5 former WWE superstars who've succeeded elsewhere

#3 EC3

If you heard the name Derrick Bateman, or ECIII as he is known now, you could be forgiven for not knowing much about him. He had a little bit of success in WWE's old developmental brands FCW and OVW, and he appeared on the fourth and fifth seasons of NXT (back when it was a strange reality show, only really good for giving us The Nexus) but was released.

So, he joined Impact Wrestling, under the name Ethan Carter III. He was almost automatically pushed, as the storyline nephew of then president Dixie Carter.

In four years with Impact, he has solidified himself as a major part of the current Impact universe, becoming a two-time World Heavyweight Champion, and the current Impact Grand Champion.