5 WWE Superstars who were released for non-wrestling reasons

#2 WWE Superstar - Gangrel

Gangrel debuted in WWE in 1998 as the leader of the kayfabe vampire clan, The Brood. While his fellow stablemates Edge and Christian went on to achieve great heights in WWE, Gangrel could only achieve mid-card status as a singles competitor.

Due to a leg injury in 2001, Gangrel gained weight which started affecting his in-ring work. This led to a 2001 match where his shirt was pulled off, revealing his huge gut. WWE, unfortunately, fired him due to this uncomfortable sight.

Gangrel made sporadic appearances in WWE from 2004 to 2007 but didn't find much success before being released for good in 2007.

#1 WWE Hall of Famer - The Late Yokozuna

The late Yokozuna was one of the biggest and most powerful superstars ever to step foot in WWE.

Since his debut in 1992, Yokozuna has had some memorable matches against Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, and most notably, The Undertaker. The former two-time WWE Champion and two-time WWE Tag Team Champion had a very successful run in the business until 1996.

His weight issues were always a problem, and they got heightened in the latter part of his career when he weighed 272 kilos. WWE wanted him to lose weight, but it became very difficult for him.

Yokozuna was finally released from the company in 1998. Executive Vice President of WWE's Talent Relations and legendary commentator Jim Ross said the following on his podcast, Grilling JR had this to say:

"I would talk to him (Yokozuna) sporadically in my role. Just to touch base with him and see how he was feeling. Obviously, we wanted him to come back. The 400 pound number was the number - we thought that if he got to that level, he could better address his heart issues. He was 200 plus over that. He's got to pass a physical, and he couldn't; it's simple as that," Ross said.

Unfortunately, the WWE Hall of Famer passed away on October 23, 2000, much to the dismay of superstars and the WWE Universe.