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WWE Superstars often become iconic and have images that are recognizable all over the world. When the decision is then made by the company's higher-ups to cull several members of their roster due to budget cuts or even following a worldwide lockdown, there is usually a knee-jerk reaction.
Several stars have noted in the past that any image changes have to be run by WWE in advance. Even Eva Marie was almost in hot water when she first joined the company and dyed her hair red, this was seen on an episode of Total Divas so it's unclear how close to reality this is.
In recent years, many former WWE stars have reacted to their release by changing their look quite dramatically. The following list looks at just five examples of former stars who have announced their fresh start with a new look.
#5 Former WWE Superstar Braun Strowman
Braun Strowman was released from WWE last week in what was easily one of the biggest shocks of the year. The Monster Among Men was recently part of the main championship feud on Monday Night RAW and is a former Universal Champion.
Strowman appeared to have a fruitful future in WWE ahead of his release alongside the likes of Aleister Black, Lana, Buddy Murphy, Santana Garrett and Ruby Riott. Whilst the former star now has to sit out a 90-day no-compete clause, it appears that he's already preparing himself for the next chapter in his life.
Strowman recently updated his Instagram account to show that he had cut off his iconic beard for the first time in more than a decade. Strowman was only part of WWE for around eight years and in that time he had allowed his beard to grow and become an integral part of his character.
"Since I figured the cats out the bag already. I cut my beard for the first time in a decade and while I’m still adjusting to it I ain’t mad at it!!!!!"
As of writing, it's unclear what the future holds for the former Wyatt Family member but despite comments made earlier in his career, Strowman does intend to wrestle again.
#4 Former WWE Superstar Summer Rae
Summer Rae came to WWE through NXT and was aligned with Fandango throughout his rise to fame throughout 2013.
Rae later went on to have a successful singles career of her own and even became a cast member on E! Network show Total Divas. Despite her initial success, Rae was released from WWE back in 2017 after more than a year of inactivity on the company's main roster.
The former star was unable to capture a Championship during her time in WWE and decided to switch up her image following her release.
Throughout her WWE career, Rae became best known for her blonde hair, and this was something she decided to change back in 2018 and announced the change with the above Instagram post.
The former Total Divas star has since switched up her hair color once again and now has sunkissed hair which is much darker than the shade she was once recognizable for. There have been rumors in recent years linking Rae to a return, but these have yet to be confirmed.
#3 Former WWE Superstar No Way Jose
Former WWE Superstar No Way Jose was handed a gimmick that didn't have a lengthy shelf-life whilst he was performing in NXT. Jose's gimmick fizzled out quickly and he was unable to make any kind of impact on the main roster following his promotion.
The former NXT star was released by WWE alongside a whole host of other names including Mike and Maria Kanellis, Zack Ryder, Curt Hawkins, and Rusev back in 2020. Jose was another victim of the COVID-19 budget cuts and has since gone on to change up his look.
Jose shared a video on his Twitter account in the summer of 2020 where he teased some changes in his future and pushed his "Control the Narrative" hashtag.
Throughout his time in WWE, Jose became recognizable for his afro and beard, before later braiding his hair and dyeing it green when he was promoted to Monday Night. The former star decided to shave off his beard and take his hair back to a neutral color following his release.
#2 Former WWE Superstar Emma
Emma was one of the women who kickstarted the Women's Revolution in WWE when she was coming through the ranks in NXT.
The former star went on to have a short stint on the main roster, before later returning to NXT and then being promoted to Monday Night RAW. Emma's transformation into Emmalina didn't go to plan and was reportedly one of the catalysts that later led to her WWE release.
Emma was surprisingly released by WWE alongside Darren Young and Summer Rae back in 2017 and has since continued to shine on the Independent circuit. Emma has also gone on to change her look and is now a brunette.
The former NXT star was once blonde whilst part of WWE and later dyed her hair slightly darker when she returned to the main roster. Emma has refreshed her image as Tenille Dashwood following her WWE release and now looks somewhat unrecognizable.
Under her real name, Dashwood is currently signed to IMPACT Wrestling following a brief stint in Ring of Honor.
#1 Former WWE Superstar Zelina Vega
One of the most surprising WWE releases of 2020 came towards the end of the year when Zelina Vega's departure was announced.
Vega had made waves in NXT as the manager of Andrade before later managing both Angel Garza and Austin Theory. The former IMPACT Wrestling star also showed that she could step into the ring when needed and wrestled several high-profile matches, including the Women's Royal Rumble.
Vega's release came after WWE's new rules regarding third-party content were revealed and the star has since sat out her 90-day non-compete clause and even showed off a new look.
Vega took to social media to show that she has now dyed a red streak through the middle of her hair and around the edges. Vega's dark brown hair was one of the things she was most recognizable for throughout her WWE career, but the star decided to switch things up.
Vega was also linked to a return to WWE for several weeks before the company announced the release of her husband Aleister Black last week.
