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WWE has a packed roster filled with supremely talented wrestlers. Whilst the company signs plenty to their developmental territories, only a handful of them make it to the main roster.
Despite all the struggles in making their dreams come true, a main roster call-up does not signal job security. WWE has fired some wrestlers in the past who have a beloved fanbase, most notably Bray Wyatt, Jeff Hardy and John Morrison, among others. Wyatt's release after a featured WrestleMania match against Randy Orton in 2021 was the biggest shocker of them all.
Then there have been instances when the company almost fired a wrestler, but ultimately reversed the decision.
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Read on to learn about the five times WWE Superstars found luck in their favor and kept their jobs.
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#5. Becky Lynch during her WWE NXT days
To think the former WWE RAW and SmackDown Women's Champion was almost let go by WWE is hard to fathom today. Yet the company did consider it at one point.
There was a report stating that some people within the company believed she would never have the "it factor." Let alone become one of the leaders of a women's revolution that shattered so many glass ceilings that history-making moments became expected.
The Man confirmed that she was almost fired from the company with the aforementioned tweet.
Nonetheless, Big Time Becks remains one of the most popular superstars on the roster today. She went on to main event WrestleMania 35, and put on high quality matches until most recently at Summerslam 2022 in a match against Bianca Belair. After that, the former was sidelined with an injury.
#4. John Felix Anthony Cena Jr. almost got fired in 2003
John Cena is a name that is synonymous with WWE. In 2002, who would have thought a young talent coming out to challenge Kurt Angle would become such a huge star?
However, a year after making his debut, Cena was about to get fired because Triple H and Vince McMahon wanted him gone. The Champ reflected years later:
“When I was just wearing boots and tights… nobody in the company [WWE] liked me [John Cena]. I know Vince McMahon won’t admit this, but he wanted me fired. Triple H wanted me fired. Everybody hated me… They just wouldn’t give me a forum to showcase my talents.”
Thankfully, the higher ups had a change of heart. Cena went on to become a 16-time world champion, and the single most important name that defined an era.
#3. WWE's Batista and Randy Orton were floundering before Triple H took notice
Let's begin with The Animal, Dave Bautista, who performed under the ring name Batista. The former World Heavyweight Champion headlined many premium live events in WWE. Among the most notable were his trilogy with Triple H in 2005, a year-long feud with The Undertaker in 2007, and his series of matches with John Cena between 2008-10, all of which had world championship matches at WrestleMania.
After being called up to the main roster from OVW back in 2002, however, Batista was on the verge of getting fired by WWE.
During an episode of Talk is Jericho, Jim Cornette stated:
"(We had a) tailor-made gimmick for Undertaker, Kane and Big Show, and they bring him [Batista] up and put him with D-Von, hang that thing around his neck and put a suit on him to cover up his muscles. I had lost my mind; then they were on the verge of firing him until he started working out with Triple H."
On an episode of WWE Network's show Ruthless Aggression, Triple H recalled warning his former Evolution stablemates prior to forming the faction:
"'Dave [Batista], Randy, listen, let me talk to you guys,'" Triple H recalled saying. "I pulled them in a room and I said, 'So you are about to hit the hate button from everybody.' Every single person in this room, they're going to tell you, 'Why, man, this is a great opportunity,' and they're going to bury you. All of a sudden, everybody you thought was your friend, you're going to find out they're not your friends."
Eventually, The Animal of Hollywood became the mainstream star that we know today, and is one of the greatest of all time in WWE.
Speaking of which, Randy Orton is one of the most decorated stars in the company's history. However, The Viper has had his fair share of troubles during his two decade-long career.
After violating the Wellness Policy for a second time in 2012, WWE handed Orton a two-month suspension. A third violation of the policy would have seen him fired.
It should be noted that at this point he had already been suspended three times overall, once for "unprofessional conduct." Anyone else would have likely been fired. So, it pays to be something others can't do without; Randy Orton was just too valuable to the company.
It was for the best because, otherwise, we would never have gotten to see the many incredible storylines that he would be a part of in the years to come.
Randy Orton has since matured greatly and has done it all in WWE.
#2. The Judgment Day's Rhea Ripley
Currently part of the popular stable The Judgment Day, Rhea Ripley is featured prominently on Monday Night RAW. She is a mainstay of the program, but that was not the case in her early days in the devolopmental territories with the company.
During an appearance on My Love Letter To Wrestling with Mark Andrews podcast, Ripley recalled nearly being booted out:
"...I was constantly being told that I wasn’t good enough and I had to do something to improve it. I was on the chopping block a couple times and nearly got booted. I just had a lot going on and I was very down," she said.
Stating that she was mentally weak at the time, having personal and professional troubles, Ripley went on to say that in order to succeed, the only way to go was "to change her mental game completely."
"We have this thing called car wash where you take photos and videos leading up to the Mae Young Classic so we can get all the footage we need. I rocked up in this new gear. I got my haircut of course. Everyone of the coaches were like, ‘What’s this?’ I said, ‘The new Rhea Ripley.’ They were like ‘Okay.’"
She added:
"I knew that okay was like, ‘This is your a**. If it doesn’t work…’ I didn’t care. This was my one shot. This was my one opportunity that I have to take and I have to do it my way. If it works, it works, and I can shove it in their faces. If it doesn’t, then I’ll leave myself.”
The Nightmare has gone on to become a one-time Raw Women's Champion, NXT Women's Champion, and WWE Women's Tag Team Champion alongside Nikki Cross. She was also the inaugural NXT UK Women's Champion.
#1. WWE's Chief Content Officer, Triple H
It's hard to imagine WWE without The King of Kings. That's how big a mark he has made and continues to make in the company.
In 1997, Shawn Michaels and Triple H co-founded D-Generation X, an outrageous gang of rebels who presented crude, profane humor and sophomoric pranks in highly controversial segments.
At one point, Vince McMahon threatened to fire The Game for these explicit segments.
Fortunately, DX was well-received for the most part, and they would go on to make history as arguably the most important faction in the company's history.
Triple H is a decorated superstar in WWE and is a 14-time world champion. Currently, the Chief Content Officer oversees RAW, SmackDown, and NXT. The company under his regime has been nothing short of spectacular on weekly television.
What are some of your favorite moments of these superstars in WWE? Let us know in the comments section below.
