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The folks at WWE will readily admit that they ask a lot of their Superstars. The performers have to maintain a road schedule, stay in shape and away from trouble, make appearances and (of course) show up to wrestle.
That last part is the most important, as any no-show by a performer can leave people behind the scenes at WWE scrambling. Segments have to be written on the fly to fill that void, all in the middle of a live, worldwide broadcast.
In such cases, the superstar in question will be reprimanded with a fine or even a suspension, depending on the situation surrounding their absence.
Here are five WWE Superstars who were once suspended for no-showing an event.
#5 - Lars Sullivan
If there was ever a young wrestler who came along who looked the part of an old school heel monster, it was Lars Sullivan. With a 6'3", 330 lbs build and a face only a mother could love, he was put on the fast track in NXT.
Vince McMahon saw a monster in Sullivan. Instead, he turned out to be a mouse.
Upon his promotion to the main roster, there were warning signs with Sullivan immediately. While he may have been physically ready, he was clearly not prepared mentally or emotionally for the position he was put in.
'The Freak' was hit with a suspension when online posts that led back to him contained several racially insensitive and homophobic remarks.
Things continued to spiral downward for Sullivan from there. He was eventually fired by Vince McMahon, once one of his biggest supporters. Sullivan hasn't returned to the ring since, saying he was "likely done" with professional wrestling altogether.
#4 - Paige
As one of the greatest female performers of all-time, Paige made her fame quickly upon entering the promotion. She was, arguably, the face of the entire women's division. It seemed for a while there that WWE truly was her house.
Her fall from grace was not pretty, as she made several missteps along the way. Injuries and personal issues hampered her, and her youthful immaturity was starting to show. Not to mention the fact that she was involved in some backstage 'relationships' that became more than public knowledge.
This one might be out of her control, but she got suspended nonetheless. In the midst of the COVID pandemic, WWE was scheduled to resume TV tapings at the Performance Center.
Paige didn't show up at the building, later citing health concerns. She was suspended, nonetheless. She was granted her release by the company earlier this year.
#3 - CM Punk
There may be no more mercurial WWE Superstar than CM Punk, who had a glorious run with the promotion. However, he never really felt like part of 'the family' and spent most of his time there frustrated by the creative direction.
Likewise, WWE management and even some of his fellow performers weren't necessarily thrilled with his attitude. The Best in the World was viewed as malcontent and difficult to work with.
After arguing about his spot on the WrestleMania card with Triple H, Punk was done. He decided to walk out on the company and was suspended indefinitely. The entire fiasco played out for weeks, with Punk never returning to WWE.
Eventually, the company sent The Straight Edge Superstar his termination letter... on his wedding day.
#2 - Stone Cold Steve Austin walked on WWE at a Monday Night RAW taping
"Austin took his ball and went home" is a common phrase used to describe this incident.
As WWE's top star and the man often credited for saving the company, Stone Cold Steve Austin had a lot of leeway. He had a lot of control over his character and only worked with Superstars he wanted to. He was used to getting his way most of the time, and with good reason. He had earned that right.
But at the June 10, 2002 RAW tapings, Austin let his feelings be known. He was booked for a loss to rising star Brock Lesnar. But The Bionic Redneck refused, saying that he didn't want to do the job on television and with no build-up. When he didn't like what he heard, he decided to skip the broadcast and left the building.
Austin has said when he negotiated his return from the abyss, he was originally going to be fined $650,000 by WWE, but was able to get the figure down to $250,000.
#1 - Sasha Banks & Naomi
Since this is a modern day, high-profile suspension, it goes into the final spot. However, the ripple effect of this controversy may have brought more good than harm. At least in the long run, anyway.
Fed up with the way they were being booked as the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions, the pair decided to do something about it. When they felt like no one was addressing their concerns, they conveniently dropped the titles off on John Laurinaitis' desk and exited immediately.
Although they have been rumored to be returning for weeks now, their tactic may have worked. Upon getting suspended indefinitely, the two ladies have basically gone on a whirlwind tour of fame and fashion.
They might have gotten their point across, however. It sounds like they are going to end up getting everything they want when they return. In the meantime, the titles they vacated have been re-vitalized and the WWE Women's Division remains strong. That's without the two of them and Charlotte, who's off the road right now.
So? Sometimes you take lemons and make them into lemonade. And every now and then, you take a suspension and turn it into a comeback.
