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The topic of WWE Superstars’ futures has dominated wrestling news more in 2020 than any year in recent memory.
In 2019, various WWE Superstars were granted their releases throughout the year – from Goldust and Tye Dillinger to The Ascension and Luke Harper – but nobody could have predicted the mass number of departures that followed in 2020.
After Matt Hardy and The Revival’s exits earlier in the year, over 20 Superstars were released from their contracts in April 2020 as a cost-cutting measure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Needless to say, getting fired by WWE on one occasion is a career-altering moment for any Superstar, but did you know that plenty of people have been let go by the company more than once?
Excluding Superstars who left WWE at the end of their contracts, let’s take a look at five people who were fired by the company at least twice.
#5 Curt Hawkins
Curt Hawkins was released from his WWE contract in June 2014 after an eight-year association with the company.
Two years later, the former Edgehead returned to WWE television as a member of the SmackDown roster and he became one of the biggest losers (literally) in WWE history when he suffered 269 consecutive defeats.
The two-and-a-half-year story came to an end at WrestleMania 35, where Hawkins and Zack Ryder defeated The Revival to win the RAW Tag Team titles.
One year later, Hawkins was fired for the second time by WWE, while Ryder’s 15-year WWE run also came to an end.
Hawkins admitted in an interview with Chris Van Vliet in May 2020 that he did not envisage leaving WWE, especially as he had helped out in a different role as a producer in 2018 while he was injured.
“I mentally was like, ‘Okay, this is my life,’ you know? I signed this long-term deal, this is where I’m going to be, the seeds have been planted for a career out of the ring with WWE. So I was really cemented. And mentally and in my heart, it was being a part of this WWE family for a long time to come, you know?” [H/T 411mania]
Hawkins and Ryder have confirmed that they will no longer team together on the independent scene or for any other wrestling companies in the future, unless they are asked to face a legendary duo from the past.
#4 Maria Kanellis
Along with her husband Mike Kanellis, Maria Kanellis was included on the list of Superstars who received their release from WWE in April 2020.
The married couple, who joined WWE in June 2017, initially looked set to receive a push on SmackDown after Mike defeated Sami Zayn in his WWE debut match.
That victory proved to be the only highlight of their first two years with the company, and it was no surprise that rumors began circulating in early 2019 that they wanted to leave.
Both Superstars ended up signing new deals in June 2019 – Mike publicly requested his release four months later – before they were fired during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Maria, who also worked for WWE between 2004 and 2010, took to Twitter shortly after her release to reveal that her two WWE firings changed how she felt about the wrestling business.
Despite already having two spells with WWE, Maria also tweeted “never say never” when she was asked about a possible return to the company. She did clarify, however, that her main objective right now is consistency and stability for her children.
#3 Enzo Amore
Enzo Amore was fired by WWE in January 2018 due to his failure to inform the company that he was under investigation by the Phoenix Police Department over an alleged sexual assault. The investigation was dropped four months later due to a lack of evidence, but WWE did not re-sign Amore.
Speaking on Talk Is Jericho in 2019, Amore revealed that he was also fired from WWE several years earlier during his time as a Performance Center recruit.
The former Cruiserweight Champion explained how he attempted to entertain everybody else in the room by breaking wind while Baron Corbin cut a “terrible promo” during promo class, but his antics landed him in trouble.
“One time we had a promo class [with] Dusty Rhodes, Baron Corbin was up there cutting a terrible promo. Baron was trying to get help and Dusty was helping him, and I just raised my hand and everybody looked at me, and I just farted, loud as hell. They fined me two hundred and fifty dollars, fired me that night, and then I got back into work the next day and they rehired me.”
Amore spent three years in WWE’s NXT developmental system between 2013 and 2016 before moving to the main roster, where he teamed with Big Cass for one year before having a short run as a heel singles competitor in the cruiserweight division.
#2 Luke Gallows
Luke Gallows spent five years in WWE between 2005-2010, with the highlight of his first run with the company coming when he joined forces with CM Punk as a member of The Straight Edge Society.
WWE used to release a group of Superstars shortly after WrestleMania every year, plus another group in November of every year. In 2010, Gallows was the most high-profile name who was part of the November releases.
After spells in IMPACT Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), the former Bullet Club member joined WWE with Karl Anderson in 2016 and went on to win the RAW Tag Team titles with his tag team partner on two occasions.
In 2020, one year after they agreed new long-term deals, Gallows and Anderson were fired by WWE during the COVID-19 pandemic – a decision that “destroyed” their fellow O.C. member, AJ Styles.
"Looking back, I was the one that kind of brought their names to come to WWE and everything. So when they got released, I immediately feel responsible for them because I helped them get here, and I wanted them to stay. I feel like if I had encouraged them to stay, maybe they would be fine right now. So a lot of that fell on me, and it destroyed me.” [H/T Wrestling Inc., via AJ Styles’ Mixer channel]
Styles added that he felt like an older brother to Gallows and Anderson, and he believes he did not take care of them enough in WWE.
#1 Goldust
Goldust had a multi-year association with WWE over six different spells between 1990 and 2019.
During his fourth WWE run between 2005-2006, the former Intercontinental Champion no-showed the June 12, 2006 episode of RAW after he appeared in court without telling management. This, according to the Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer (H/T Wrestling Inc.), is the reason why he was released.
Six years later, Goldust had been back in WWE for four years when he was reportedly fired for his role in a botched move that took place on the April 24, 2012 taping of SmackDown.
The match saw the up-and-coming Darren Young and Titus O’Neil defeat Yoshi Tatsu and Ezekiel Jackson, with Young and O’Neil executing a modified Doomsday Device on Tatsu to pick up the victory.
At the time, Goldust worked as a backstage producer, which meant he was responsible for helping Superstars put together matches and come up with finishes.
Meltzer reported that Goldust orchestrated the move, which looked like it could have seriously injured Tatsu, and it resulted in him losing his job.
You can check out the dangerous spot from the 01:30 mark of the video above.
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