Ryback and 3 stars who burned bridges with WWE

WWE has been around for many decades under various names. Throughout that time, the company has had some of the very best pro wrestlers of all time. Some stars made bigger names for themselves and had Hall of Fame-worthy careers after their runs with the Stamford-based promotion.

However, things didn't always end on the best terms for everyone. There were times when bridges were burned, wrestlers walked out or were fired, and their return to the sports entertainment juggernaut, even now, feels incredibly unlikely.

It should be noted that pro wrestling is the land of "never say never." Names like The Ultimate Warrior, CM Punk, Bret Hart, and Bruno Sammartino were all allegedly never to return to World Wrestling Entertainment, yet each one did in some shape or fashion.

For now, there are some major stars who burned bridges with the Stamford-based promotion and could potentially never again step foot in a WWE ring again.

This article will look at four such names:

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#4. Mr. Kennedy never found his way back

At one point Mr. Kennedy seemed like the future of WWE. While he was decent in the ring, he had more charisma than almost anyone else in the business during his era. He had a great attitude, personality, and he could talk for days. He was a bonafide star.

However, things went awry for Kennedy. Between alleged substance issues and an unfortunate array of injuries, his push had stalled. Things then went south in a match with Randy Orton on WWE RAW. An errant back suplex and Orton's scathing reaction seemingly got Kennedy fired.

Now, with Vince McMahon gone, there is a chance things could change for Kennedy, as he was the one who fired the former Money in the Bank winner. While an in-ring return is unlikely at this point, a role as a trainer, or at least visiting shows and providing social media content, isn't out of the question. For now, though, that bridge seemingly remains burned.

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#3. Shane Douglas made enemies in World Wrestling Entertainment

Shane Douglas is a pro wrestler who had a lot of success in ECW, then did moderately well in WCW, but failed to achieve much in WWE. He remains a wrestling legend who fans remember years after he stepped away from the ring.

The Franchise's run in WWE as Dean Douglas was arguably a bit of a disaster. The character wasn't great, and to many, his work wasn't up to par. Worse yet, he had major issues with The Kliq, especially Shawn Michaels, and Razor Ramon (Scott Hall).

Many believe these issues played a major role in his exit from the company. In fact, when The Radicalz joined the company later, he wasn't included despite having walked out of WCW with them.

Given that Shane Douglas was even more critical of The Kliq than he was of Vince McMahon, a return would seem unlikely. Douglas has been extremely critical of Triple H's best friend who looks over NXT, so a comeback probably won't happen.

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#2. Sasha Banks walked out and never returned

Sasha Banks was one of the best female wrestlers in WWE. She was a famed "Four Horsewoman" alongside Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, and Bayley. She also held numerous World Titles and Tag Team gold.

In May 2022, Banks and Naomi infamously walked out of WWE during a RAW event. It is believed she was frustrated with the booking and her treatment from upper brass at the time. After walking out, Sasha became Mercedes Mone and found success in All Elite Wrestling. Meanwhile, Naomi returned to the Stamford-based promotion after a stint in TNA.

Given that Mone has been routinely negative about World Wrestling Entertainment and works for the competition, a comeback could very well never happen.

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#1. Ryback has had a negative relationship with WWE for years

Ryback was one of WWE's most powerful wrestlers. While he came up through Tough Enough and then NXT, he was best known as the unstoppable cyborg-like star who plowed through competition in the early-to-mid 2010s. He also held the Intercontinental Title once.

In 2016, Ryback parted ways with WWE. Prior to that, he had been making negative comments about the promotion on social media, citing frustrations with creative and about the lack of equal pay for talent. He has since routinely buried the company, especially Chief Content Officer Triple H, although he often deletes his tweets later.

With the way Ryback continues to act on social media, The Big Guy making up with the company seems impossible. But 'never say never,' especially in wrestling, although it seems as if neither side would be too interested in reconnecting. Perhaps he'll go to AEW instead?