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Over the years, WWE has seen several Superstars enjoy great success in their rookie year on the main roster. The likes of Brock Lesnar, Kurt Angle, and Sheamus all won the WWE Championship within their first 12 months of being a part of RAW or SmackDown.
As a general rule, WWE usually has at least a short term booking plan in place for a Superstar when that individual is first called up to appear on television.
Not every Superstar is destined to go on to have the profile of a Lesnar or Angle by the end of their rookie year. But most will get an opportunity of some kind, remaining with the company for a period of time while they look to showcase their talents.
There are, though, unfortunately some Superstars for which things do not work out. Sometimes, even with the WWE creative machine behind a particular performer, a long-term run in the promotion is just not in the cards for that person.
In this article, we take a look at five WWE rookies who did not last long in the company.
#5 Roman Reigns' cousin Manu didn't last long in WWE
A member of the famed Anoa'i family that includes the likes of Roman Reigns, Yokozuna, Rikishi, and The Rock, Manu made his first splash on WWE television in September 2008.
Debuting as part of Legacy, a faction led by Randy Orton including a young Cody Rhodes, Manu caused an immediate stir. He helped Orton cost CM Punk the World Heavyweight Championship at that year's Unforgiven pay-per-view.
Big things were initially expected of Manu by WWE. However, less than six months after joining the RAW brand, Manu was released from his contract by the company.
In an interview with WWE Magazine shortly after the Samoan's departure from the promotion, Orton suggested that Manu's attitude was a major factor behind his failure to last in WWE.
"Respect. That’s something that Manu, who had a chance to be part of Legacy, didn’t have."
Orton's words were backed up by WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross on an episode of his podcast last year. When asked why Manu had not gone on to achieve the same notoriety as some of his family members, Ross had this to say:
"I think he was still green and still developing and still trying to find his way. He kind of got stereotyped into the typical Samoan persona that had been seen a lot. It wasn’t new. He was a good kid. I’ll be frank. The company gave him plenty of opportunities as far time was concerned because he was there for like three years. He got a chance. It just didn’t work out. He wasn’t quite ready for that level."
Still only 36 years old today, Manu remains active in professional wrestling. With a strong family connection currently playing a headline role on SmackDown, we may yet get another glimpse of Manu on WWE television someday.
#4 Nathan Jones didn't last long in WWE
Former strongman and powerlifting champion Nathan Jones certainly had the look that WWE Chairman Vince McMahon typically likes to see in a potential Superstar.
Standing just under seven feet tall, the Australian was immediately thrust into the limelight on the SmackDown brand in April 2003, when he was aligned with The Undertaker.
Jones was scheduled to officially team up with The Phenom at WrestleMania 19 to take on the team of The Big Show and A-Train. However, shortly before the bout, WWE management had reservations about Jones' ability to carry his weight on such an important event.
The match was changed to a handicap match, with The Undertaker competing solo. An injury angle was quickly put together to explain Jones' absence - although he did appear towards the end of the match to help 'Taker pick up the win.
According to Jim Ross on an episode of his podcast last year, Vince McMahon was well aware of Jones' shortcomings in the ring, but felt it was worth taking a chance on the monstrous rookie.
"Vince likes the calculated risk. That’s what he looked at it [as], that’s what he called it. ‘Signing Nathan Jones, JR, is a calculated risk.’ So we didn’t go into it blindly or naively, being overly naive. We knew it was a risk. It was chancey. But if, if, by some chance we got lucky and clicked, look what we would have had. It just didn’t work out that way."
Following his WrestleMania appearance, Jones was sent to WWE Developmental for further training. He would reappear later in the year as a heel, even competing at Survivor Series on a team captained by Brock Lesnar.
Despite the high-profile opportunities he was given, life as a WWE Superstar just was not a good fit for Nathan Jones. Reportedly tired of the WWE travel schedule, Jones quit the company during a tour of his homeland in December 2003 - less than nine months after his television debut.
Since departing WWE, Jones has gone on to work as an actor in Hollywood. Most famously, he played the role of Rictus Erectus in Mad Max: Fury Road.
#3 Colt Cabana didn't last long in WWE
After spending years carving out a name for himself on the independent scene, Colt Cabana finally made his way to the WWE main roster in August 2008.
During his time on the independents, Cabana displayed his talent both in the ring and on the microphone. The Chicago-native enjoyed success in many different promotions, including Ring of Honor, where he held the Tag Team Championships on two occasions.
There was little doubt that Cabana had the talent to contribute in WWE. He simply needed an opportunity. After debuting under the name Scotty Goldman on an episode of SmackDown, though, it quickly became apparent that Cabana's new character was not going to be a priority for WWE.
Goldman lost to The Brian Kendrick in his first appearance on the blue brand, and was rarely featured afterwards. Whenever Goldman did make a WWE television appearance, however, it was in a losing effort.
By February 2009, barely six months after his SmackDown debut, Scotty Goldman was no more. WWE announced that it had come to terms on his release from the company, something which likely came as a relief in some ways to Cabana.
Speaking on Reddit in 2013, Cabana suggested that key members of WWE creative had never been high on him from the very beginning.
"Lol… Scotty Goldman was NOT Gold …….man. I was signed because 10 WWE wrestlers recommended me who had known me for years. NOT because I was scouted or known about. The higher ups didn’t really know me OR get me. I don’t think WWE higher ups ever understood the reason why people like me."
Cabana received another crack at international television exposure, though, when he signed with AEW last year. Cabana is currently a member of The Dark Order faction, and appears far more regularly than Scotty Goldman ever did on SmackDown.
#2 Former UFC star Cain Velasquez didn't last long in WWE
Amid much fanfare, former UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez made his first WWE appearance on the debut edition of SmackDown on Fox in October 2019.
Velasquez immediately locked horns straight away with his longtime rival, Brock Lesnar. The pair were booked to face off for the WWE Championship at Crown Jewel 2019 later that month.
The Mexican-American star seemed destined for great things in the world of sports entertainment. Until he became injury struck, that is. A knee injury suffered by Velasquez meant that his clash with Lesnar in Saudi Arabia had to be kept to under 90 seconds.
On the basis that Velasquez would be out of action for a period, Lesnar was booked to win decisively by submission. At the time, it was felt that a rematch between the two could take place once Velasquez was healthy.
That rematch did not happen, however. Nor, in fact, did any other televised match involving Cain Velasquez in WWE. Aside from a house show tag team match in Mexico City alongside Rey Mysterio, Velasquez never competed for the company again.
A scheduled return in the 2020 Royal Rumble match was reportedly scrapped after Velasquez revealed the plan to members of the media. A few months later, Velasquez was released by WWE as part of cost-cutting measures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Velasquez's inevitably large salary would have played a part in his release, but WWE was also seemingly frustrated by his proneness to injury.
Leaking information that the company would have preferred to be kept under wraps - such as his Royal Rumble appearance and a meeting at WWE headquarters with Ronda Rousey - was another strike against Velasquez.
There can be no doubt that the San Jose native had the potential to be a genuine headliner for WWE. Circumstances, though, did not work out in this instance.
#1 Rob Gronkowski didn't last long in WWE
When NFL star Rob Gronkowski - better known as "Gronk" - announced that he was retiring from professional football in April 2019, he made it known that one of his new goals was to compete in WWE.
WWE has always enjoyed having mainstream celebrities as part of its product, and the then-New England Patriots Tight End certainly enjoyed that kind of profile.
Gronkowski, in fact, had already made an appearance in WWE when he helped his friend Mojo Rawley win the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 33 in 2017.
This time, though, Gronkowski insisted that he wanted to make his own mark in sports entertainment. Officially signing with WWE in March 2020, Gronk was announced as the Guest Host of WrestleMania 36.
Fans expected Gronkowsi to do far more than simply serve as a host for WWE, though.
Plans were put in place for the 31-year-old to work some matches later in the year for WWE, with SummerSlam being the potential home for one of these bouts. However, Gronkowski quickly realized during the filming of WrestleMania 36 that the WWE environment might not be for him.
Booked to win the 24/7 Championship from Rawley after jumping off of a platform on to a large group of bodies (who were there for his safety), Gronk held up the taping of WrestleMania for quite some time as he was nervous about doing the dive.
Gronkowsi did eventually go through with the stunt and win the championship, but would not be seen inside a WWE arena again.
Apparently based on his limited time with WWE during the WrestleMania tapings, Gronk was hesitant to return to the company. Just a few short weeks after WrestleMania aired, it was announced that Gronkowski had agreed to return to the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, joining up with former New England teammate Tom Brady.
Still the 24/7 Champion at this point, WWE had to send a camera crew out to film Gronkowski losing the title to R-Truth, effectively writing him off of television on the June 1 episode of RAW.
It was later announced that Gronk had requested his release from WWE, ending a spell with the company that lasted less than three months and saw him make just a handful of appearances.
For Gronkowski, however, his decision to return to the NFL with the Buccaneers proved to be a great one. Scoring two touchdowns, Gronk helped his new franchise defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9 at Super Bowl LV this past Sunday - a win that saw him collect his fourth career Super Bowl ring.
