7 WWE Superstars who might be looking into options outside of the company

A report came out from the Wrestling Observer and several news outlets last week claimed that some current WWE Superstars were 'considering options outside of the company.' The report came on the heels of the success of the first PPV put on by All Elite Wrestling, Double or Nothing.

Some stars who aren't happy with their place in the company have likely had enough of not being used or fear that they are missing out on the boom in the business. Opportunities are much greater in the professional wrestling business today than they were ten years ago.

There are many reputable promotions - Ring of Honor, New Japan, Major League Wrestling, Evolve. Several independent stars, including the Young Bucks, have made enough money on the independent scene, thus negating the need to have to sign with the WWE.

Opportunities have also grown for women in the business as they have been treated a lot better now than they were 15-20 years ago. Several female-only promotions also exist like Shine, Shimmer, Rise, Stardom and WOW.

With the ability to prosper outside of a company like the WWE, many stars currently signed to the juggernaut might be biding their time until their contracts expire. WWE can only feature so many wrestlers per week on Raw and SmackDown, but Superstars aren't all featured equally.

The main stars like Roman Reigns and Kofi Kingston have been featured on both shows due to the Wildcard Rule. While it might have been instituted in order to increase the ratings, it has actually hurt more of the roster than it has helped.

Since a good portion of the roster might be unhappy with their spots in the company, here are 7 wrestlers who might be considering their options outside of the WWE. The duo of Mike and Maria Kanellis aren't featured here because their contracts will expire shortly and they are likely to leave.

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Luke Harper

Time away from a team hasn't been kind to Luke Harper.

One Superstar who has actually asked for his release from the company is Luke Harper. While he did enjoy some success as both a member of the Wyatt Family and as a member of the Bludgeon Brothers, he hasn't had much as a singles star.

He did have a brief run as Intercontinental Champion a few years ago, but Harper has never been pushed as a singles competitor. Much of last year and the beginning of this year was spent recovering from injury and once he was healthy but not being used, he decided to ask for his release.

It was denied and he is currently sitting at home until he is either released or the WWE decides to use him. Harper has been around the business for over a decade, so if he isn't being used, him asking to be let go isn't a big surprise.

The Good Brothers

Like the Revival, the booking of the tag team division hasn't been kind to Gallows and Anderson.

Like Harper, the Good Brothers have gone on record as looking at the pastures outside of WWE. They decided not to re-sign new deals with the company and will see their current contracts expire towards the Fall of this year.

Unlike Harper, however, they have been used on TV here and there. They had a few matches on Raw in May and have been seen chasing down the 24/7 Champion in a few segments.

While neither man will likely win that title, it gets them on TV and doesn't paint them as bad as not being put on Raw or SmackDown does. A lot of people think that they'll sign with AEW due to the thought that the promotion will better feature its tag team division, but they have a lot of history in New Japan Pro Wrestling. They are definitely leaving the WWE but where they will eventually sign isn't as clear.

Bobby Lashley

Lashley might be looking in another place instead of AEW.

Bobby Lashley is the prototypical WWE Superstar in Vince McMahon's mold. He's completely shredded and muscular and looks like he was carved from stone. His mic ability, however, is severely lacking. He's not gifted in the veins of someone like Kevin Owens, and it shows every time he is allowed to speak. His inability to connect with the audience saw his return to the WWE met with a lukewarm response. It's not because he's a bad performer or terrible in the ring; it's just that Superstars have evolved greatly from when he initially debuted over a decade ago.

Fans just don't respond to him either as a face or a heel. It reminds me of how Alberto Del Rio was received when he was in WWE. He was good in the ring, but for whatever reason, fans (and myself included) just didn't care about him. Lashley has already been looking to get back into the world of MMA, so he's clearly looking for something else to do instead of WWE.

Lio Rush

Lio Rush has had a lot of success in the business while in his early 20s.

While the likes of Harper and everyone else on this list have legitimate gripes with WWE, Lio Rush might be part of his own problem. He might think he's getting underpaid, but that's the case of everyone who isn't one of the top 10 stars in the company.

He thought he should have been pushed as the top star of 205 Live and also sees himself as the biggest star in the company. That just isn't true. His confidence is both a blessing and a curse because it got him to this point. But it also has him hitting outside of his weight class.

Rush is supremely talented but is unfortunately vastly undersized in a company that greatly values it. He left Ring of Honor rather quickly, probably due to his perceived value as a top star in the industry. Rush has also asked WWE to release him rather than send him back to NXT. He hasn't been on any WWE programming since before WrestleMania.

Rusev and Lana

It's been a long time since the popularity of Rusev Day.

This one is not surprising in the least. Since Lana might have shot herself in the foot by announcing her engagement with Rusev while they were embroiled in a feud on opposite sides, their booking hasn't been the greatest.

They did start off as a red-hot act of Anti-American heels. It led to a US Title win and lengthy reign, but as most pushes have, his ended at the hands of John Cena. He did still remain a valuable player in the company after that, but his real chance came last year during the 'Rusev Day' run.

He was getting the loudest cheers nightly which eventually led to him getting both a WWE Championship shot and a shot at the SmackDown Tag Team Titles. While he failed in both endeavors, the act was still over with the crowd. But unfortunately for him, he was turned heel before WrestleMania. It killed the organic momentum that he had from 'Rusev Day' and he hasn't been used since 'Mania.

Rusev has voiced his frustration before as has his wife, Lana. While both have gripes, Lana is better used as a valet instead of an in-ring talent. Both Lana and Rusev could be booked better and if they were, they'd likely be happier.

The Revival

Once a top team in NXT, the Revival has found things harder on the main roster.

Like the Good Brothers, The Revival have rejected new offers from the WWE. They were unhappy with the way the tag divisions have been booked and asked for their releases earlier in 2019. It did net them a Raw Tag Team Title reign, but they lost every match after winning the titles. They were obviously non-title matches, but they still suffered from the booking.

The recent segments where The Usos humiliated them with pranks didn't pan out as hoped as it actually made Dash and Dawson look like the victims. Tag Team wrestling just isn't a huge focal point in WWE and they would be better served in a different promotion.

While NXT did book them as a top duo during their time there, the main roster and NXT are two separate entities. Booking on the yellow brand won't automatically transfer over to Raw or SmackDown. Since we know that the Revival are unhappy, they are clearly looking into their options post-WWE.

Sasha Banks

If she was interested in coming back, 'the Boss' would have already returned.

Like the Revival, Sasha Banks is unhappy with how things have been handled recently. She wanted a longer reign with the Women's Tag Titles but due to losing them at WrestleMania, she hasn't appeared for the company since.

WWE might think that she'll return at some point, but as the days wind down and the weeks pass, that likelihood shrinks with each passing day. Banks was one of the many women who had to sit on the sidelines while Ronda Rousey was Raw Women's Champion, but that was something the entire division had to do.

She's clearly thinking of things outside of WWE as evidenced by tweets like the one below:

I will conquer my biggest dreamsOnce you open the cage, I bet that I’ll spread my wings pic.twitter.com/LabT7litl2

— $asha Banks (@SashaBanksWWE) May 30, 2019

She also showed her support for women's wrestling during Double or Nothing. Although she hasn't always been treated the best, she isn't the only one who might have suffered from some less than stellar booking. Her partner Bayley also had some tough booking to go through last year as she lost to both Nia Jax and Rousey.

The Riott Squad also spent a good part of 2018 and 2019 being used to make Rousey, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte Flair look better leading up to their WrestleMania main event. Things likely could have been better on both sides, but she has most certainly been counting her options outside of the company.