force in WWE in the early 2000s as the promotion used his former career as a powerlifter as the basis for his on-screen character. As a former World Champion and long-time employee, it was no shock when Henry took his place in the WWE Hall of Fame. However, when Henry made his decision to retire from in-ring action, the move did not receive the fanfare you might have expected.

Henry quietly walked away from the ring following WrestleMania 33 and transitioned into a backstage role. This could have been a deliberate choice, as the last time Henry looked to retire, the company span it into a storyline feud with John Cena over the WWE Championship. Since his disappearance from WWE TV, Henry has been the involved in a number of key WWE signings in recent years including Bianca Belair and Braun Strowman.

Much like many other backstage producers, Henry has made a number of cameo appearances on WWE TV since moving into the role and even returned to be part of the "Greatest Royal Rumble" match back in 2018.