6 WWE Superstars who were almost fired before going on to become champions

There have been a number of talented wrestlers over the years in WWE who never got a chance to show what they could actually do before being let go from the company. There have been others, who were almost fired but managed to save their WWE careers and went on to become world champions in the company.

#6 Batista

Leviathan

Batista was one of the biggest stars in OVW before he was called up to the main roster. He was given the gimmick of Leviathan - the demon of the deep and the right hand of Satan himself. Jim Cornette, who was one of the officials in charge of OVW at the time spoke about how he had booked Leviathan as an unstoppable monster who rarely sold a move.

Cornette also told Chris Jericho on Talk is Jericho that he brought The Undertaker in to see how Leviathan could fit into the WWE roster. Cornette also revealed that Batista was instead brought in as Reverend D-Von's bodyguard and it almost led to him getting fired.

"I had brought Undertaker to help him and I told them both that this is their future pay per view opponent so now you take him and see what you can do with him, and if you can get the things you want out of him then you go tell the boss that they have a guy they can make money with.

We did all that and tailor-made gimmick for Undertaker, Kane and Big Show, and they bring him up and put him with D-Von, hang that thing around his neck and put a suit on him to cover up his muscles. I had lost my mind; then they were on the verge of firing him until he started working out with Triple H.” Source: Talk Is Jericho

#5 Alexa Bliss

Alexa Bliss

Alexa Bliss is one of the most popular Superstars in WWE today. However, while she was in NXT, she worked more as a manager than as a wrestler. It all changed when she moved to the main roster where she has gone on to become one of the top women on the company.

However, Bliss revealed in an interview that she came close to being let go during her time in NXT and that a heel turn probably saved her job:

“From day one I knew it was my sink or swim moment because in NXT as a good guy my character wasn’t getting over and when I was told about the pairing with Blake & Murphy I knew there had to be a character change. Wednesday night we had TakeOver and I pushed Enzo and helped keep them as champions, I came the next day with new gear and different hair and I knew that if I didn’t run with it, I probably wasn’t going to have a job.”

#4 Becky Lynch

Becky 2 Belts

Next on our list of WWE Superstars who were almost let go is the current RAW and SmackDown Women's Champion - 'The Man' Becky Lynch. Lynch revealed ahead of WrestleMania 35 that WWE almost let her go during her time in NXT with the following Tweet:

A couple of weeks before this they were going to let me go. I’ve been fighting to survive this place since before day one. I’ll never be above what I had to do to stay alive. #happypaddysday pic.twitter.com/bPbcUihhX9

— The Man (@BeckyLynchWWE) March 17, 2019

Instead, Lynch defied the odds and won the SmackDown Women's Championship after being called up to main roster following the brand split. Lynch went on to become one of the first women to ever headline WrestleMania, along with Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair, and left the Showcase of the Immortals with the RAW and SD Women's Championships.

Lynch also revealed in an interview with ESPN that the person who's fought for her all the way in developmental was late WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes who aways encoraged her to followe her unique promo style. You can check out the interview with ESPN below:

#3 Seth Rollins

Seth Rollins

Seth Rollins is one of the biggest stars WWE has created in recent years. The current Universal Champion is a grand slam winner in WWE and spearheads the RAW brand. However, despite the success Rollins has found, it wasn't always set in stone.

Former WWE writer Rob Naylor revealed in an interview that Rollins had once come close to being fired:

“I know that while Rollins was in FCW and NXT, people felt at times he had ‘behavioral issues’. That was never the case in my estimation. Every coach on the staff was just as hungry at one time, so that was overblown. But he was on the bubble to be let go months prior to the Shield angle, based on the perception of some from the office.”

Rollins himself confirmed that he was close to being fired during an interview with WWE.com:

“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."

Rollins also credited Triple H for helping him find his way and keep his job.

#2 John Cena

John Cena

It may be hard to believe today, but there was a time John Cena was almost fired by WWE. This was soon after he made his main roster debut. Cena later revealed in an interview how he took a chance on himself and brought out the Dr. of Thuganomics character which saved his career:

“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."

"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."

Cena has since gone on to become a 16-time world champion.

#1 Triple H

Triple H

Triple H is currently one of the most important backstage officials in WWE and is the brainchild behind NXT and WWE's global expansion. However, it could have all been so different.

Vince McMahon was reportedly so incensed after the Curtain Call incident in MSG that he considered firing Triple H. Bruce Prichard and Jim Cornette reportedly agreed with him according to Vince Russo:

“Curtain Call happened at Madison Square Garden. Kevin Nash and Scott Hall went to WCW. Shawn Michaels was the champion, so they weren’t going to touch him. So, who was going to be the whipping boy? Triple H. They were gonna bury Triple H, and they were gonna torture Triple H. And they were gonna humiliate Triple H.

And they were going to make his life miserable for doing that one thing. And because I was there, I was able to say, “What are you guys, Children? First of all, nobody believes wrestling is real. So, you’re getting all upset with this freaking ‘Curtain Call.’ 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."

H/T: 411Mania

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