'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Over the years, WWE has signed and released many superstars. Some of them went on to switch career paths, while some made a name for themselves in other notable promotions or on the independent circuit.
Not every Superstar who steps foot in WWE has had a healthy relationship with the company's management and throughout the years, we've witnessed some of the biggest names in the world of professional wrestling being let go by WWE.
While WWE is known to release Superstars almost every year - take 2020 for example, when the company released a handful of notable names amid the COVID-19 pandemic, not every one of these names deserved to get axed by the company.
A host of former WWE Superstars only had the opportunity of showcasing their real talent only once after they were let go by WWE or Superstars who definitely would've thrived in today's WWE. In this article, I've listed down 5 Superstars that WWE probably regrets releasing.
Without any further ado, let's get straight to it.
#5. KENTA
KENTA FKA Hideo Itami never really had the opportunity to shine on the WWE main roster and that's mostly due to the multiple injuries that he picked up on the road.
Itami had a mediocre run in WWE NXT where he challenged for the NXT Championship on a few occasions but never had the privilege of having a run with the title.
On the main roster, Itami was a part of the 205 Live Division and after a disappointing run in the Cruiserweight Division, the Japanese sensation was finally let go in early 2019.
Later that year though, Itami made his return to Japan as KENTA and this time he was under the New Japan Pro Wrestling banner. In NJPW, KENTA has enjoyed a massive push so far, competing in his first ever G1 Climax, joining the Bullet Club, winning the NEVER Openweight Title, and even challenging for both the IWGP Intercontinental and Heavyweight Championships at the same time.
KENTA has revived his love for pro wrestling once again and is currently one of the top members of the Bullet Club along with Jay White.
#4. AJ Lee
WWE recently celebrated five years of the Women's Revolution and if there's one Superstar who deserves credit for the WWE Women's Revolution, it's AJ Lee.
The former WWE Divas Champion was one of the finest in-ring competitors WWE had in their women's division a few years ago, and to add to that, she was also phenomenal on the mic. She provided the WWE Women's Division the initial spark it needed and thanks to her in-ring and promo skills, AJ Lee became a fan favorite.
A three-time Divas Champion, she decided to retire in 2015 from professional wrestling. While she stated that damage to her cervical spine played a huge part in her retirement, it was also known that WWE's on-going issues with her husband CM Punk, led to AJ Lee's departure.
Considering the amount of depth in the WWE Women's division today, with the likes of Becky Lynch, Asuka, Charlotte Flair, Rhea Ripley, Kay Lee Ray, and Io Shirai being a few top names across all three WWE brands, AJ Lee's involvement would've definitely given us some of the biggest dream matches.
#3. Kenny Omega
Kenny Omega is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling. It has taken him some time to completely adapt to the western style of professional wrestling, and he has become a vital asset for AEW so far.
He's the reigning AEW Tag Team Champion along with Adam 'Hangman' Page, and has had his say in terms of creative booking, especially in the development of the AEW Women's Division.
However, all of this probably wouldn't have happened if WWE had offered Omega a full-time contract while he was performing under the company's then-developmental brand Deep South Wrestling.
Omega eventually parted ways with WWE while being a part of DSW, mostly due to being booked poorly, which resulted in him asking for his release. He then made the transition to Japan where he started out in DDT Pro Wrestling. After a while, Omega made his way over to New Japan Pro Wrestling, and there has been no turning back for 'The Best Bout Machine'.
The present-day WWE roster is filled with Superstars who were once considered as some of the biggest names on the independent circuit, Superstars with whom Omega has previously shared the ring with. There are even a few marquee names such as Bray Wyatt, AJ Styles, Drew McIntyre, and more, with whom Omega could've possibly had multiple dream matches against if he was still a part of the company.
#2. CM Punk
CM Punk walked away with the WWE Championship in his hometown of Chicago nine years ago, after he beat John Cena in a 5-star classic. He then blew a kiss to WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, and left through the WWE Universe.
CM Punk was always an important part of the WWE roster, however, following his pipebomb in 2011, 'The Second City Saint' saw a huge rise in his stock to became one of the hottest Superstars in the world of professional wrestling.
Punk enjoyed a title reign that lasted 434 days and he put together some of the all-time great matches in WWE history against the likes of John Cena, The Rock, and the members of The Shield.
If Punk was still a part of the WWE roster today, the dream matches that would've been lined up for the former WWE Champion would've been off the charts! Punk vs Adam Cole, Punk vs AJ Styles, Punk vs Shinsuke Nakamura, or Punk vs Kevin Owens are just a few of them.
However, that wasn't the case, as Punk departed from WWE in 2014 and hasn't got back into the ring since then.
#1. Cody Rhodes
In his time in WWE, Cody Rhodes enjoyed a decorated run in the company, and under the guidance of Randy Orton in the initial stages of his career, Cody was poised to be one of the biggest future stars of WWE.
However, after multiple gimmick changes and one final run as Stardust, Cody finally parted ways with WWE in 2016. Post-WWE, however, Cody unleashed a new side of him on the independent circuit and took over the scene promotion-by-promotion.
He started wrestling for notable companies such as Evolve Wrestling, PWG, and Northeast Wrestling and also made sporadic appearances for Impact Wrestling, along with his wife Brandi Rhodes.
However, Cody eventually settled under Ring of Honor and also started working for New Japan Pro Wrestling where he was revealed as the newest member of the Bullet Club. That right there was pretty much a career-turner for Cody and his career has risen steadily since.
In ROH, Cody won the ROH World Title, and in NJPW, he became the IWGP United States Champion and held the title along with the prestigious NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Along with The Young Bucks, Cody organized his very own self-financed show called All In, and after successful runs in NJPW and ROH, Cody decided to start his own wrestling promotion.
On January 1st, 2019, Cody along with other members of The Elite started his very own promotion called All Elite Wrestling, and since then the promotion has ignited a Wednesday Night War with WWE's NXT show.
Cody's departure was probably one of WWE's biggest losses, considering the fact that he was groomed to be a potential future world champion in the company, however, that didn't happen, and he has gone on to become WWE's biggest rival.
