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“If your goal isn’t to be on the top then you don’t deserve to be here.”
-- Big E
WWE can be one ruthless place. Not every pro wrestler who aspires to become a ‘top Superstar’ does end up living the dream as many get buried into obscurity. They are served as fodder to main event talents and find themselves struggling for relevancy in the lower mid-card until they eventually get released.
Now, there is one thing about being talented and not getting pushed enough and there is the other side wherein you may just not be well-rounded enough to make it big in the WWE. In both cases, you will end up being shown the door or you may just find that door yourself.
Then you have the careless bunch that has the knack of landing into trouble. As we all know, WWE has adopted a zero-tolerance policy and even the faintest of blots on their public image would lead to an unceremonious release, in less serious cases, a light suspension. There is no job security in the WWE unless you’re that dude whose name rhymes with grains.
Additionally, the mass signings of well-known indie talents have further led to severe talent cuts and in recent times itself, around ten superstars have exited the company’s fold. So what are they up to as we speak? Let’s take a look at what the most popular ones are up to…
#1 Austin Aries
We know; it’s been a while since the greatest man that ever lived left the biggest pro wrestling promotion in the world but you have to know how well he’s doing since being freed from the criminal underutilization courtesy of WWE’s creative team.
The Impact Wrestling faithful would be familiar but for those who aren’t, A Double is the current Impact World Champion (his 3rd reign) and has been so for quite some time now.
After rehabbing and working out in the WWE performance Center itself during his 90-day non-compete clause with WWE, Aries predictably returned to Impact and won the title on April 24th, 2018 and has held the strap for 129+ days while also being the Grand Champion at the same time. However, Aries merged the two titles, thus effectively retiring the useless Grand Championship for good. He is also the current Heavyweight Champion for Australian promotion World Series Wrestling.
The flexibility of his contract enables him to actively compete in the independent circuit. He even defended the Impact World title at a House of Glory show in August and also made a return to Ring of Honor during the promotion’s 16th anniversary show.
Aries may not have been a popular figure backstage in the WWE, especially amongst the writers and staff, but he is certainly a big draw in the indies and is doing a darn good job of restoring some legitimacy to TNA.
#2 Jack Swagger
We, the WWE Universe always knew Jack Swagger was a gifted bloke inside the squared circle but something was amiss that was essentially needed to crack the main event scene for a sustained period. That world heavyweight Championship win was a feel-good-moment but it’s a shame it was not built upon.
Nonetheless, Swagger asked for his release after being a faithful servant for eleven years and left WWE in March last year. While Swagger has dabbled on the Independent scene and is also a part of Lucha Underground, the former NCAA All American is all set to foray into the unforgiving world of mixed martial arts.
Yes, Swagger, real name Jake Hagger, took a page out of CM Punk’s book and signed up with UFC’s perennial rival Bellator MMA last year. In a recent interview, Swagger revealed that he will make his MMA debut in the heavyweight division by the end of 2018 and in the meantime, is diligently training hard in the gym.
Hopefully, Swagger has a better MMA story to boast of than the Cult of Personality.
#3 Emma
The entire Emmalina shtick was a debacle or what? It bombed so hard that it proved to be one of biggest contributors to the release of the first female wrestler from Australia. Rumored to be Vince McMahon’s brainchild, the gimmick failed to get over not just with the fans but with Emma herself. As a result, the former NXT star fell out of favor with the powers that be backstage and her twitter rants didn’t help her cause either. It all ended with WWE releasing her in October 2017 with a reported 90-day no-compete clause.
Upon the termination of the clause, Emma hit the indie scene with a vengeance using her real name Tennille Dashwood and performed for many notable promotions. Anyone who has seen her in action will attest to the fact that she is solid in the ring and pretty entertaining to watch overall. This sentiment was echoed by the fans too who came in numbers for her shows and showered their love for the former WWE star.
Dashwood stepped it up a notch by debuting in Ring of Honor as part of the promotion’s newly formed women’s division and came close to becoming the first ROH Women of Honor Champion when she lost in the semi-finals of the tournament.
She even took up commentary duties during the recently concluded All In show. How did she fare you ask? Let’s just say that her focus should solely be on her in-ring career for now.
The 29-year-old star also opened up about a health condition that has plagued her since she was 14 years old. The skin condition known as Psoriasis has prevented Emma from competing regularly off late and she spoke about it in length through a Twitter post:
#4 Big Cass
Big Cass had all the tools that could have taken him to the very top of the WWE. He may have been green in many aspects but he had the look and that is sufficient enough to make it big in Mr. McMahon’s empire. In addition to the quintessential look you even need to possess a top guy’s attitude and sadly for Cass, he lacked that in abundance if countless reports are to be believed
‘Behavioral issues, public intoxication and disobeying orders from Vince McMahon’ were the reasons behind his ouster according to Sports Illustrated. No one can change what’s happened and Cass has exhumed maturity by accepting that fact. The 7-foot giant expressed regret over his actions that led to his departure from the company. He is focused on making amends which could someday pave the way back into the WWE.
For now, The Don of Parmesan is waiting for his 90-day non-compete clause to expire and has already been announced to make his in-ring comeback for Big Time Wrestling on September 21st under the moniker Big C (earlier stylized Big Cazz).
Honorable mentions
Rich Swann: The Outlandish is currently signed to Impact Wrestling while also making regular appearances on the indie circuit. After initially announcing his retirement, Swann changed his mind and has been a solid addition to the Impact roster. In case you’re wondering, all domestic abuse charges against the former Cruiserweight Champion have been dropped due to lack of evidence.
Simon Gotch: Another indie regular, Gotch won his first singles championship post his WWE release by winning the XWA Frontier Sports title. Gotch has appeared for many promotions under his WWE name Simon Gotch (after the trademark was dropped) and made his Ring of Honor debut too in recent times. The former Vaudevillian is doing much better than his time in WWE.
Darren Young: Young has adopted the name Fred Rosser and has found comfort in the always welcoming independent domain. He reunited with former Nexus stalemates PJ Black (Justin Gabriel) and Michael Tarver at the King of Trios Tournament 2018 for Chikara.
Summer Rae: While Rae has returned to her modeling roots after leaving WWE, the first lady of NXT has wrestled for an independent promotion for the first time ever for Battle Championship Wrestling. She has since only made non-wrestling appearances and has no intentions of getting back into the ring anytime soon. However, she did sound excited about WWE Evolution and the possibilities that could arise, so keep your eyes out for her.
#5 Enzo Amore
Amore wasn’t the most likable of them all nor was he that great in the ring. Agreed that he was one of the best on the microphone during his time in WWE but you could always sense that he was a douche behind the scenes. Still, he was given the task of carrying the bruised cruiserweight division and did so admirably well as the champion until his unknown sexcapades were thrown up in the public domain.
WWE wasted no time in firing the Smacktalking Skywalker as soon as the sexual harassment and assault charges were leveled against him and Amore was left with nothing but a bitter taste regarding pro wrestling.
The self-proclaimed Michael Jordan of Jargon announced his retirement from wrestling to focus all his energy on becoming a rapper. He has since released two singles – Pheonix and Bury Me a G respectively – under the moniker Real1.
He has often come out to proclaim his disdain for wrestling and vowed to never return to WWE. However, Amore was originally scheduled to make an appearance at House of Glory’s High Intensity 7 show but nothing materialized.
Amore is hell-bent on making it big in the music industry but honestly, he still sounds as annoying as ever even on a banging beat. Nonetheless, we wish him nothing but the best.
