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What's the story?
WWE is a place where pro wrestling fans can find some of the best talents on the planet. Of course, WWE doesn't have every bit of the world's best talent but they do have a very good percentage at this point. Frightful reported that some pretty big WWE contracts were set to expire which could add to the world's free agent talent pool soon enough.
In case you didn't know...
Whenever a WWE Superstar's contract is set to expire, that usually means a serious negotiation needs to take place. As much as they might want to stay with WWE, there are sometimes more attractive offers coming from elsewhere.
After all, WWE isn't the only game in town as much as they'd like to ignore that fact. Advancements in technology have made the world much smaller which allows fans to enjoy any action from across the globe as it's happening. So fans can follow their favourite Superstar wherever they might choose to go next.
The heart of the matter
Fightful reports Brock Lesnar's contract is up after WrestleMania 34. While rumours of a return to MMA might have been rampant in recent months, there really hasn't been much talk of it happening since Jon Jones' recent drug test failure. But there's still always the possibility Lesnar could opt for an even lighter schedule with the UFC.
Daniel Bryan's contract is set to expire in September 2018. That means in one year from now we could be talking about The Bearded GOAT getting booked in ROH, New Japan, AAA, or a packed high school gym near you.
He'll be free to do whatever he wants after his WWE contract expires and if he has faith in the doctors who tell him he's allowed to compete, there's not much that will stop him from returning to action.
After all, he did say he was growing out his hair for a Mask vs Hair match in Arena Mexico. His hair could get plenty long enough to make that a plausible match in a year's time.
The Big Show's contract is set to expire in February next year. This might be why he said last year's WrestleMania was probably his last. His recent series with Braun Strowman did wonders for The Monster Among Men and could have been Big Show's swan song in a way since he required hip surgery afterwards, which could put him out of action for a while.
Paige hasn't been seen on WWE Television for a while since she required neck surgery which took her out of action. But her contract is set to expire in 2019. That might not give her much time for a comeback when she does return.
Hopefully, she'll get back into the swing of things and return to the top of the Women's Division on whichever brand she goes to so she'll be more likely to re-sign when the time comes.
Mauro Ranallo recently returned to WWE after a little hiatus to become the voice of NXT. His contract is set to expire in June 2019, and by the way the real estate value attached to his name keeps growing, there might be some interesting contract negotiations when the time comes to talk about a new deal.
What's next?
WWE is always changing. There is always the possibility of losing a top name which is why NXT is constantly grooming the WWE Superstars of tomorrow. The fact is every one of our favourite Superstars has to retire or move on sooner or later. But on their way out they can hopefully help cultivate some fresh faces to take their place.
Author's take
Although offers from elsewhere might seem attractive the grass is always greener on the other side. Brock Lesnar, Paige, and Mauro Ranallo could have lighter schedules waiting for them with more money attached which might be hard to pass up.
The Big Show's shoo-in WWE Hall Of Fame career could be wrapping up soon if it's not already over. As unceremonious as it might seem Braun Strowman heaving Big Show through the cage might have been Big Show's exit. But it would be similar to how Big Show launched Steve Austin through a cage at St Valentine's Day Massacre in 1999 when he debuted with WWE. Therefore it might be a rather poetic way for The Big Show to make his final exit to a chorus of cheers.
The one that worries me the most is Daniel Bryan because he has doctors who are very worried about him returning to the ring. But he still seems set on it. I just hope he can tweak his move set to take out some of his more impactful spots if he does return to the ring. That being said, I can't wait to see him wrestle The Bullet Club.
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