5 stars who participated in the 2024 Royal Rumble who aren't with WWE anymore

A lot of familiar WWE names will take part in the 2025 Royal Rumble matches. Roman Reigns, John Cena, Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre, Bayley, and Charlotte Flair are among the names to have declared their participation already.

That doesn't include surprises and potential debuts or performers will join the match on the go-home episodes of RAW and SmackDown.

With 60 stars in both contests each year, there will always be turnover with releases and contract expirations. The next five performers competed in the 2024 Royal Rumble matches but are no longer with WWE.

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#5. Xia Li was released in 2024

Xia Li competed in multiple Royal Rumble contests (Image Credit: WWE.com)

The Chinese Superstar had a rocky road in WWE. She started as a basic martial artist but then turned to the dark side in Tian Sha.

After the group disbanded, she maintained the darker nature and was finally promoted to SmackDown. After some interesting vignettes that set her apart, she got lost in the shuffle numerous times.

Li entered 16th last year and lasted for 6:46. She was eliminated by Nia Jax. She's spent time on the independent scene and appeared briefly for TNA since.

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#4. Tegan Nox never had consistent momentum in WWE

Like many stars released by WWE, Tegan Nox had a stop-start career on all three brands. She was a featured player during NXT but endured two career-stalling knee injuries.

Nox eventually returned and was promoted to SmackDown, alongside Shotzi. The team didn't go anywhere and Nox was barely used. She bounced around between RAW and NXT, teaming with Natalya at one point.

She didn't showcase much of a personality, either by design or due to bookers not having a planned character in mind. Nox entered 12th last year and was eliminated by Bayley after 1:22.

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#3. Indi Hartwell peaked in NXT

Unlike Li and Nox, Indi Hartwell actually won the NXT Women's Title. Unfortunately, it felt more like a participation trophy instead of a deserved win since her reign was forgettable.

She made one defense in a 31-day reign and vacated the title after being drafted to RAW. The whole situation was a mess and didn't help her fortunes on the main roster.

She resumed her pairing with Candice LeRae, but like Nox, didn't showcase much of a personality. Hartwell entered sixth last year but was eliminated by Bayley after a run of 3:23.

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#2. Ricochet always put on a show

The former One and Only won both the United States and Intercontinental Championships during his tenure but never ascended above the midcard.

Ricochet had a viral moment with Logan Paul during the 2023 Royal Rumble and later a match at SummerSlam. In last year's contest, the former Intercontinental Champ entered 28th.

He lasted for 5:10 and was eliminated by Drew McIntyre. Ricochet opted not to re-sign last summer with Triple H in control. He popped up in AEW shortly thereafter.

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#1. Bobby Lashley won gold in AEW after his release

Bobby Lashley was a perennial favorite every time he entered the Royal Rumble (Image Credit: WWE.com)

Unlike the other stars on this list, Bobby Lashley was a multi-time major champion in WWE. The All Mighty won the ECW and WWE Championship twice. He also is a five-time mid-card titleholder in the promotion.

Of all the stars mentioned here who participated in last year's Rumble, Lashley is the oldest (48 years old).

The annual premium live event coincided with his ongoing feud with Karrion Kross and The Final Testament. His elimination was centered around this as Kross eliminated him after a run of 1:34 from the 11th spot.

The two sides did not reach terms on another contract at the end of summer 2024, making the former champ a free agent. Lashley joined AEW last September.