You're RE-HIRED: 10 wrestlers welcomed back to the WWE after being fired/released

Being in Vince McMahon's favour is a tenuous position at best (unless you marry his daughter) and it's no wonder that so many wrestlers get shown the door.

But there's an upside to Vince's mercurial temperament; He often has a change of heart and gives those fired athletes a second, or even a third shot. Here's a list of wrestlers fired, and then re-hired, by WWE.

#10 Alberto Del Rio

Alberto Del Rio as WWE US Champion — The face of Mex-America

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José Alberto Rodríguez, better known to the world as Alberto Del Rio (or Alberto El Patron) started his career under a mask as Dos Caras Jr. He competed in both MMA shoot fights and worked as a professional wrestler in Japan.

The powerfully built Luchador was finally recruited by the WWE in 2010 and was immediately pushed to the top of the card. His flashy entrance, complete with personal ring announcer Ricardo Rodriguez and a shiny Rolls Royce, put him over the top with fans who are always eager to hate a rich man with lots of privilege.

Why he was fired: Del Rio got into a backstage altercation with Cody Barbierri, a low-level social media agent for WWE. Barbierri made a racist joke at Del Rio's expense, and the ex-MMA fighter confronted him about it. When Barbierri didn't apologize, Del Rio slapped him down.

This immediately led to his release, though not without a public outcry. Many fans believed that Del Rio got a raw deal, which may have influenced the company to re-sign him.

Why he was re-hired: Del Rio is a strong drawn in Mexico, which is where WWE has been trying to expand for the last decade. Also, WWE drew a lot of heat from the firing, both from fans on social media and the 'boys in the back' -- his fellow wrestlers. The fact that Del Rio can work a match with any wrestler of any size in any style probably had something to do with it as well.

How he's doing now: Unfortunately, not so well. As of this writing, Del Rio no longer works for WWE, having been released for a Wellness Policy violation. Though he now works for Impact/GFW, he has also been arrested for domestic violence against girlfriend Paige. His chances of being re-hired seem bleak but never say never.

#9 Emma

Emma/Emmalina has had a strange career in WWE

Emma, real name Tenille Averil Dashwood, took WWE developmental program NXT by storm with her skills and her dare-to-be-goofy entrance where she popped soap bubbles. In a rare turnaround, she was a diva more known for her quirky personality rather than her physical beauty, which is impressive.

Her main roster debut saw her paired with comedy act Santino Marella, and it seemed she had finally made it.

Why she was fired: Unfortunately, she was arrested for shoplifting an iPhone case. Even though she claimed that she merely forgot to pay for the item at the self-checkout, the WWE wasted no time in firing her.

Why she was re-hired: The company quickly realized its mistake, and once Emma was exonerated, she was placed back in the developmental program.

How she's doing now: Not so well, but she still has a job. Emma was part of a failed bid to repackage her as Emmalina, and the effort fell so flat that they cancelled the gimmick before she even made her re-debut. As of now, she is in the low to mid-card and is not expected to rise.

#8 Matt Hardy

Matt Hardy made his WWE debut nearly twenty years ago in 1998 along with his brother Jeff. The two set the tag team division on fire, practically inventing the TLC match. Athletic and charismatic, the senior Hardy continued to be a fan favourite even when separated from his somewhat flashier sibling.

Why he was fired: For some rather unsavoury reasons, at that. Matt's longtime girlfriend Lita had an affair with main event superstar Edge. Rather than deal with the sticky situation, WWE decided to fire Matt Hardy, who was a midcarder at the time, in favour of the more 'popular' Edge.

Why he was re-Hired: Unfortunately, the fans weren't having any of it, and raked Lita over the coals on social media and in arenas, where some less than flattering chants became commonplace. He was soon re-hired by the WWE and participated in Lita-themed feuds with both Kane and Edge, though he was never pushed as far or hard as his brother Jeff.

How he's doing now: Better than ever. Thanks to his "Broken" gimmick, Matt has revitalized his career, now being thought of as the 'better' Hardy. He has been re-hired by WWE AGAIN after leaving the promotion of his own free will, and he and Jeff have already had yet another tag team title reign. Married to the lovely Reby Sky and finally out of his brother's shadow, the future looks bright for Matt Hardy.

#7 Shelton Benjamin

Shelton Benjamin began his WWE career in the old developmental brand Ohio Valley Wrestling, where he teamed with Brock Lesnar as part of the Minnesota Stretching Crew. Once he was drafted to the main roster, he formed the World's Greatest Tag Team with Charlie Haas.

Shelton split with his partner after the brand draft and was re-assigned to Raw. There he was immediately put into a high-profile feud with Triple H, even beating the Cerebral Assassin on television.

Unfortunately, Shelton slowly slid back down to the mid-card, where he was saddled with a 'momma's boy' gimmick that didn't go over well with anyone, and his value to the company dropped.

Why he was fired: Shelton was part of a mass release by the WWE in 2010 that included high-profile stars like Mickey James and longtime employee Sho Funaki. An exact reason was never disclosed, but it's believed that Shelton wasn't considered a big enough draw to justify his salary.

Why he was re-hired: Yet another example of Vince changing his mind, Shelton was welcomed back into the fold in 2017. Shelton was brought in to prop up the failing Smackdown tag team division

How he's doing now: So-so. Shelton is still employed by WWE as of this writing and has formed a tag team with Chad Gable, formerly of American Alpha. Whether or not he will finally rise to the main event scene remains to be seen.

#6 Jeff Jarrett

Enter — Jeff Jarrett had a relatively successful career

A third-generation wrestler who somehow always manages to stay relevant to the business despite his average skills and appearance, Jeff Jarrett has probably been on a tv screen in some part of the world since the late 80s.

Jarrett joined the WWE in 1992 with a country western gimmick. He would go on to hold the IC title and feud with main event wrestlers like Diesel.

Why he was fired: Jarrett refused to re-sign with the WWE in 1996 despite a verbal agreement that he would do so. He ended up in WCW, where he feuded with Ric Flair and others. But then Jarrett's contract was up, and he re-signed with WWE.

Why he was re-hired: WWE was losing the Monday Night War and was desperate to show former talents that they would be welcomed back into the fold with open arms. Jarrett soon cut his hair and gained a new catchphrase-- "Don't Pi** me off" -- and again won the IC title.

How he's doing now: Depends on who you ask. Jarrett's GFW has now merged with Dixie Carter's Impact wrestling. Even though he is no longer with the company, he will likely never be re-hired by WWE, due to his holding the IC belt hostage.

Jarrett was still IC champ when his contract expired and famously held up Vince McMahon for a six-figure bonus to drop the belt before heading BACK to WCW during their fading years. Don't expect to see Jarrett in a WWE ring anytime soon.

#5 Kurt Angle

Kurt Angle has superstar written all over him. Brash, athletic, and with a pedigree matched by no one else, ever, it was natural that he did well in his first WWE run, capturing every title he could get his hands on.

Why he was fired: In 2006, Kurt was suffering both from lingering injuries and an addiction to painkillers. He and the WWE management came to an amicable release where he would be allowed time off to heal and beat his addiction.

Imagine their surprise when he signed with then-rival TNA wrestling that same year.

Why he was re-hired: Angle's in-ring days are behind him, but he still carries the prestige of being a gold medalist, and having him around garners instant media attention. Angle is another example of Vince McMahon's changing mood and looks to finish out his career with the company.

How's he doing now: He's part of a rather sub-standard storyline where Jason Jordan is his illegitimate son. But apart from that, Kurt Angle is now a WWE Hall of Famer and the General Manager of Monday Night Raw, so there isn't much to complain about.

#4 Jim Ross

While not a wrestler, Jim Ross --good 'ol JR -- has been the voice of pro wrestling for decades, being an announcer for NWA, WWE, and New Japan. His iconic catchphrases are repeated by people who don't even follow wrestling.

Why he got fired: In a trashy move, WWE fired Jim Ross because of the actions of Ric Flair. Flair got a little mouthy at a press conference, and since they couldn't fire the 17 time champion of the world, Jim Ross got the axe. What made it worse was the fact the WWE tried to bill his firing as a 'retirement.'

Why he got re-hired: Simply put, the WWE is trying to court the nostalgia crowd who remember Ross from the Attitude era. Though he rarely calls matches on TV anymore, Ross is still formidable on social media and does his best to be a company man.

How he's doing now: Well enough. Even though he is no longer the WWE's number one announcer, he still has a job with the company and makes the occasional television appearance.

#3 Jeff Hardy

Jeff Hardy, little brother to Matt, is no stranger to success. A former WWE champion and multi-time tag champ, Jeff has a dazzling ring style and presence that captivates both live and televised audiences.

Why he was fired: Jeff's substance abuse issues are well documented. In 2003 Jeff started no showing at arenas and becoming erratic in the ring. WWE offered him time off and were even willing to pay for his rehab, but he refused and signed with TNA instead.

Unfortunately, his time in TNA was marred by an intoxicated performance against the icon Sting, proving his demons had not yet been conquered.

Why he was re-hired: Actually, Jeff has been re-hired twice now. First, he was re-hired in 2006 because he seemed to have beaten his addictions and the company needed a star. His second re-hiring has been mostly due to his brother Matt, who revitalized both their careers with his 'Broken' gimmick.

How he's doing now: Quite well. His drug abuse seems to be a thing of the past, and he has already won the tag titles with brother Matt. Though legal issues prevent their use of the 'broken' gimmick the Hardys have a great deal that gives them plenty of time off to rest their ageing bodies and spend time with loved ones. Expect Jeff Hardy to stick around WWE for at least a few years -- if he can stay clean.

#2 Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan, or Bryan Danielson, is one of the most popular WWE superstars of all time. His "YES" movement catapulted him to the very top, the WWE championship. In spite of being smaller than average for a wrestler, his heart, courage, and talent have earned him a place in the hearts of wrestling fans worldwide.

Why he was fired: During his run with the NXT stable (not to be confused with the promotion,) Bryan choked out ring announcer Justin Roberts with his own tie. Unfortunately, this was soon after Chris Benoit took his life in a murder-suicide by hanging, and the WWE powers that be fired him because the stunt 'reminded' fans of the tragedy.

Why he was re-hired: Bryan was dating Brie Bella of the Bella Twins. Her sister, Nikki, was dating then-champion John Cena. Cena used his backstage stroke to get Bryan re-instated.

How he's doing now: Fair. While Bryan has been the face of Smackdown as that brand's GM, he has been denied what he really craves: a return to wrestling action. In fact, he wants to wrestle so badly he is even considering a return to the independent scene.

#1 Drew Mcintyre

Enter capti — Is a monster push on the cards?

When Vince McMahon hand picks you as a future world champion on your debut, your future has to be bright. Discovered at a Golf Tournament in his native Scotland, Drew was pushed on his debut as the 'Chosen One,' who would fulfil Vince's prophecy.

Why he was fired: Despite high-profile feuds with stars like Matt Hardy, Drew failed to resonate with the fans. He was slowly moved down the card and eventually became part of a comedy stable called 3MB. If you really want to see how terrible this gimmick was, watch this video:

Due to his falling stock with the company, Drew was released in 2014.

Why he was re-hired: Realizing his in-ring work needed a lot of polishing, Drew took bookings on the independent scene and with TNA. His dedication to his craft--and the fact he DID NOT slam WWE on social media following his release--kept him on good terms with the company, who re-hired him in 2017.

How he's doing now: Better than anyone on this list. As of this writing, Drew is the NXT champion and seems to be in better shape than ever. The fans are finally getting behind him due to his increased work ethic, and his future never looked brighter.

So there you have it: 10 superstars who were fired, and then re-hired. If only your old boss was so prone to changes of heart!

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Edited by anirudh.b