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WWE is the dream destination for almost every performer in the pro-wrestling industry. While many have gone on to achieve great success in the company, others have not been as lucky.
Bad bookings, injuries, and cost-cutting have been some reasons why superstars have failed to make it big in the company. Yet, many of them have gone on to achieve great success after leaving WWE.
The wrestlers did not lose hope or give up after either departing themselves or getting released by the company. These individuals proved their critics wrong and managed to go on to become some of the biggest names in the industry.
Take a look at the seven former WWE Superstars whose careers took off after they left the company.
#7 Gail Kim took the women's revolution by storm outside WWE
Gail Kim made her WWE TV debut in 2003 and went on to win the Women’s Championship. It looked like WWE was ready to give her a huge push and make her the face of the women’s division. Unfortunately, she was released from her contract in 2004 due to cost-cutting measures.
Kim joined IMPACT Wrestling (fka Total Nonstop Action) soon after and soon became the first Women's Knockout Champion. She returned to WWE in 2008 but her second run was as bland as the first one.
WWE creative could not utilize her talent properly once again and the superstar started getting frustrated. She decided to eliminate herself from a Battle Royal on live TV to secure her release.
During an interview with Lilian Garcia, Kim spoke about her time in WWE and how it helped shape her wrestling career at IMPACT:
“The fans will always be like, 'Oh my God! I hate the way that they used you.' I hear that all the time and my answer to them all the time as well, if they didn’t do that, I would never have had the career I had at TNA IMPACT and I would never have had done all those things and I’m so satisfied with my career and that’s because of the road I’ve taken.... That’s my passion, my love. I’ve been part of this business for close to 20 years,” Gail Kim said.
Kim thrived in IMPACT Wrestling, winning the Knockouts Championship seven times in her career. Her release from WWE ended up benefiting her as it gave her a chance to perform on a promotion that could book her properly.
Kim is one of the best female wrestlers in the world, and she managed to make the most of her wrestling career by leaving WWE at the right time.
#6 Pac (Neville) walked out of WWE after some unfavorable bookings
PAC (known in WWE as Neville) shot to fame in NXT thanks to his incredible speed and skills. He won the NXT Championship before moving to the main roster and becoming one of the better superstars there.
However, his stock plummeted quickly even though fans continued to cheer him on. WWE could have made him a top contender for a world championship, but he remained part of the cruiserweight division for a long time.
After winning the Cruiserweight Championship twice, Neville decided to walk out of the company. He later explained the reason behind his departure, claiming that he did not enjoy the company’s bookings.
“No they gave me the opportunity shine and shine I did. The lads over there are great but they ran of ideas for me so I Ieft. I disagreed with my booking... “I was worth more than being jobbed out to jobbers, that’s why I left," Neville said.
PAC joined All Elite Wrestling (AEW) after his WWE departure. He has been a top draw on the promotion and has had some high-level rivalries. After competing solo for some time, PAC formed the Death Triangle along with Fénix and Pentagón Jr. on AEW.
Apart from AEW, PAC has also gone back to Dragon Gate and won the Open the Dream Gate Championship. It is only a matter of time before PAC goes on to win the AEW World Championship to make his post-WWE life even sweeter.
#5 Miro (Rusev) was stuck with a bizarre gimmick in WWE
Rusev, now known as Miro, made a decent start to his WWE career. Accompanied by Lana, he moved to the main roster with high hopes and dreams. He went on a dominant run that helped him become one of the toughest superstars in WWE.
As time went by, his gimmick changed drastically and he lost steam. He won the United States Championship thrice in his career, but never went on to win a big one.
After a long and bizarre storyline involving his real-life partner Lana, Rusev decided to leave WWE and felt he had the freedom to explore much more. He opened up about his WWE career during an interview with Chris Van Vliet.
“There is nothing to be worried about. It doesn’t matter what people think. I’ve always been happy. Always been happy, just going to work was a bit of a dreadful moment. But now that’s gone, there are no dreadful moments in my life at all,” Rusev said.
Soon after, he joined All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as Miro and started working his way up even though the gimmick did not click with the fans. After tweaking his character and ending his alliance with Sabian, Miro seems to have found himself in AEW. Earlier this year, he defeated Darby Allin to win the AEW TNT Championship.
It looks like his career has finally taken off after being down in the dumps for a long time. AEW could be the perfect home for a talented wrestler like Miro. Will Lana end up joining her husband on the new promotion?
#4 Christopher Daniels is one of the biggest names outside WWE
Christopher Daniels had a relatively short stay in WWE. He joined the company in 1998 but never really took off. Daniels botched a springboard moonsault during an episode of WCW Monday Nitro and injured himself. He was released from his WWE contract without competing in another match.
Daniels' then joined another pro-wrestling promotion and became a big name in the company. However, it was the time he spent at IMPACT Wrestling (fka Total Nonstop Action) that took him to the top of the wrestling industry.
His “Fallen Angel” made him become a top wrestler outside WWE, and he became widely known as one of the best tag team wrestlers in the world. After competing for both ROH and Impact for several years, Daniels moved to All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
Along with Frankie Kazarian, Daniels has carved a niche for himself. He is nearing the end of his wrestling career, but could continue playing a major role in AEW’s development in the years to come. He is widely regarded as one of the best wrestlers in the world who never won a title in WWE.
#3 Sami Callihan (Solomon Crowe) did not thrive in WWE NXT
Remember WWE Superstar Mustafa Ali’s scrapped character of a hacker? Sami Callihan had a similar gimmick during his early days in WWE. Callihan made his first WWE appearance in 2012 before debuting on NXT under the ring name Solomon Crowe.
Callihan had the talent and charisma to make it big in the company, but he never received a big push. He was released from his WWE contract in late 2015. Chris Van Vliet asked Callihan if leaving WWE was the best decision he ever made, and he gave the following response:
“Absolutely. Because I’ll be the first to say that I wasn’t Sami Callihan when I went there. I changed who I was, walked on eggshells and for lack of better terms, I became a b—h. But I tried to change. I tried to become everything they wanted me to be instead of sticking to my guns and ride or die. But I think everything happens for a reason because now I’ve left and become one of the biggest stars in the world again despite not being backed by that WWE machine,” Sami Callihan said.
After competing in several promotions including Lucha Underground and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, Callihan finally found a home in IMPACT Wrestling. He has been extremely successful in Impact Wrestling and has perfected his character in the promotion.
As a former Impact World Champion, Callihan managed to make it big after his WWE career came to an end. He is currently one of the most popular figures in the wrestling industry outside WWE.
#2 Cody Rhodes' remarkable success outside WWE
Cody Rhodes joined WWE in 2006 and it looked like he would go on a golden run right away. He had a good rivalry with Randy Orton early on and started building up partnerships soon after. While he enjoyed a few mid-card and tag team championship reigns, he never got the push to reach the top. A lengthy partnership with Goldust led him to turn into Stardust late in his WWE career.
After getting nowhere, Cody requested his release from WWE in 2016. He revealed that Triple H took his departure from WWE very personally.
“Hunter [Triple H] took it very personally because he had done so much for my dad at NXT. There was one conversation where he said, ‘I’m shocked that you feel this way after everything I’ve done for your family.’ But I told him, ‘I’m not my dad. I can’t stay here out of loyalty to you for giving my dad a job in 2005. I’ve got to be me.’ I think Hunter, he's been in wrestling long enough that he knew, ‘Oh, this is a real one. He’s not asking for more money. He’s not asking for a title shot. Nothing would matter at this point.’ I let the burn get too bad before I said anything," Cody Rhodes disclosed.
Following his release, Cody went on to perform on many different promotions and started proving himself outside WWE.
His real claim to fame was the formation of All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Along with The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega, Cody created a promotion that currently rivals WWE. He is now a two-time AEW TNT Champion and is at the top of his game.
Cody initially made a name for himself in WWE. However, it is his work in AEW that has helped him become one of the most recognizable figures in sports entertainment.
#1 Deonna Purrazzo had a short WWE tenure
Deonna Purrazo worked Total Nonstop Action (TNA) and other promotions before joining WWE for a proper run in 2018. Before 2018, Purrazzo appeared for WWE in different capacities, like a "Rosebud” with Adam Rose.
Purrazzo had a decent run in NXT and got a few matches on RAW before being released by the company in April 2020. She was part of the batch of superstars released during WWE’s efforts to cut costs during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Purrazzo appeared on the Busted Open podcast and spoke about being true to herself following her release from the company.
“I don’t care that WWE fired me, or didn’t want me, or didn’t think I was good enough! I think I’m good enough,” Purrazzo expressed. “And if IMPACT believes I’m good enough... if Japan thought I was good enough, I’m good enough! And I just needed to get back to believing in me and believing in the little girl who wanted to be here her entire life.”
It did not take Purrazzo long to find employment after her release from WWE. She joined IMPACT Wrestling and presented herself as “The Virtuosa.” Since then, Purrazzo has been on a dream run and has managed to create a huge fanbase for herself.
She has won the IMPACT Knockouts Championship twice and is among the top female wrestlers competing in the industry. Purrazzo has proved her doubters wrong and has managed to become one of the most valuable wrestlers outside WWE.
