5 recently released WWE Superstars who were once too big to fail

#3. Andrade 'Cien' Almas asked for his release from WWE

Andrade "Cien" Almas became the talk of WWE NXT before moving to the main roster. He had a good run as the NXT Champion before WWE moved him to the SmackDown brand.

With Zelina Vega by his side, Andrade was seen as a star in the company. He had the in-ring talent, presence and charisma required to be a top WWE Superstar.

He won the United States Championship once in his career and enjoyed a few rivalries on RAW and SmackDown. However, he never got a big push to reach the top of the company.

After being unused for several months, Andrade requested his release from WWE in March 2021. His request was initially denied, but WWE eventually granted his release on March 21. El Idolo revealed the details regarding his release during an interview soon after:

"About 15 days ago, two things happened. When I asked for my release, it was on a Monday. The following day, I had things with the company and I got COVID and my girlfriend also tested positive. No one knows about this. I got COVID and after I got it. On Sunday, [roughly a week] after getting COVID, I got a call and they gave me the release. It was what I wanted."

If Andrade has requested his release from WWE, it’s a damn shame. You could also argue, with some persuasiveness, that it’s another example of WWE dropping the ball with their main-roster booking of an ex-NXT champion.Black, Nakamura, Roode, Zayn... and now him. pic.twitter.com/BW1Q6cHtt8

— Jack Murley (@jack_murley) March 12, 2021

Several recently released superstars struggled to make it big in WWE. However, Andrade had the WWE Universe behind him and could have gone on to become a top superstar with better booking.