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For many of the WWE Superstars that were released this week, and indeed those who were released previously this year, the end of their WWE careers can feel devastating.
But on top of the fact that never before has there been a better time to be a wrestler outside of WWE with MLW, AEW, NJPW, IMPACT and ROH all waiting to snap up any free agents, there's also hope that success in WWE could still happen.
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We've seen the likes of Drake Maverick and Samoa Joe get released only to find a new lease of life in WWE by moving to NXT. We've also seen Superstars like Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal return to WWE to eventually become World Champions after their release.
Here are five recently released WWE Superstars I think could do what Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal have done and return to WWE to become World Champions.
#5. Former WWE Superstar Lars Sullivan
Lars Sullivan is a peculiar case. His troubles stemmed more from his work out of the ring than inside it, with controversial comments he'd made in his past and present, a leaked adult video and struggles with anxiety all contributing towards the stuttering of his WWE career.
However, when he was able to perform in the ring as The Freak Lars Sullivan, he truly delivered on the sinister and unstoppable monster character that he was supposed to portray, and it looked like big things were in his future.
In fact, at one point the plans were for Lars Sullivan and John Cena to have a one-on-one match at WrestleMania 35, with Sullivan injuring Cena and taking him out of the Royal Rumble match in the lead up to it. However, those plans were obviously canceled.
So, if Sullivan can use the time he has away from WWE to work on himself and overcome the personal issues he was having, there's every chance he might be able to earn a return to WWE (not that people are clamoring for it) and reclaim his place as a monstrous heel on the main roster, even winning a world championship or two.
#4. Former WWE NXT Champion Aleister Black
Aleister Black has already proven he's capable of winning titles and achieving success in WWE as not only is he a former NXT Champion, but before he ever won the title he had a prolonged undefeated streak.
Black also has the Black Mass finishing move, which much like the RKO, enables him to believably beat any opponent, even those with a massive size advantage, in just a fraction of a second.
But, for whatever reason, those two things didn't translate over to RAW or SmackDown very well and after only just returning from time away from television with a new character, Black was released.
Rumors suggest that many within WWE were surprised by Black's release and some have actively campaigned for him to return. Although the latest development indicates he's more likely to sign for AEW than return to the company that released him.
Everything's there for Black to be a major contender in WWE, so should he return all WWE would have to do is book him like they did when he first arrived in NXT. If they manage to do that it's almost guaranteed he'll win a world championship!
#3. Former WWE Superstar Ruby Riott
Ruby Riott was definitely underutilized during her time in WWE. Even though the company debuted her as the leader of her own faction, The Riott Squad, they never capitalized on that to propel her into the main event.
Riott certainly has the ability to become a world champion in WWE's women's division and she has the unique look and character-work to help make her stand out from the crowd.
Riott is one of the released Superstars who her colleagues feel will land on her feet the most, so there's every chance we'll see her tearing it up somewhere new soon enough.
But here's hoping, if Riott herself also wants it, crucially, that some time away from WWE truly allows her to do what she does best and that WWE end up taking notice and realizing what it is they've let walk out of the door.
Should Ruby Riott return to WWE there's absolutely no excuse for someone with her talent and ability not to become WWE Women's Champion on either RAW or SmackDown!
#2. Former WWE NXT Champion Andrade
WWE's Andrade seemingly had it all, looks, charisma and an in-ring ability that regularly seems him involved in discussions surrounding who the best wrestler in the world is.
Unfortunately, that wasn't enough for WWE to push him towards the main event picture and he found himself more often than not feuding with other Superstars in non-title matches or in tag teams. Eventually, he asked for his WWE release and it was granted.
We saw a taste of what Andrade could do in WWE thanks to his time in NXT where he became NXT Champion and, in particular, his feud with Rey Mysterio that led to some classic matches on the main roster. With that in mind, I'm convinced that with the proper push, Andrade would be WWE's next big Latino star if they were brought back.
Plus, with Andrade's fiance Charlotte still in WWE, the former superstar has an extra incentive to return to WWE one day, even though he is currently enjoying life in AEW.
#1. Former WWE Cruiserweight Champion Buddy Murphy
Buddy Murphy self-described himself as WWE's best-kept secret. Despite earning himself a reputation as one of the company's best wrestlers and most exciting performers, WWE still didn't seem to know how good Murphy was and released him.
This is despite some of WWE's top stars like Daniel Bryan, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns deliberately working with Murphy to help elevate him. Murphy managed to put on some classic matches with WWE's best on RAW and SmackDown.
Even AEW's Kenny Omega, who is often considered the best wrestler in the world, has indicated he'd like to wrestle Buddy Murphy.
With so much star power rooting for him and so much talent, it seems that Buddy Murphy is destined to finally let the secret he thought he'd already let out, out. Especially as rumors suggest he's in extremely high demand on the independent circuit.
And when that happens, there's every chance WWE realize they should've kept Buddy Murphy and try and got him to return. Should he go back to WWE I fully expect him to become a main event star and win a world title!
