5 Superstars who may have left WWE even if they weren't released

#2. Deonna Purrazzo - An unenjoyable WWE run

Deonna Purrazzo

Deonna Purrazzo is another name that was released from WWE and instantly benefited from her run in IMPACT Wrestling. The promotion was quick to snatch her up, and she revealed on the Busted Open podcast that she felt 'defeated' being in WWE and NXT:

"I think the Deonna that you saw, and the world saw, in Ring of Honor and IMPACT is truly who I am. The person I've been able to put on the screen is the person I believe in. It's the truest form of me, you know, elevated. At NXT, it was very much a runaround. 'You need a character. Okay, well that's too much character. You have to be the real you, but the real you isn't believable'. I just gotten to a point where there's nothing I can do right, and now I feel defeated in me."

Deonna Purrazzo had reportedly already asked for her release and was relieved when WWE let her go. She has won the IMPACT Knockouts Championship twice since her return and has been the division's centerpiece. It worked out well for her post-WWE.

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#1. FTR/Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler

FTR

FTR, fka The Revival in WWE, was released on a mutual agreement in April 2020. Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler had both expressed their unhappiness in WWE and their general treatment of the Tag Team division.

There had been numerous occasions where they asked for their release, and in April 2020, WWE started to release Superstars who had previously asked for it. This was more mutual, but both men were always AEW-bound.