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WWE is the one wrestling company that many wrestlers grew up wanting to compete in. Legends like "Macho Man" Randy Savage, Dusty Rhodes and Eddie Guerrero inspired so many Superstars to become what they are today. While a lot of them turned their dreams into reality by eventually signing with the company, others, however, had an underwhelming run which left them frustrated and thus they requested their release from the company.
Ever since the demise of WCW and ECW, WWE was the only option fans and wrestlers had and even though NJPW and TNA were formed, no other promotion was comparable to the wrestling juggernaut. With the establishment of AEW, fans and wrestlers have an alternative and several Superstars who requested their release from WWE had their request turned down.
However, several WWE Superstars were fortunate enough to have their release granted from the company, and two other Superstars could be next. Here are three WWE Superstars who were released from the WWE this year and two that could be next.
#3 WWE released: Tye Dillinger
Tye Dillinger was a popular name during his run in WWE's developmental territory NXT, but after he was moved to SmackDown Live, things went downhill for him. He was rarely seen on TV, and when he did appear, he lost most of his matches. In February this year, Dillinger requested his release from the company. His request was granted and a few days later he was released from his WWE contract.
He made his debut for AEW's inaugural pay-per-view event Double or Nothing, where he wrestled in the pre-show Casino Battle Royale, debuting under the ring name Shawn Spears. He turned heel by attacking Cody Rhodes with a steel chair at Fight for the Fallen and the two wrestlers are scheduled to compete at AEW All Out.
#2 WWE released: Hideo Itami
Hideo Itami was one of NXT's top Superstars after he signed with WWE in 2014. Big things were planned for him, but his unfortunate injuries derailed most of those plans. He was out of action for over a year after he sustained an injury in 2015. He took part in two tournaments to become the number one contender for the NXT title but things didn't go the way he intended.
In 2017, he was moved to 205 Live which, unfortunately, led to his downfall. He failed to capture any championship gold in NXT and on 205 Live. In January this year, Itami asked for his release from the company. His request was granted and WWE released him from his contract.
He is currently competing in New Japan Pro Wrestling under the ring name KENTA and he joined the villainous Bullet Club stable during the G1 Climax.
#1 WWE released: TJ Perkins
TJ Perkins took part in and eventually won the WWE Cruiserweight Classics, which led to him becoming the first-ever WWE Cruiserweight Champion. He defended his title on Raw and pay-per-views before losing it to The Brian Kendrick. He failed to win the title back and when 205 Live was introduced, TJP took a step back and he never tasted the same success again.
He eventually turned heel and formed an alliance with Neville. On an episode of 205 Live in February, TJP wrestled his last match against Humberto Carrillo and suffered a loss. Several days later, the former Cruiserweight Champion was released from his WWE contract.
He returned to the indies and competed in several independent promotions. He also returned to Impact Wrestling but revealed that he didn't sign with the promotion. In July last month, it was reported that Perkins would take part in New Japan Pro Wrestling's Super J Cup tournament.
#2 and #1 - Could be released: Primo and Epico Colon
Yes, Primo and Epico Colon are still signed to WWE. The team initially made their debut as a tag team in 2011, and in 2012, they won the WWE Tag Team Championships. After leaving the company, they returned in 2016 as The Shining Stars, a villainous tag team. Their most recent match was in February this year, but it was a dark match, which wasn't televised.
It's clear that WWE doesn't have anything planned for them and thus, we could see the team released from the company very soon. Recently, the Colons have reportedly been wrestling in a promotion called World Wrestling Council and Epico won the WWC Universal Championship and he's set to defend the title against his real-life cousin Primo, even though they are both still contracted to WWE.
WWE's roster is stacked, and since Primo and Epico haven't wrestled a single televised match this year but they're competing in another promotion, that tells us their run in WWE will come to an end shortly.
Also Read: 4 WWE Superstars who were released in 2019: Where are they now?
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