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5 WWE Superstars whose careers lasted less than a year 

By Phillipa Mariee
Modified Sep 05, 2021 20:19 IST
Several former WWE Superstars had very short careers with the company
Several former WWE Superstars had very short careers with the company

WWE Superstars are aware that sometimes their time in the spotlight can be fleeting. Careers in WWE that last for more than a decade are rare and more often than not they only happen to the most elite superstars.

While it's well-known that the shelf-life of a main roster WWE Superstar is usually a short one, there are an unlucky bunch of wrestlers who were released in their first year with the company.

Many of these are memorable ones, whilst others remain forgettable names in the history book of the biggest professional wrestling promotion in the world.

The following list looks at just five former WWE Superstars whose entire career in WWE lasted less than a year.

#5. Former WWE Superstar Cain Velasquez

As part of SmackDown's debut episode on FOX in 2019, Cain Velasquez made his arrival in WWE.

The former UFC star already has a history with Brock Lesnar and was able to pick up where he left off when he was introduced as Dominik's godfather.

Velasquez attacked The Beast Incarnate and set up a match between the two men in Saudi Arabia in November 2019. It was the only wrestling match that Velasquez was part of in WWE and it lasted mere minutes before Lesnar picked up the victory. After the match, Rey Mysterio involved himself and there were links to continue the story, but WWE decided against this after it was revealed that Velasquez was injured.

The former MMA star was then sidelined for several months due to a knee injury and there were reports that he would be making his return as part of The Royal Rumble match, which would then set up a match at WrestleMania.

Despite the hype surrounding his signing, Velasquez failed to wrestle in WWE again. Velasquez was signed by WWE in October 2019 ahead of his debut on SmackDown and was then released on April 28th, 2020 due to budget cuts stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.

This means that the retired MMA star's entire wrestling career lasted just over six months.

#4. Former WWE NXT North American Champion Leon Ruff

Leon Ruff was introduced to the WWE Universe as part of several jobber matches on RAW, SmackDown, and NXT before he was officially signed to the company.

Ruff became a WWE Superstar in October 2020 and became a part of the NXT roster. As part of his debut match, he was able to knock off Johnny Gargano and become NXT North American Champion.

This reign was a short one since Gargano won the title back the following month at Takeover: War Games, but it was a win that put Ruff on the map.

In the months that followed, Ruff was part of several feuds on the Black and Gold brand and was even able to make it to the quarter-finals of The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic alongside Kushida.

This seemingly wasn't enough for WWE, since Ruff was surprisingly named as one of the released NXT Superstars when the company cut their budget at the beginning of August 2021.

This means that Leon Ruff's entire WWE career was just 10 months.

#3. Former WWE Superstar Serena Deeb

Serena Deeb is best remembered in WWE for her run in The Straight Edge Society. The current AEW Superstar was signed to the company to be part of CM Punk's brainchild in 2010.

Deeb went on to have her head shaved on live TV and was then added to the storyline on Monday Night RAW, which led to the former star having just one televised match whilst contracted with the company.

In August 2010, Deeb was released from her WWE contract for reportedly not living out her Straight Edge persona in public. The star later made her return to the company as a trainer at the company's Performance Center from 2017-2020. Serena was released from WWE as part of the April budget cuts stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The former WWE superstar is currently part of All Elite Wrestling, where she is a former NWA Women's Champion.

#2. Former WWE Superstar Nathan Jones

The name Nathan Jones may be familiar to many fans since the star went on to make a career for himself outside of WWE.

Jones originally signed a contract with WWE in late 2002 but was unable to perform for the company due to visa issues. The Australian was finally able to debut for WWE in April 2003 on SmackDown,

Jones was reportedly scheduled to be part of a match alongside The Big Show against The Undertaker and A-Train at WrestleMania, but the match was scrapped. Jones was instead attacked ahead of the match and went on to cost Big Show his victory when he returned to interfere.

In the months that followed, Jones was sent back to OVW to improve his in-ring skills before returning to align himself with Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman. In December 2003, Jones quit the company, blaming a hectic travel schedule. He has since moved on to a mildly successful acting career.

#1. Former WWE Superstar Muhammed Hassan

Muhammed Hassan had a character that came at an unfortunate time for both WWE and the star himself.

Hassan made his debut for WWE in December 2004 when he was part of a segment with Mick Foley on Monday Night RAW. He was established as a heel and went on to introduce himself as a wrestler of Jordanian-Palestinian descent battling the prejudice and stereotypes created by the 9/11 terror attacks.

Hassan became a controversial character for WWE, who were forced to ax the superstar following the London terror attacks. He was released from his contract on September 21st, 2005, just nine months after his main roster debut. It was later revealed that the original plan was for Hassan to become World Heavyweight Champion at SummerSlam just a few weeks before his release.

The star has since gone on to become the Principal of Fulton Junior High School in New York.

One of Samoa Joe's colleagues had harsh words for him HERE