'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Since the demise of WCW in 2001, WWE has been the be all and end all of professional wrestling and while that could still be argued today, it is certainly possible for performers to earn a good living away from Vince McMahon’s pro-wrestling juggernaut.
With the thriving British wrestling scene and the continued rise of Japanese wrestling, not to mention American companies such as Impact wrestling and Ring of Honor, there are plenty of places for performers to ply their trade nowadays.
You needn’t look any further than people such as The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega for an example of how it is now possible to become a major pro-wrestling star away from the bright lights of WWE. The internet has helped performers who do not regularly appear on television, establish a following who can watch their matches wherever they may be performing.
Before the rise of the internet, you had to wait for independent wrestlers to perform in your local area to catch a glimpse of them, yet nowadays you can watch the likes of Will Ospreay and Ricochet from the comfort of your own home, whether they are performing in England, Japan or wherever in the world they may be.
It is due to the recent rise of the independent wrestling scene that WWE’s dreaded ‘future endeavoured’ list has become less and less intimidating, many performers in the past few years have even requested their release from the McMahon corporation if they feel that they could make a bigger name for themselves outside of WWE while still earning a decent wage.
So with that being said, let’s look at five people who left WWE in 2016 and have thrived on the independent wrestling circuit…
#1 Cody Rhodes
Cody Rhodes requested his release from WWE in May of 2016 and what a second half to the year he ended up having!
After floundering in the ‘Stardust’ persona during his final months in WWE, he has been revitalised since his release and has even said that he has once again found his passion for professional wrestling. That passion is evident in the fact that he has worked all over the world and became one of the hottest talents on the independent circuit, even leading to him becoming the latest member of the Bullet Club.
Rhodes’ talent has never been in question and it’s great to see him being able to showcase that once again. He also holds the distinction of being the only wrestler to perform at WrestleMania, ROH’s ‘Final Battle’, TNA’s ‘Bound for Glory’ and NJPW’s ‘Wrestle Kingdom’ all in a 12-month period.
It’s safe to say that Cody made the right decision on asking for his release from WWE.
#2 Bull Dempsey (a.k.a. Bull James)
Bull Dempsey never made it to WWE’s main roster and, to be honest, didn’t make much of an impact during his time in NXT.
However, since his departure in February of 2016, has begun making a name for himself on the American independent circuit. Dempsey, now going by the name of Bull James, has dropped his comedic ‘Bull-fit’ gimmick and has established a more serious persona, similar to the Bull Dempsey character that he originally had when he first debuted in NXT.
Bull made a surprise appearance in Ring of Honor this past September and then went on to face ROH Champion, Adam Cole, a few weeks later. It certainly seems that he is thriving on the independent scene and he is an example of how some people need to leave WWE in order to enhance their reputation.
#3 Damien Sandow (a.k.a. Aron Rex)
Arguably the most shocking release from WWE in 2016 was that of Damien Sandow. ‘The intellectual saviour of the masses’ remained one of the most popular performers on the roster despite being given weak gimmicks and only appearing intermittently.
Due to Sandow’s popularity, he was inevitably in high demand after his departure and made multiple appearances for promotions such as WCPW and GFW. However, it is in TNA where Sandow has found his new home. After making his debut in August of 2016 under the name of Aron Rex, he has become a mainstay of their roster and has been utilised much more in TNA than he was in the latter days of his WWE career.
Aron Rex has recently debuted a new, flamboyant, Tyler Breeze-esque gimmick and teamed up with Rockstar Spud. It appears as though Sandow is much happier with the support and creative freedom he is getting in TNA and he could be set for a big 2017.
#4 Alberto Del Rio (a.k.a. Alberto El Patron)
Less than a year after rejoining WWE, Alberto Del Rio was once again released from the company in September of 2016.
Del Rio was becoming one of the most talked about wrestlers on the planet, more for his antics away from the ring than in it, and has once again found his passion for the business on the independent circuit. The many controversies with his girlfriend, Paige, including a number of alleged assaults and missed appearances, has created plenty of buzz around the WWE Champion.
Although Del Rio has stated that he will only work a limited number of dates over the next couple of years as his career begins to wind down, he has been putting on some great matches since leaving WWE, and an upcoming bout against Kurt Angle shows that he is looking to end his career with a bang.
#5 Adam Rose (a.k.a. Aldo Rose, a.k.a. KRUGAR)
A cloud of controversy surrounded the release of Adam Rose in May of last year. He was first suspended for 60 days by WWE for a wellness violation in April, for which Rose vehemently denied any wrongdoing, and was then suspended indefinitely after being arrested for domestic abuse, before eventually getting fired.
The charges for the domestic abuse case were later dropped.
However, Rose now appears to be getting his life and his career back on track after returning to the independent circuit. He continued with a tweaked version of his Adam Rose persona, changing his name to Aldo Rose, although he has now ‘killed’ that character off and returned to his Leo Kruger persona that he used in NXT, now stylised as KRUGAR.
Personally, I preferred the KRUGAR gimmick and I’m glad to see him return to this character. After taking a short break away from professional wrestling, KRUGAR recently posted a video on his twitter account (which you can view below) where he addressed his controversies and vowed to prove that he can hang with the best wrestlers around.
2017 certainly looks like it be a big year for KRUGAR.
