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Samoa Joe recently returned on WWE NXT as a special enforcer for the black and gold brand’s General Manager, William Regal. He was released by the company earlier this year, along with a long list of shocking names. Backstage reports claim that Triple H was not happy with Joe’s release and wanted him back in the company at any cost.
In hindsight, WWE needs a performer like Joe. He doesn’t have to compete in a match in order to entertain the viewers. The same can be said for the other superstars who were recently released by the promotion. Some of them are incredible inside the ring, while others make for interesting on-screen characters. So, letting them go may not be the best decision in the long run.
In this article, we will take a look at some of the recently released WWE Superstars that the company should have kept. Thus, without further ado, let’s begin.
#6 Braun Strowman (The Monster Among Men in WWE)
One of the most shocking names in WWE’s list of released superstars on June 2nd was that of Braun Strowman. Often labeled as The Monster Among Men, Strowman was convincingly built to be one of the strongest superstars, and WWE often pushed him as a highly threatening persona.
However, there was one constant mistake that the company made with his booking. While Strowman would get a good push time and again, it never resulted in anything fruitful in the long run. Barring his title win against Goldberg at WrestleMania 36, he was either removed from big WWE matches, or he never won them. As a result, despite having all the momentum on his side, Strowman always struggled to maintain dominance at the top for a considerable period of time.
Over the years, Strowman lost a lot of credibility as a result. He then started to undergo an in-ring transformation last year. Strowman made subtle changes in his appearance, got fitter, improved his agility, developed better combat skills, and started taking more risks inside the ring.
It is important to note that, by this time, the WWE RAW roster boasted of several large men. Thus, Strowman needed those changes to stand out. He had just started gaining momentum on the red brand and even teased a big feud with Drew McIntyre. He would have also made for a good recurring opponent against Lashley after the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view. Unfortunately, Strowman was released before he could show us more of his transformed self.
Strowman could be a massive asset for any promotion that acquires him, but it would be better for both parties if WWE brings him back somewhere down the line.
Backstage reports suggested that Strowman was released due to budget cuts. However, WWE can undoubtedly make room for an improved Monster in the future.
#5 & #4 Billie Kay and Peyton Royce-- The IIconics (Former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions)
Both members of the former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, The IIconics, were released earlier this year. Thanks to the 2020 Draft, Billie Kay moved to SmackDown, while Peyton Royce stayed on RAW.
The two superstars then kickstarted their respective solo runs, which was entertaining but not impactful in the grander scheme of things.
Royce made sporadic appearances on the red brand before her promo on RAW Talk went viral. In March 2021, she eventually received a match against then-RAW Women's Champion, Asuka, but The IIconics' member was filling in for someone else even then.
Meanwhile, Billie Kay grew to be one of the funniest WWE Superstars in backstage segments. Unfortunately, that led to her being restricted to a comedy role on WWE SmackDown.
The IIconics was an enjoyable team, and WWE still needs superstars like Billie Kay and Peyton Royce in the women’s division. Together, they could have helped in the growth of the women’s tag team division, which often relies on one extended feud to popularize the titles.
Even as singles superstars, Royce and Kay could have transformed into legitimate RAW/SmackDown Women's Championship contenders. One can only hope that they return to WWE one day.
#3 Buddy Murphy (Former WWE Cruiserweight and Tag Team Champion)
WWE Superstar Buddy Murphy was criminally underused on the main roster. He was excellent in the Cruiserweight division but rarely got the opportunity to replicate that success when he moved to WWE RAW.
All it took was one match against Aleister Black for the higher-ups to see how well he could work inside the ring.
Following that, he allied with Seth Rollins, only to eventually betray The Messiah. Murphy also moved to WWE SmackDown and was involved in an extended romantic angle with Rey Mysterio’s daughter, Aalyah.
Apart from that, Buddy Murphy surprisingly doesn’t have more prominent main roster highlights to his name, but that should have never been the case.
Murphy was always incredibly talented, and a potential feud between him and Dominik Mysterio could have worked out well for both superstars. The former Cruiserweight Champion's skills, both inside and outside the ring, are the kind that makes storylines engaging for the viewers.
After Murphy's release, WWE should keep an eye on his work, and hopefully, they will look to bring him back to the promotion at the right time.
#2 Ruby Riott (Former WWE SmackDown Superstar)
WWE’s decision to release Ruby Riott came as a surprise to many fans, especially considering the current state of the SmackDown Women’s Division. One can’t ignore that fewer than ten women are competing on the blue brand now, and Riott's presence would have helped to some extent.
The Riott Squad could have been pushed towards the women’s tag team titles. Both Riott and Liv Morgan were booked in matches every other week, but they always fought the same opponents and lost to them in a similar fashion. Naturally, this led to both these WWE Superstars taking a massive blow to any credibility they had built over the last few years.
After being released, Ruby Riott has the opportunity to explore more options, as she can now develop her singles career outside WWE.
Riott makes for a formidable challenger, and if her post-WWE career results in major developments, the company could look to bring her back in the future.
#1 Aleister Black (Former WWE NXT Champion)
Even if WWE misses out on bringing back any of the names mentioned in this list so far, Aleister Black has to be an exception. He is easily one of the most charismatic performers of the current generation.
Not too long ago, Black returned to WWE Smackdown after weeks of promotional videos. Before that, he had been missing from television for eight months. Yet, the fans remained interested in his story.
The Dutch superstar possessed the power to keep viewers engaged even after spending weeks on the sidelines. But his latest character couldn't live up to its full potential as Black was soon released by WWE on June 2nd.
It is essential to understand that times are different now. Given the reach of the internet, superstars find it harder to maintain a certain level of kayfabe that helped create ominous gimmicks back in the day.
However, Black’s cryptic style of storytelling is more convincing, and he backs it up with a genuinely skillful in-ring display. In addition to being an incredible performer, he only needed to be booked properly to succeed on the main roster.
So if Black moves to AEW, his strengths can be easily highlighted through an efficient creative process.
In WWE, both Triple H and Paul Heyman appreciated Aleister Black for what he brought to the table. While releasing him was a big mistake, WWE's higher-ups should realize that not bringing him back would be an even bigger one.
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