Almost two decades after winning Monday Night Wars against WCW, another promotion has arrived to threaten WWE. Tony Khan announced the inception of All Elite Wrestling (AEW) this year and so far, they have already signed multiple former WWE Superstars. Their first show, Double or Nothing, will happen on May 25 and things are looking great for them. TNT has also partnered with them for a television deal which will come into effect later this year.
This, obviously, isn’t great news for WWE, especially for Vince McMahon. Raw and SmackDown are continuously failing to get high viewerships, and it has panicked almost everybody in the company. According to a report, Vince is also rejecting every idea from everybody backstage, and this includes his son-in-law Triple H, daughter Stephanie, and son Shane McMahon.
Multiple WWE Superstars are also frustrated with WWE, and they don’t want to work here anymore. Vince is taking this matter seriously and doing the best he can. But still, there are a few wrestlers; he doesn’t care about a lot. In this article, we will look at 5 WWE Superstars Vince McMahon has no big plans for.
#5 Luke Harper
Harper publicly asked for his release from WWE via Instagram, and he had recently returned to in-ring action after recovering from a wrist injury. At first, WWE had no plans for him, but then, he performed during Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 35. This match itself wasn’t up to the mark as we saw multiple botches and confusing angles.
A report from Wrestling Observer Newsletter says that Vince was furious at Harper’s performance in this match and felt that he isn’t ready to appear on television. The former Intercontinental Champion didn’t expect something like this, and his love for wrestling forced him to ask for a release. However, his social media post upset Vince a lot, and reportedly, Harper is now on his ‘bad list.’ And considering the rumours, it would be safe to say that McMahon doesn’t have any plans for Harper and he will likely not appear on-screen anytime soon.
#4 EC3
Ethan Carter failed during his first WWE run, but after leaving it, he improved a lot and became the face of TNA (Impact Wrestling). His great match ups and storylines caught WWE’s eyes, and they signed him in 2018. After spending some time in NXT, he debuted on the main roster but the first few weeks were underwhelming.
Then, EC3 got a victory against Dean Ambrose (now Jon Moxley), and it seemed like WWE could be planning something big for him. However, since then, the 36-year-old hasn’t done anything significant, and it looks like Vince McMahon hasn’t prepared anything for him. A few weeks ago, Carter also took a subtle shot at WWE with an image where he is sitting on a swing, waiting for someone to push him. As of now, it seems like The Deviant will get minimal television time and it wouldn’t be shocking if he, too, asks for his release from WWE.
#3 Scott Dawson and #2 Dash Wilder (The Revival)
The Revival was one of the best tag teams in NXT. Triple H saw the potential in the duo, and he brought them to the main roster, where they are now being buried. Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder asked for their release in early 2019, but WWE rejected their request and asked for three months to improve things.
Soon, The Revival became Raw Tag Team Champions and enjoyed a brief title reign as they lost their title to the newly-reunited Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins. Since then, Dawson and Wilder are, seemingly, getting punished for their actions. Vince McMahon is using the duo for comedic segments, which is certainly hurting them. However, despite all this, both Superstars are handling things professionally and are doing what the company is telling them to do. Considering what transpired until now, it’s clear that Vince doesn’t have any plans to push The Revival.
#1 Lio Rush
Lio Rush, reportedly, has picked up some backstage heat due to multiple reasons. Rush hasn’t been appearing on Raw since the past few weeks, and he was also not scheduled for WWE’s European Tour. Speaking to Fightful.com, The One also hinted leaving WWE soon. Rush was offered a 5-year contract for $300,000 per year, but he rejected the offer feeling that he isn’t making enough money in Vince McMahon’s company.
WWE also considered sending him back to NXT, but Rush asked them to release him instead. As per Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE immediately rejected his request. As of now, it seems like Rush isn’t going to return on Raw anytime soon and if things don’t get fixed, then he may end up sitting out until his contract with WWE ends.
Which one of these Superstars do you think will leave WWE? Have your say in the comments below.