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If we take a look back at the history of professional wrestling, we'll find that WWE and WCW were the only promotions that fans considered watching. But now, things are different. It’s 2019 and fans have access to more wrestling content than ever before.
AEW, WWE, NJPW, Impact Wrestling and ROH are the top dogs in this industry, with WWE being the monopoly. And after a long time, WWE has gotten some serious competition from a newly established wrestling promotion and it seems like it’s going to change their product for good.
So far, many wrestlers have asked for their release and while some have gotten it, the others, however, were turned down from leaving the company and they are still contracted to Vince McMahon's billion-dollar company. In the past, many wrestlers have been able to leave WWE before their contract expired but since the competition is getting stronger day by day, Vince has no choice but to turn down (almost) every release request that his wrestlers make.
Here are 3 WWE Superstars who wanted to leave the company but couldn't due to their contract and 2 Superstars Vince McMahon didn’t mind letting go.
#5 & #4 Wanted to quit - Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder
The Revival had a great career in NXT. They made their main roster debut in 2014 and since then, they've gone through multiple transformations. At first, they were mid-carders, then they became jobbers, after which, WWE handed them the Raw Tag Team Championships. However, before all of this, they requested their release because the company didn't treat them correctly. Unfortunately for them, WWE denied their request and asked for some time.
Dawson and Wilder had a decent Tag Team Title reign and they recently lost it to The OC (Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson). As for The Revival’s current contract status, they haven’t signed a new deal and are expected to leave WWE once the time comes. However, things could change if WWE fixes the issue with their tag team division.
#3 Granted release - Dustin Rhodes
Current AEW Superstar Dustin Rhodes (FKA Goldust) left WWE this year to join forces with his real-life brother Cody Rhodes. The younger Rhodes wanted to have a match with his big brother at Double or Nothing but because Dustin was under contract with WWE, he couldn’t leave the company without Vince McMahon’s approval.
When he first asked for his release, the WWE CEO hesitated to do that but due to Triple H, he agreed to release one of his longest-tenured competitors. And because of that, AEW was able to announce a brother vs brother matchup between Dustin and Cody Rhodes, which was possibly the best match of 2019 (overall).
The Tony Khan-led wrestling promotion will host its upcoming pay-per-view All Out at the end of this month and since Dustin doesn’t have a match yet, he could assist his brother, Cody, during his match with Shawn Spears.
#2 Wanted to quit - Sasha Banks
The Boss Sasha Banks hasn’t appeared on WWE television since WrestleMania 35 where she and Bayley lost their Women’s Tag Team Titles. Their reign was so short that it upset Banks and she decided to quit WWE but due to her contract, she wasn't allowed to leave.
Since the past few months, fans have been speculating as to when Banks will return to the ring and every time, they were left disappointed. However, WWE doesn't see this as a bad thing, as per Tom Colohue of Sportskeeda.
“A few people asked for time off after WrestleMania. Sasha Banks has worked extremely long and extremely hard. She’s earned it.”
While we don’t know if WWE and Banks have sorted their issues but one thing is certain; Vince McMahon doesn’t want to let go of another talent who is extremely popular among the wrestling fans.
Also read: Vince McMahon had no plan for the Women’s Tag Team Titles (Exclusive)
#1 Granted release: Tye Dillinger
We will end this list with Shawn Spears (FKA Tye Dillinger). Spears worked for WWE for over a decade (in total) and has gained a ton of experience in the wrestling industry. Popularly known as The Perfect 10, the former WWE Superstar asked for his release due to his frustration with the creative team.
Despite working so many years for WWE, Spears didn’t achieve anything significant in the company and this made him publicly request WWE to terminate his contract, which was eventually done. Even though Spears was frustrated with his situation in WWE, he thanked them after Double or Nothing for releasing him.
Spears is now set to wrestle Cody Rhodes at All Out in a match which is being highly anticipated by the wrestling fans from all around the world.
Also Read: 5 Biggest mistakes WWE must not make at SummerSlam 2019
Which one of these released Superstars do you wish had stayed in WWE? Have your say in the comments below.
