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It's a good time to be a WWE fan. The company's roster is the healthiest in years with the large-scale influx of World Champion calibre stars from some of their biggest rivals.And how can you forget the returns of Kurt Angle and The Hardy Boyz which have only added to the star power?
However, for every return or big-ticket signing, there is a cost-effective measure being taken by the WWE to balance the scales and one of them sadly for the undercard is talent cuts.WWE has offloaded a host of names -- both short-term and long-term employees -- in a bid to create more space on their roster.
The months of October and November themselves have seen seven departures and this list takes a look at the reasons behind each one of them.
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Note: Austin Aries is not mentioned in this list as he was released July, the reason behind which has been covered in this list.
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#7 Jim Johnston
"End of an Era," that's what Dave Meltzer tweeted out after the news of the legendary composer's WWE release started doing the rounds, and we couldn't agree more with the veteran pro wrestling journalist.Jim Johnston helped build the foundation stone that Attitude Era rose from.
The 58-year-old legend has shaped the careers of icons such as The Undertaker and Rock with his masterful creations. Such was his contribution that the fans were surprised by the low-key release of the pioneer and WWE's intriguing silence regarding the entire situation.
As reported by Meltzer himself, Johnson was always expected to leave WWE after his contract expired, which incidentally ran out last week.
Johnston reportedly wanted to stay on and build on his outrageous 32-year legacy but WWE had different ideas.With CFO$ taking up the bulk of the work since 2012 and the fact that Johnston commanded a 'heavy' contract, letting him go was the sensible business decision from the WWE.
The top brass to feel it's the end of the Johnston Era and that the torch has been passed to CFO$. The folks down at CFO$ have huge shoes to fill.
#2 Emma
Possibly the only name on this list that deserved another fair shot, Emma will go down as a missed opportunity in the history books. The Australian bombshell certainly had the looks, solid in-ring skills and that oomph factor to warrant a considerable push.
All she got was a botched attempt at repackaging and the status of being a glorified jobber. According to unconfirmed reports from Sports Illustrated's Justin Barrasso (rumour with a grain of salt), the former NXT star had a lot of heat backstage with the writers.
#GiveEmmaAChance didn't help her cause either as her aggressive Twitter policies further aggravated her strained relationship with the top brass. In the end, as disappointing it may sound for the fans and Emma herself, cutting her off was the best for business decision for WWE. However, reports state that WWE has left the door open for her return sometime in the future.Never say never, eh?
In the meantime, the former WWE star is scheduled to make her in-ring return on the indie circuit. Will she pull off a Cody Rhodes?
#3 Darren Young
You can't help but sympathize with the former Prime Time Player. Sitting out with an injury for a year only to be released when on the cusp of a return is what nightmares are made of.
The openly gay wrestler was in the middle of an attempted career resurgence when he got injured almost a year ago. A year down the line, the former WWE Tag Team would have never predicted his departure.
While it's still not sure whether he voluntarily asked for his release or was cut off, a lack of creative direction and an uncertain future may have contributed to his exit.
A decent mid-card run, addition to Titus Worldwide or a brief NXT stint were all lucrative options for Young which may never see the light of the day.
#4 Sawyer Fulton
It's quite shocking when you realize Sawyer Fulton was with WWE for almost 5 years. The 6-foot-8-inch American was mainly used as an enhancement talent before he joined forces with Eric Young, Alexander Wolfe, Nikki Cross and Killian Dane.
The former SAnitY member debuted in a tag team match against Erick Rowan and Luke Harper back in 2012, and while his opponents progressed to the main roster, he was left underutilized for a majority of his career.
Just when SAnitY seemed like a breakout moment, an injury derailed his momentum and incidentally led to his release.
At 27 years of age, the sky is the limit for the man who wrestles as Big Jake South in the independent circuit. And for what it's worth, Fulton has all intentions of making a surprising comeback to WWE sometime in the near future.
#5 Summer Rae
Summer Rae was destined to be a great valet and nothing more. The former Lingerie Football League (LFL) player made her debut as Fandango's dance partner in 2013.
Countless failed storylines, injuries and a role in the hopeless Marine franchise passed and WWE finally decided to let her go in 2017 after being out of action for nearly a year.
But what prompted the decision? She could have been paired with any of the unused superstars or slotted right back into the blossoming women's division.
As disclosed by none other than Dave Meltzer himself, WWE viewed Rae as the viable replacement for Stacy Keibler when they scouted her back in 2011. All hopes of being the next Keibler slowly waned away as time passed on and WWE felt that she was never going to reach the expected standards at this stage in her career.
The winner of the worst feud of 2015 (the Ziggler-Rusev debacle) took to Instagram right after the news of her exit broke out and all but confirmed the loss of faith she dealt with backstage.
#6 Leo Gao
Hold your horses! Don't change the slide just because you may not know this legend of a man. Leo Gao may not be a popular name amongst the mainstream masses, but he was probably one of the most likeable guys backstage at NXT.
When WWE itself run a story titled "5 Reasons why Leo Gao could become your new favourite NXT recruit", you know this guy had everyone in splits backstage. Check out the video of him impersonating the iconic Stone Cold Steve Austin from one of the WWE tryouts:
The Chinese wrestler suffered a serious neck injury he suffered in Summer this year proved to be the unfortunate cause of leaving WWE. Gao would have excelled as a goofy character but WWE just wasn't willing to take the risk with her fragile neck. The lovable 5' 10"star may never be able to wrestle again but he's still at his optimistic best:
The saddest part is that the fans never got to witness the genius of Gao as he never made an NXT TV appearance.
#7 James Ellsworth
James Ellsworth came, got conquered, returned on popular demand and ended up living the WWE dream in all its glory.
He feuded with AJ Styles for the WWE Championship, got the best pops and boos, technically won the MITB briefcase, and had one of the first mixed matches in many years. And did we forget to mention how entertaining and downright irritating he was during his time.
His distinctive appearance and that infamous pre-match promo against Braun Strowman made Ellsworth an overnight cult sensation. #AnyManWithTwoHandsHasAFightingChance essentially granted him a WWE contract.
A solid year-long run with the company ended when the entire SmackDown Women's division beat him -- a perfect way to go out for the Chinless Wonder.
Recent cost-cutting was the pivotal reason behind the departure and we're sure he has no qualms about the same. Picture this; Darren Young was in the company for almost 8 years and has no standout moments that come to mind. Ellsworth, on the other hand, has amassed way too many in a short span of time. Sometimes all you have to do is to be weird to get over.
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