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WWE has been known as the land of opportunities in the world of sports entertainment, as the company has tried to give as many talented men and women a chance to prove themselves.
Several WWE Superstars have had excellent uninterrupted runs with the company which has either allowed them to stick with the company throughout their wrestling careers, such as The Undertaker and Triple H, while others have gone onto other promotions after doing well in WWE.
However, many Superstars have had multiple tenures with the company, with some being more successful than others. Even World Champions in WWE have had great initial runs but have been released by the company before being hired once again.
While a few of the men and women on this list have had two tenures with the company, others have had even more. This has shown that even the biggest stars in the business can have a bad phase in the business that can lead to their downfall before they work their way back on the right path again.
In this article, we will look at 5 such WWE World Champions who’ve been hired and released by the company multiple times.
#5 Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy is one of the biggest names on this list. He’s well-known for his wrestling abilities all around the globe and has been one of WWE’s biggest crowd-pullers over the years.
He started with WWE in 1994 and made it big with his brother Matt Hardy as The Hardy Boyz in 1998.
After having a great time in the company where he became a big name with his brother, he left in 2003 as he said that he was burnt out.
Jeff Hardy has always been one of the biggest faces in WWE
He made a great comeback in 2006. and in 2008, he defeated Edge and Triple H in a Triple Threat Match to become the WWE Champion (World Heavyweight Championship) at Armageddon.
However, his trouble with the WWE Wellness Policy and a few other hiccups led to his departure from the company once again after an incredible rivalry with CM Punk.
Jeff Hardy then went on to other promotions before returning for a third stint in 2017 when The Hardy Boyz surprised the entire wrestling industry at WrestleMania 33. He has remained with the company ever since, and even though he’s gone through a few injuries, we hope he will have a great run leading up to his retirement.
#4 Alberto Del Rio
Alberto Del Rio has been one of WWE’s greatest finds over the past decade or so. Even though the company has had several issues with Del Rio, he was one of their most solid performers whenever he was presented with the opportunity.
Del Rio signed with WWE in 2009 and was assigned to Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) after which he made his SmackDown debut where he defeated Rey Mysterio.
The WWE Superstar had a couple of good reigns as the WWE Champion and World Heavyweight Champion before he was released from his contract five years later in 2014 after an altercation with an employee.
Del Rio returned to the company within 18 months of his release and defeated John Cena for the United States Championship right away.
Del Rio had a much better first stint in WWE than his second one
However, his second run wasn’t as great and after forming the League of Nations and remaining with the faction for a few months, he was suspended because of Wellness Policy violations. Del Rio then went for the opt-out clause from his WWE contract as he was unhappy at how he was treated.
He was one Superstar who surely did not live up to his potential even though he won a few major titles during his two runs with the company.
#3 Gail Kim
Gail Kim is one of the most well-known and accomplished female wrestlers of all time. She’s known for her excellent career outside WWE, but she also enjoyed her time in WWE over the past few decades.
Kim’s first run came in 2002 and lasted around two years where she went on to become the WWE Women’s Championship. She was regarded as the advocate for women’s wrestling and ensured that female Superstars got better opportunities on the big stage.
Kim was surprisingly released from her contract in 2004 after being told that the company wanted to take women’s division in another direction.
Gail Kim tried to revolutionize the status of women in WWE
She remained active on the indies before returning to WWE in 2008 for a second run, but it did not go as well this time around. She was stuck in some mediocre matches that took her nowhere, and she failed to win any titles during the second run.
Kim made headlines by walking out of the company during a Battle Royal and later revealed that the company wanted her to be eliminated in the first minute so she decided to eliminate herself.
She was forced by the company to complete the remaining time on her contract and was removed from their website on September 30, which marked her departure from WWE.
#2 Rob Van Dam
Rob Van Dam had a good career in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) before he moved to WWE in 2001 and joined forces with fellow-ECW veteran Tommy Dreamer.
He became a crowd favorite thanks to his daredevil attitude and high-flying style, but WWE could not utilize him properly.
He won the Hardcore Championship and Intercontinental Championship on numerous occasions before he became the WWE Champion for the first time in 2006 after he cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase at ECW One Night Stand.
RVD has been a hit inside and outside WWE
A year later, RVD was released from his WWE contract. He returned to the company in 2013 and took part in several big matches, including the World Heavyweight Championship and the Intercontinental Championship in this run. He continued to remain a crowd favorite during his second run too.
While he was in a few interesting feuds, he wasn’t making any progress which led to his second release from the company in 2014. He has since enjoyed runs in other promotions and currently wrestles for Impact Wrestling.
#1 Daniel Bryan
Arguably the biggest star on the list, Daniel Bryan has been one of WWE’s main men for several years now. Even though he does not have the looks or physique that made John Cena and The Rock some of the greatest Superstars of all time, his skills in the ring has set him apart from the rest.
Bryan made a few appearances for WWE between 2000 and 2003, but he did not get the chance to flourish like he did almost a decade later.
Bryan rejoined the company in August 2009 and began training and appearing for NXT. He was part of the infamous Nexus faction where he gained widespread attention for his distinctive look and physique, but the company ended up firing him in 2010 for “being too violent”.
WWE made the right move by rehiring Daniel Bryan
Soon after, the company rehired him for a third run in what turned out to be his breakout stint with the company. Bryan has had some of the biggest matches since and even retired due to injury before making a miraculous return.
Bryan has become one of the biggest names in the business since and had five excellent World Championship runs, and he continues to help newer Superstars in the ring.
