5 WWE Superstars who recently allowed their contracts to expire 

WWE has released some big stars over the past year, but a handful of others have opted to leave on their own terms.

While the company holds all of the power in this situation, Superstars also have the choice to extend their deals or even to sign new ones. Several wrestlers over the past year have decided not to; instead, they have left the company for various reasons.

WWE often ensures that talent has signed new contracts months ahead of their expiration date, but in recent months, some major names have walked out the door. Their departures have had quite an impact on the company, regardless of which brand the respective performer had been assigned to.

The following list looks at just five former WWE Superstars who opted to allow their WWE contracts to expire over the past year and have since left the company.

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#5. Former WWE Superstar Adam Cole

Adam Cole is a former NXT Champion and a star that was destined for greatness in WWE. Cole has been in a relationship with AEW Superstar Britt Baker for several years, and he has several friends in All Elite Wrestling. For these reasons, fans always knew that there was always a chance he could make the switch.

Cole's departure was a huge mistake on WWE's behalf. The company lost a main-event-level talent due to a clerical mistake; WWE officials forgot that his contract was expiring.

Cole told Chris Van Vliet as part of a recent interview that he had the chance to think about his future with the company when he found out his contract was ending. He noted that leaving WWE was a very difficult decision because he had a great run in NXT.

"I want to make this very clear, and I know that everyone knows this, I had a wonderful four years at WWE," said Cole. "Specifically down in NXT with Triple H and Shawn Michaels, two guys that I respect the hell out of and have been nothing but so kind and so generous to me.... So the decision actually was difficult in a lot of ways."

Adam Cole's contract with WWE officially expired on August 27th, which allowed the former star to make his debut for AEW at All Out on September 5th.

#4. Former WWE Superstar Johnny Gargano

Johnny Gargano's time in WWE has now officially come to an end. The former NXT Champion previously signed a brief extension to his current deal that allowed him to wrestle at WWE NXT WarGames this past weekend.

Gargano said his farewells to the WWE Universe on last Tuesday on WWE NXT 2.0, and he departed the company later the sam week. While Johnny Wrestling is now a free agent, his short-term future is unclear. The former NXT Triple Crown Champion is set to welcome his first child alongside his wife Candice LeRae in the spring of 2022.

Given the recent changes in his personal life, it's believed that Gargano could be set to take some time away from the wrestling and return following the birth of his son. Shortly after Gargano's contract expired, he teased that he will be dipping his toes into new ventures, like a YouTube channel, at some point soon.

It is worth noting that his wife Candice LeRae is currently on maternity leave, but she is still contracted to the company until mid-2022. It's unclear if WWE will freeze her contract while she is sidelined.

#3. Former WWE Superstar Kyle O'Reilly

Lke Johnny Gargano, Kyle O'Reilly also officially left WWE this week after he spent more than four years with the company. The former NXT Tag Team Champion debuted back in 2017.

The one-time Undisputed ERA member is widely expected to join Adam Cole and Bobby Fish in AEW to allow the company to reunite the popular WWE stable. Roderick Strong eventually became the fourth member of the original group, but he's still with WWE; he currently holds the NXT Cruiserweight Championship.

O'Reilly's WWE contract allowed him to compete this past weekend at NXT's WarGames event, where he and Von Wagner came up short in their quest to win the NXT Tag Team Championship. The two men later faced off in a steel cage match on NXT, and this bout turned out to be O'Reilly's final WWE match.

The fan-favorite star hasn't publicly announced what his next steps will be. That being said, he took to Twitter earlier this week to thank the WWE Universe for their support over the past few years.

#2. Former WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan was once one of the top stars in WWE. In an all-time classic moment, he won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship following the main event of WrestleMania 30 in 2014. He was forced to retire from the ring the following year, but the beloved star later returned in 2018.

Following this amazing comeback, Bryan won the WWE Championship again, and he also enjoyed a successful run as a heel. Still, he wasn't given the freedom that he wanted, so The American Dragon opted against signing a new deal with the company earlier this year.

Bryan's contract expired following his match against Roman Reigns on the April 30 episode of WWE SmackDown. The former champion noted ahead of his departure that he wanted to find a balance between wrestling and his home life.

"My contract is up soon," said Bryan. "We need to figure out what's a good balance between home life and wrestling. I never want to stop wrestling, I love it, it's just figuring that out.

The former champion ultimately signed with AEW under his real name, Bryan Danielson. He has been on an incredible run during his time there; The American Dragon will challenge for the AEW World Championship at AEW Winter is Coming.

Many fans were disappointed to see Danielson leave Vince McMahon's promotion, but others have enjoyed seeing him thrive in AEW.

#1. WWE Superstar Ronda Rousey

Ronda Rousey was one of WWE's biggest acquisitions in recent memory when she joined the company in 2018. The former UFC Champion was able to wrestle full-time for WWE until WrestleMania 35, where she dropped the RAW Women's Championship and left on an "impregnation vacation."

Rousey has been away from WWE for almost three years, and she officially signed her WWE deal in April 2018. As a result, her original contract seemingly expired back in April.

Rousey has since welcomed her first child, and she is expected to be out of the ring for several more months. But recent reports suggest that the former champion has had her deal frozen so that she can return at some point in the future.

Rousey was recently asked about her WWE contract as part of a live stream, and she responded by saying that she'd have to ask her lawyers about it.

As of writing, it's unclear when Rousey will make her WWE return, but the former UFC star already has a dream match with Becky Lynch potentially waiting for her.