5 WWE Superstars who nearly got fired (and why)

WWE has a list of rules that each of their employees must follow. Whenever someone does anything against it, he or she becomes vulnerable to punishment. The higher ups of WWE are also known for being strict and, as a result, they have terminated multiple contracts in a matter of minutes.

Every year, WWE signs new Superstars and releases some of the older ones to avoid the clutter in their roster. In 2019, the company has signed the likes of Cain Velasquez and WALTER while, at the same time, have also let go wrestlers such as TJP, Goldust (Dustin Rhodes) and more.

However, in some rare instances, the company has come close to letting go of a Superstar and then step back from his decision. Here are five such Superstars who once nearly lost their job in WWE, and the reasons why.

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#5 Triple H

Vince McMahon was very upset with The Kliq

Triple H is one of the most well known Superstars to ever work for WWE. His incredible work both in-ring and backstage has benefitted WWE in many ways. However, just like the other four Superstars on this list, 'The Game', too, made a mistake at one point in his career which threatened his job in WWE.

One particular night at Madison Square Garden in 1996 is still remembered by fans - the night when Scott Hall, Triple H, Shawn Michaels and Kevin Nash (together known as The Kliq) broke kayfabe in front of thousands of fans. Back then, breaking character was punishable in WWE, but because Hall and Nash were leaving for WCW and Michaels was the World Champion, the future 'King of Kings' had to take the blame for everything. According to former WWE writer Jim Russo, the "Curtain Call" almost led to Triple H getting fired from the company.

"I mean, at the time, Bruce Prichard and Jim Cornette wanted Triple H fired. They wanted him fired. That’s how pissed off they were," - Jim Russo, 411 Mania."

#4 John Cena

Cena would never have won 16 World Titles if he had gotten fired

John Cena was the golden boy for WWE for a long time before Roman Reigns came along. The 16-time WWE Champion now works part-time for the company and only in some instances does he work an actual match. However, many of his fans aren't aware of the fact that once even Cena came very close to getting fired from WWE.

A while ago, Cena himself revealed the reason why WWE almost terminated his contract:

“I was about to be fired. I was in a Becky Lynch-type scenario where I was forgotten and I was about to be let go and I took a chance on myself. I took a chance on redefining my character and it worked and I’ve never stopped. And I wasn’t the corporate headquarters first, second, third, fourth, fifth or sixth choice, but the audience began to make noise," said Cena.

"And I connected with the audience and the rest is history. And that’s what’s wonderful about WWE. It truly is an enterprise system for any performer to connect with the audience. And once they connect with the audience, it doesn’t matter if they’re male or female."

If it hadn't been for Stephanie McMahon, Cena wouldn't have been able to save his job in WWE. Here's what Dave Metlzer said about the same on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

“[John Cena] worked OVW for a while which is where he really learned his craft. He was called up too soon, which everyone knew, and there’s political reasons why that happened, and it nearly cost him his career. If it wasn’t for Stephanie McMahon taking a liking to him after they’d just about decided to let him go, he could’ve been gone.

#3 Titus O'Neil

Titus O'Neil

We all know that Titus O'Neil had a confrontation with Vince McMahon during the February 8th, 2014 edition of Monday Night RAW. After Daniel Bryan gave his retirement speech to the WWE Universe, he headed backstage, while other Superstars standing on the ramp followed him. When Vince McMahon started moving, however, O'Neil grabbed him by his arm. The former 24/7 Champion thought Stephanie McMahon should move first (as she's a lady) but this gesture wasn't appreciated by The Chairman of WWE, who immediately suspended him for 90 days, which was later reduced to 60 days.

For some fans, even 60 days are a lot for this little mistake but things could have gone worse for Titus if Triple H and Joey Mercury hadn't saved the day. Reportedly, Vince was so furious at the 42-year old wrestler that he wanted to fire him but The Game and Mercury convinced him not to do it.

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#2 Stephanie McMahon

Even Stephanie McMahon almost lost her job in WWE

Stephanie McMahon, arguably the most powerful woman in WWE, was also close to losing her job despite working in her father's company. In 1999, Stephanie started working for WWE and appeared during numerous segments. She has since changed her personality by a lot. 'The Billion Dollar Princess' debuted as an innocent and friendly character but now, she plays the opposite role. However, she had faced many problems during the early stages of her career but learned from her mistakes. Last year, she appeared on Chasing Glory with Lilian Garcia and revealed an interesting story of her almost losing her job multiple times.

"From Vince McMahon's perspective, especially, you have to earn it even more because you're his child. You have to be better than everybody else and he puts you to that test every single day. I've almost been fired numerous times. It hasn’t always been pretty. I had to learn a lot along the way and I made a lot of mistakes along the way. And I think that the only way you truly grow and get better is by making mistakes." (Credits for the quotes)

It's clear that Stephanie made huge changes in herself to adjust in the WWE environment and her efforts paid off. She has now become one of the most important people in WWE and plays a huge role backstage as well.

#1 Seth Rollins

Triple H has always been a fan of Seth Rollins

The current Universal Champion Seth Rollins is known for being a Triple H guy backstage. Apparently, The Game is a huge fan of Rollins and it's one of the reasons why he made him the first-ever NXT Champion. However, this wouldn't have been possible if Rollins had left WWE years ago out of frustration.

“I literally almost lost my job. I had been there for almost two years. I was very frustrated. I couldn’t get along with anyone. I thought I deserved more than I did," said Rollins.

The Architect believed that he deserved more in WWE and the company wasn't using him the right way. But then, he had a conversation with Triple H which he claims to be "an eye-opener". Things worked out pretty well as now Rollins is a main-event Superstar who has achieved a lot of things in WWE that many can only dream of.

Which one of these firings would've made a huge difference in WWE? Have your say in the comments below.

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