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It is very hard being a WWE Superstar. Not only does the in-ring portion of their jobs take an incredible physical toll on their bodies, but they have multiple other commitments as well. From media appearances to training, from hectic traveling schedules to trying to balance work and personal life, all of these things can and do put considerable stress on a wrestler’s life.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise, then, that some wrestlers can and have looked for ways to ‘make things easier’ for themselves. On some occasions, this involved using performance-enhancing drugs to get quicker and better results out of their physiques. On other occasions, many WWE superstars lived up to the moniker, ‘work hard, play hard’ to the point that their out-of-ring activities got them in trouble.
As a result, there have been many cases where a top WWE Superstar ended up being suspended by WWE. These suspensions led to the forfeitures of titles, loss of pushes, and other major punishments. Given how stressful being a WWE superstar is, there are a few wrestlers that managed to go through all of these rigors without ever getting suspended even once.
This list highlights ten individuals who managed to maintain their professional reputations and never get suspended, despite all the temptations to do something that would risk that very punishment.
Just to be clear, in this article we’re talking about real-life suspensions for violating WWE’s policies in some way or another. Storyline suspensions don’t count, as those are done intentionally to further WWE’s creative process.
#10 Bret Hart
Considered one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, Bret Hart wrestled in WWE for about twelve years. During that period, he managed to acquire both an impressive list of accolades and championships as well as a now-legendary reputation for his abilities as a worker.
Yet not even 'The Hitman' was immune to the darker side of pro wrestling. He admitted in his autobiography that he had to use steroids while working for WWE, and did have quite extensive political clout backstage.
He also had many heated moments with Shawn Michaels before the Montreal Screwjob ever occurred, including one infamous shoot fight. Yet despite all of these issues, Bret Hart was never suspended by WWE for any reason, which shows just how important he was to Vince McMahon at the time.
#9 Dean Ambrose
Dean Ambrose has been a consistent fan favorite and top draw in WWE for over five years now. Whether he was a member of the Shield or performing on his own, Ambrose proved to virtually everyone that he had the skills needed to be a top star on either of WWE’s brands.
Ambrose has proven himself to be both a competent worker inside the ring and has also shown his reluctance to use any kind of enhancements (which is more than what can be said about a certain Shield ‘brother’ of his).
Ambrose has never been suspended by WWE, despite being one of its hardest workers and having one of the highest numbers of appearances for WWE in a calendar year. When one works such an extensive schedule, the temptation to use shortcuts and risk getting suspended might be high. But Ambrose has shown that he doesn’t need to do that to keep performing at his already-high standard.
#8 The Big Show
The Big Show has been with WWE for almost two decades, having debuted in Vince McMahon’s promotion all the way back in 1999. Since then, The Big Show has been a regular in the company, working everything from lower-card comedy bits to main event matches.
Big Show mas managed to stay relatively healthy in WWE, despite being its largest performer for many years. Astonishingly, The Big Show was never suspended by WWE for any reason, despite the job putting incredible stress on his body. Even though he was reportedly asked by people in WWE management to change his style and lose weight, Show did so without resorting to steroids or any other kind of enhancements.
In his most recent social media posts, he looked much slimmer and in much better shape than ever before, which he accomplished without resorting to shortcuts. This has made him a well-respected person in WWE, as he managed to undergo significant physical changes without resorting to something that could’ve led to a suspension for him.
#7 Batista
Batista was one of many guys that got pushed to the top of WWE because of his look and size. Despite debuting in WWE much later than the average wrestler, Batista received a monstrous push between 2005 and 2009 and was the main attraction on both RAW and SmackDown brands.
However, Batista’s massive size made him a regular target for accusations of steroid abuse, which reached its peak during the 2007 steroid investigation. It was revealed that several top wrestlers, including Batista, were named in a steroid investigation. WWE suspended ten of the wrestlers named in that investigation, yet Batista wasn’t one of them.
#6 Cesaro
Cesaro has become known in WWE for his feats of super strength and his incredible in-ring work. Some have argued that Cesaro’s strength and endurance aren’t normal and that he MUST be on some kind of enhancements.
However, Cesaro has stated numerous times that his strength and overall fitness are 100% natural and that he doesn’t use anything that might make him bigger in terms of muscle mass. As a result, Cesaro has never been suspended for any substance abuse.
Furthermore, Cesaro has been known to carry himself as a consummate professional at all times and has been praised by his co-workers as a result. It’s because of facts like these that many people bemoan the fact that Cesaro might never reach the very top of WWE.
#5 Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar is one of WWE’s most controversial wrestlers of the 21st century. Not only was he given one of the most significant pushes early in his career, but his tenure with WWE since 2012 has been mired in controversy.
Not only has he managed to negotiate one of the most one-sided contracts in the company’s history – which allows him to, among other things, compete in MMA while signed to WWE and appear whenever he so chooses – but he has also avoided suspension of punishment for any and all infractions.
Even though he tested positive for ‘enhancements’ at his most recent MMA bout, and even though he intentionally violated WWE’s policy on blood (and on causing concussions) in his SummerSlam 2016 match with Randy Orton, Lesnar has never been suspended by WWE for any reason.
In fact, he hasn’t received anything in terms of punishment for any of his transgressions in WWE, which speaks volumes to the influence/power he wields in the company.
#4 Kane
When it comes to loyalty in WWE, few people set a higher benchmark than Kane. Employed with the company for over twenty years, Kane has been the poster child for doing what the company asked of him without complaining.
To further prove his loyalty, Kane was never suspended by WWE, despite being one of its biggest stars (both in term of size and popularity). Even though he used to be much bigger (during the early 2000s, Masked Kane had enormous arms, for example), he never got suspended for any substance abuse, nor for any other violation of WWE’s Wellness Policy or other code of conduct.
Because of this, Kane has guaranteed a place for himself in WWE’s Hall of Fame sometime in the future.
#3 Triple H
It should come as no surprise that Triple H, one of WWE’s most notable stalwarts and most influential backstage figures, has never been suspended by the organization. This fact has been a major source of controversy for many reasons.
First, Triple H’s relationship with Stephanie McMahon appeared to make him politically untouchable for many years, which made him a lightning rod for criticism for many years. Secondly, during his time at the top between 2002 and around 2004, Triple H was much larger than usual, as many fans noticed his new bulging musculature.
Not only did HHH look bigger, but his in-ring work was much worse, as he was sluggish and underwhelming in the ring (most fans can remember his awful match with Scott Steiner from 2003, which was a prime example of this).
Yet despite all of these controversies, Triple H was never suspended by WWE, not even for 30 days. In fact, the closest he ever came to any real punishment was his ‘demotion’ in 1996 and 1997 following the Curtain Call/Madison Square Garden incident.
But given how he was back in major storylines shortly thereafter, it really wasn’t that much of a punishment in hindsight.
#2 John Cena
John Cena has been WWE’s poster child for over a decade, a shining beacon of positivity for everyone around him. He’s the ultimate babyface and has shown his willingness to do whatever WWE asks of him without question.
Thus, he has managed to stay in WWE’s good graces for over 15 years and has never even come close to getting suspended. Cena has never done anything that contradicts WWE’s policies in any way and has always been a role model for both its fans and his fellow wrestlers.
Even though a few controversial videos and situations have risen over the course of his career, Cena has never received any punishment of any kind.
#1 The Undertaker
Not only is the Undertaker the most venerated superstar in WWE, but he is one of the few WWE Superstars that’s also universally praised. No one ever says anything bad about the Undertaker, which is unbelievably rare in an industry fueled by petty politics and jealousy.
One of the reasons for this universal praise is that The Undertaker never got suspended by WWE for any reason. He did get fined on one occasion for taking a chair shot to the head despite WWE’s outright ban on such moves and was one of the first people to overlook an old rule about WWE superstars being banned from going to strip clubs.
But despite that, ‘Taker was never punished by WWE for violating any rules or doing anything that went against WWE’s rules and practices. Small wonder, then, that The Undertaker became the locker room leader before the dawn of the new millennium.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
