5 Superstars who worked in WWE without a contract

#1 Drake Maverick

Seriously though.... The highlight of WWE storylines from 2019 was the Drake Maverick 24/7 title saga. So much fun. Glad I had the chance to tell him in person at SDCC how much joy that brought me. Thanks @WWEMaverick pic.twitter.com/qAMuTfrMnE

— Mat Elfring (@ImMatElfring) April 15, 2020

Another Superstar who was released by WWE in April 2020 as part of their COVID-19 budget cuts was Drake Maverick (fka Rockstar Spud in TNA/IMPACT Wrestling). Immediately after his release was announced by WWE, Maverick posted a highly emotional video on his social media reacting to his release.

Interestingly, he was already announced as part of the tournament to crown the Interim NXT Cruiserweight champion. WWE wanted him to work the tournament before leaving and he did that without a proper WWE contract. Soon, the massive fan support to Maverick made WWE turn it into a storyline. Maverick reached the finals of the tournament but lost to El Hijo Del Fantasma. As he was walking out after the match, Triple H offered him an NXT contract which he signed immediately.

#WWENXT is the land of opportunity.Welcome to the black-and-gold brand, @WWEMaverick! We're thrilled to have you. #ThankYouDrake #WeAreNXT @TripleH pic.twitter.com/8oxQOvBtWC

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) June 4, 2020

Drake Maverick in WWE

Drake Maverick signed with WWE in 2017 and became the General Manager of 205 Live, WWE's cruiserweight brand. He later became the manager of RAW's tag team Authors of Pain. Soon after, WWE started using him as a prominent act for the 24/7 Championship, a title which he won six times in some hilarious segments.