6 Storylines that saved WWE Superstars' careers

#4. Heath Slater - The WWE Draft and "I Got Kids" storyline

Heath Slater was arguably the hottest star in WWE in August 2016

2016 saw WWE re-introduce the brand split after over half a decade. It was a big relief for fans, and perhaps superstars as well, as the brand split provides more opportunities for other superstars to climb the ladder.

In the 2016 WWE Draft, every active star was assigned to a brand except Heath Slater. The "Social Outcast" member was left out and sat in a dark room as the WWE Draft came to an end. This kickstarted an incredible month-long storyline where Slater desperately jumped from brand to brand to try to secure a contract - only to get defeated and suffer setback after setback.

Around this time, he introduced the catchphrase "I Got Kids", and it took off instantly. WWE fans gained a lot of sympathy towards Slater, who ended up becoming the hottest star in the company for a month.

In a month that saw incredible WWE programming on both brands, it was SmackDown that benefited from more presence by Heath Slater. His story saw him team up with the returning legend Rhyno to become the first SmackDown Tag Team Champions.

Slater also needed to win the tournament to secure his SmackDown contract. In an incredibly short-but-organic storyline, Heath Slater's WWE career was saved and culminated with his SmackDown Tag Team Title win.

While he was released a few years later, he became a respected superstar over time.