7 Superstars released by WWE for bizarre reasons

To be a successful WWE Superstar and have a long career in the wrestling promotion, a lot of things have to go your way. Superstars not only have to have good in-ring and mic skills but toe the company line and not do anything that would make WWE look bad.

WWE is a publicly-traded company, which means that they have to do things that will not anger investors, and their family-friendly shows have to make it appealing to a variety of audience.

Some Superstars, over the years, have rubbed WWE management the wrong way, which has led to them being fired.

Here, let's take a look at 7 Superstars released by WWE for bizarre reasons:

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#7 Finlay for playing Miz's music during the US national anthem

Finlay is a legend in the pro wrestling business, known for being a legitimate fighter, with decades of experience in the ring. Finlay, who joined WWE from WCW in 2001, worked as a trainer before featuring on WWE television.

But 10 years after he joined WWE, he was released by the promotion in 2011, for something that he did not even do. Finlay, who was producing a segment during a live show, ordered the WWE technician to play The Miz's music while the United States national anthem was being played, to get heat on The Miz.

This did not sit well with Vince McMahon and WWE, who fired Finlay. Here is what Finlay told about the incident that led to his firing:

"I was given a lot of leeway and a lot of power in WWE, and that comes with a lot of responsibility. I made a call that caused a storm and I paid for it. They play the American national anthem over here before every event. We had Miz going out first and, because it was just before WrestleMania, we were trying to get as much heat on him as possible.

So my spur-of-the-moment call, as I sat right by the technician, was to tell him to hit Miz’s music while they were half-way through the national anthem. Of course, people were up in arms about it, but it was a good reaction as a heel. But there were National Guard people in the building that took exception to it, and I understand that fully."

He was re-hired by WWE two years later in 2012 and has been a backstage producer and trainer since then.

#6 The Highlanders for attending an Impact taping

The Highlanders--Robbie and Rory McAllister-- were a tag team from Scotland who made their way to the WWE main roster after some time on the independent circuit and then Ohio Valley Wrestling.

The duo were a mid-card tag team in the 2000s in WWE. The Highlanders were released in 2008 in quite unusual circumstances. The duo were spotted on television at a TNA Impact show, who were WWE's biggest competitors back then. They were quickly ordered to leave the arena before being spotted once again on camera, which they did.

And this incident, in some way, contributed to their exit from WWE in 2008. Robbie McAllister spoke about the incident in an interview in 2009, and had some regrets about going on TNA while still contracted with WWE:

"If I could do it all over again, I wouldn’t have done it…I would not have been been there, [at a TNA show] I would have not gone there. As you know, we were going through a rough time with WWE and I don’t know if I did it subconsciously, like I wanted to get fired. I don’t really know why I did it. Being with my family, I should have thought that this was a bad idea and not once did it really cross my mind."

The duo have wrestled on the indies since their exit from WWE over a decade ago.

#5 Brad Maddox for calling the crowd "pr*cks"

Vince McMahon and WWE have a few words and phrases that they have banned WWE Superstars from uttering when on the mic. Some of them are warranted, but others are downright ridiculous.

One Superstar who got the sack for saying a word that is a slang that wouldn't go down well with the family-friend content that WWE is producing is Brad Maddox. Maddox debuted in OVW in 2008 before debuting as a referee on the main roster, and then a wrestler. He then became the General Manager of RAW.

In a dark match, Maddox called the crowd "pr*cks" which ultimately led to his firing. The former WWE Superstar confirmed to Rolling Stone that it was the use of that word which caused him to be fired in 2015:

"I had a dark match in Indianapolis and I called the Indianapolis crowd “pr*cks.” I didn’t think anything of it. That’s never been a bad word to me. I didn’t think it was inappropriate. Vince [McMahon] was watching and did not like it. That was pretty much the reason."

He then revealed that he did not have the chance to speak to WWE Chairman Vince McMahon and explain his position. Maddox said that he did it only to "work up the crowd" knowing that it wouldn't be on television.

#4 Paul London smiling at Vince McMahon got him fired

Vince McMahon's infamous limo explosion storyline back in 2007 is now remembered for it being scrapped due to the murder-suicide for Chris Benoit, and the memorial that WWE presented for Benoit rather than the fake one that was meant for McMahon.

In the build-up to that limo explosion, Superstars lined up the corridor as McMahon walked towards the limo. One Superstar who was a part of that group is Paul London, who made the grave error of smiling during that segment, which led to his axing by WWE.

London said that he was "already in trouble" with WWE management for something else before the segment:

"I showed up to the building that night or that morning and I was already in trouble for something else and it's going back to that lack of comradery because in that environment there are no friends. The word exists but the meaning does not. So my career was already being sabotaged for other reasons by another performer. So I was being addressed for that very reason right off of the bat. So it is almost as if the chips were against me on that day to begin with."

Paul London also said that he smiled not out of disrespect or not to tell "my friends back home and let them know I'm too cool for this". He also revealed that WWE did not have any objections to him smiling and that even McMahon looked at his face a few times during the many takes that they took of the shot.

#3 Enzo Amore for passing flatulence

Enzo Amore has caused quite a bit of controversy for himself over the years in WWE and outside of WWE with the way he has conducted himself. Amore was released by WWE in 2018 after allegations of sexual assault against him.

Amore revealed on Talk is Jericho that he was fired by WWE once for passing flatulence during a promo class, but he was hired back the next day:

“One time we had a promo class [with] Dusty Rhodes, Baron Corbin was up there cutting a terrible promo. Baron was trying to get help and Dusty was helping him, and I just raised my hand and everybody looked at me, and I just farted, loud as hell. They fined me two hundred and fifty dollars, fired me that night, and then I got back into work the next day and they rehired me.”

This incident took place during his stint with NXT between 2012 and 2016. Amore was eventually fired once again in 2018 and it would be a big surprise if WWE re-hires him.

#2 Emma released for shoplifting

Former WWE Superstar Emma had a lot of potential in the company, but never reached the heights that she or the company would have wanted. The Australian was released lastly in 2017, but was once released in 2014, for alleged shoplifting.

WWE released her from her contract and put out this statement:

"WWE has come to terms on the release of WWE Diva Emma as of today, July 2, 2014. WWE wishes Emma the best in all her future endeavors."

But just a few hours after her release, WWE reinstated her and added this statement:

"Upon further evaluation, WWE has reinstated Tenille Dashwood (WWE Diva Emma) but will take appropriate punitive action for her violation of the law."

She had apparently shop-lifted an iPad case which was valued at just $21.14. Emma had reportedly had some issue with the self-checkout process and had only not paid for that particular item, as per Wrestling Observer Radio's Bryan Alvarez (via Fansided):

"The employee stated that the iPod case in which Emma, real name Tenille Dashwood, was accused of stealing, was the only item not paid for on a bill over $30. It appears that instead of notifying Dashwood that she may have forgotten to pay for the case, the self-checkout clerk instead alerted loss prevention."

This was clearly a case of Emma forgetting to self-checkout the item rather than her stealing the product. WWE's decision to reinstate her was a wise one.

#1 Daniel Bryan for choking Justin Roberts

Daniel Bryan has attained legendary status in WWE, and his underdog story has won the hearts of millions in the world. But, there was a point in time that Bryan wasn't going to have the fairytale story that he has had.

Bryan was surprisingly fired by WWE in 2010, just one year after signing with WWE. The future WWE Champion was let go after Vince McMahon and WWE management were unhappy at how he choked announcer Justin Roberts using his tie during the NXT invasion angle.

Arn Anderson, who was then a producer in WWE, revealed why Bryan was fired and why he was brought back by WWE later in the year.

“This was not an angle. I think he got fired off of the choking because of the PG product and what he thought — this was a preventive strike. Vince thought there was going to be this windfall coming, so he fired the guy. And the only reason Daniel Bryan was brought back was because it was such a lousy thing to do, for him to be held responsible and lose his job over that when nobody told him not to do it. Most guys weren’t even aware that that rule existed."

Edited by Atharva Papnoi