5 WWE Superstars who disappeared without explanation before their release

Modified Feb 05, 2021 11:04 GMT

Cain Velasquez; Stacy Keibler and Vince McMahon

#2 Zack Ryder is released after being out of action for weeks on end

Zack Ryder will always be remembered as the one who utilized the power of social media to get over with the WWE fans. Years before Becky Lynch was effectively using social media to throw insults at her opponents and get over with the fans, Ryder was wowing the WWE Universe with his YouTube series, "Z! True Long Island Story". Ryder got a push soon after, and won the US title, but the run didn't last long and he was soon back to being a lower-card act.

Zack Ryder never got a main event run in WWE, even though fans were collectively behind him at one point

Zack Ryder's biggest achievement came at WrestleMania 32, where he won the Intercontinental title in a multi-man Ladder match. He lost the belt the next night on RAW, and was back to square one again. In March 2020, Ryder lost a singles match to Bobby Lashley, and was quietly taken off WWE TV. A little over a month later, he was released by the company, thus putting an end to his 15-year WWE run.

About the author

Abhilash Mendhe is a pro wrestling journalist at Sportskeeda with nearly five years of experience. He completed his MBA from the Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management in 2016 and worked with multiple banking institutions, including Tech Mahindra. While he started writing WWE articles for Sportskeeda in 2019 as a hobby, it eventually became a significant part of his professional journey.

Abhilash checks his articles thrice before sending them to the editing team, ensuring his work is highly accurate and reliable.

He has interviewed prominent pro wrestling personalities like Noam Dar, Angry Miz Girl, Brendan Cobbina, and Jesse Lambert. Abhilash is a big fan of AEW star Orange Cassidy, as he believes the former International Champion’s on-screen gimmick of an extremely lazy guy resonates with him.

Given the opportunity to script WWE’s next big storyline, Abhilash would treat fans to the second installment of The Bloodline Civil War. He would book Roman Reigns to re-form The Bloodline with The Usos and Sami Zayn upon his comeback. The angle would see The Tribal Chief-led group go head-to-head with The Rock, Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Jacob Fatu in a blockbuster family feud.

When not reporting on pro wrestling, Abhilash likes to work out, go on walks, read, and explore new eateries.

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Edited by Kaushik Das