There is little doubt that 2016 has been a banner year for WWE as they have attempted to usher in a “New Era” of sorts, by calling up more talent from NXT than ever before. Among them have been Finn Balor, Bayley, Baron Corbin and American Alpha, to name a few.
Since then these fresh faces have taken over the current landscape of WWE both on Raw and SmackDown Live alike. Kevin Owens and AJ Styles are leading the pack as world champions on their respective brands, and as a result, it truly does feel like a youth movement is in full effect in WWE right now.
Of course, you can't have a “New Era” without doing away with the old guard, and that has also happened this year. There are a handful of roster releases every year, but 2016 might have set the record for most in a calendar year.
In fact, the month of May saw well over a dozen people part ways with the company. Some weren't all that shocking, such as Cameron and Hornswoggle, who hadn't been spotted on WWE programming in ages.
However, there were departures of others that not only caught fans by surprise but were just downright disappointing because of what these five Superstars had yet to achieve in the organisation.
#5 Ryback
Believe it or not, Ryback had been a part of the WWE system since 2004. He had various stints on Tough Enough as well as on NXT (back when it was still an awful competition show), but he didn't start to hit his stride until 2012 when he re-debuted as Ryback.
The Big Guy's popularity peaked that fall when he headlined various pay-per-views for the WWE World Championship and couldn't capture the title. A lousy heel turn ruined his momentum, and although he later turned face again, it wasn't enough to salvage his damaged stock.
Following a decisive loss to Kalisto at May's Payback pay-per-view, Ryback decided to call it quits by walking out on WWE. He was officially released from his contract in early August, ending his WWE tenure with only one Intercontinental Championship reign to his credit.
#4 Damien Sandow
As soon as Damien Sandow debuted in WWE in April 2012, it was apparent he was different from everyone else who had been called up from developmental. His “Intellectual Savior of the Masses” gimmick was perfect, and he even came close to capturing the World Heavyweight Championship in late 2013, upon cashing in the Money in the Bank briefcase.
That said, the most over he ever was during his time in WWE, was when he served as The Miz's stunt double. Of course, him becoming the focal point of their act was never the intent, but it built to a great conclusion to their story at WrestleMania 31.
But once it was over, Sandow fell off the face of the earth, and officials never allowed him to be himself. In May 2016, he was let go from the company, and although he has since joined TNA and is the reigning Impact Grand champion, he isn't nearly as entertaining as he once was.
#3 The Dudley Boyz
There was plenty of excitement surrounding the return of The Dudley Boyz to WWE in August 2015. They seemed poised to become ten-time WWE Tag Team champions, but their comeback was ill-timed because it was right in the middle of when WWE decided to have The New Day embark on a lengthy reign as champs.
After The Dudley Boyz had fallen short of winning the twin titles, they didn't have a sense of direction. They constantly lost to almost every team they went up against, and while they should be commended for putting younger talent over, they should have been allotted a few meaningful victories themselves.
Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley teased splitting up, after SummerSlam, which would have been interesting if only so that we could see Bubba Ray as a singles guy again. Instead, they followed through with their retirement on the post-SummerSlam edition of Raw and haven't been seen since in WWE.
#2 Wade Barrett
Wade Barrett had “star” written all over him, as soon as he arrived in the WWE, by winning the inaugural season of NXT in early 2010. He then wasted no time in making an immediate impact, by invading Raw with the rest of the Nexus, and from there, he was bound to break out as a main event calibre competitor.
Unfortunately, once Nexus was defeated at that year's SummerSlam event, Barrett's short-lived main event run came to an end. He received several start-and-stop pushes in the years that followed, but bad booking decisions and injuries prevented him from reaching that next level he belonged to. He was once set to break the Undertaker’s streak during the Nexus days when he was red hot, bu t plans changed due to previaling circumstances at that ti
By 2016, it was highly unlikely WWE was ever going to utilise him to his full potential, and he realised that. He allowed his contract to expire in the spring and hasn't looked back.
#1 Cody Rhodes
Cody Rhodes was another individual who, from first glance, you could tell was going to be in the main events of WWE pay-per-views someday and competing for world championships. That was the idea officials had in mind when they put him in The Legacy, but all that group did, in the end, was benefit Randy Orton.
Although that was a failure, Rhodes continued to build credibility, by embarking on one of the more memorable Intercontinental Championship runs in recent memory in 2011, going so far as to bring back the classic title design. While he had momentum on his side, WWE never saw it fit to push him toward the top of the card.
Despite Rhodes having all the tools to be a main event player, WWE turned him into Stardust, which essentially killed his career and made him a comedy character. He attempted to go back to being Cody towards the end, but once officials vetoed the idea, he asked for and was successfully granted, his release.
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