WWE is famous for its revolving door of wrestlers, shock departures, and surprising comebacks – but for some, the door has been slammed shut.
While superstars like Cody Rhodes and CM Punk were able to rebuild their relationship with the company, it’s fair to say that not everyone gets a second chance.
Whether it is due to burnt bridges, legal scandals or locker room heat, there are a number of individuals who will never return to the WWE. Here, we take a closer look at seven wrestlers who will never work for the company again.
Austin Aries
Austin Aries enjoyed a highly successful career with TNA Wrestling and Ring of Honour before making his much-anticipated move to WWE in 2016.
Unfortunately for the American, he only lasted 17 months before being released from his contract in the summer of 2017.
According to reports, Aries had an alleged reputation for being difficult to work with and manage creatively.
Aries was reportedly frustrated with his own booking in the WWE, especially after his WrestleMania 33 match against Neville was left off the main show.
Over the years, there has been no shortage of wrestlers who have been hard to work with – a lot of whom have gone on to have tremendous careers.
However, the real reason why Aries will never return to the WWE stems from a 2018 incident at Impact Wrestling’s marquee event, Bound For Glory.
After losing a high-profile match against Johnny Impact, Aries broke kayfabe, immediately got up after the pin and walked away. That kind of unprofessional behaviour is unlikely to catch WWE’s attention.
Lars Sullivan
From the time of his first televised match in 2017, there was a lot of excitement in the WWE about Lars Sullivan and his potential.
Following a spell with NXT – the WWE’s developmental brand – Sullivan was elevated to the main roster, which marked the start of problems.
In January 2019, the heavyweight was scheduled to appear on an episode of Raw, but he reportedly walked out of the show due to an anxiety attack.
Later that same year, a far more sinister issue came to light as Sullivan’s old comments from a bodybuilding forum surfaced. They showed that the wrestler had been posting racist, sexist, misogynistic and homophobic remarks, all under the pseudonym ‘ElFreak’.
Sullivan was fined $100,000 by the WWE, but it wasn’t long before the wrestler was back in the headlines.
In 2020, it was uncovered that Sullivan had previously appeared in gay pornographic films, under the alias of ‘Mitch Bennett’. The news quickly went viral, with WWE making the decision to quietly take Sullivan off TV and release him in January 2021.
Ronda Rousey
Former Olympic bronze medallist and UFC superstar Ronda Rousey joined the WWE in 2018 and was immediately elevated to the main event picture.
Rousey was part of the first-ever women’s WrestleMania main event and won numerous titles during her time with the company.
Nevertheless, there are a number of reasons why we may never see the mixed martial artist back in the WWE.
Firstly, Rousey appeared to mock professional wrestling by calling it “fake fighting” in a series of 2020 interviews.
During her appearance on the Wild Ride! With Steve-O podcast, Rousey showed further disdain for the sport, saying: “I’m not going out there and being like, ‘I’m putting my body on the line’… it’s all fake, you’re all acting.”
Fans turned on Rousey during her 2022 and 2023 runs, which was not helped by her sloppy in-ring work and awkward promos.
Following her exit from the company, Rousey buried the WWE in her book, taking shots at the women’s division and Vince McMahon’s creative management.
Ripping the company publicly is a major red flag and unlikely to land Rousey another job with the WWE.
Enzo Amore
For a short period of time, Enzo Amore was able to use his sensational mic skills in order to become one of the most popular characters in the company.
Working alongside Big Cass, the pair formed one of the most beloved tag teams of the modern era, driving some of the biggest crowd reactions in years.
The tag team was dissolved in 2017, which marked the start of Enzo Amore’s demise as he struggled to forge a career as a solo act. However, there are far more serious reasons why the wrestler is unlikely to return to WWE.
Back in 2018, a woman publicly accused Amore of sexually assaulting her in a hotel room. This led the WWE to fire the wrestler, citing that he had failed to inform the company about the police investigation.
Amore also had reported heat with a number of other wrestlers, including Roman Reigns, who allegedly kicked him off a tour bus for disrespectful behaviour.
Another big issue is Amore’s in-ring limitations. Matches involving the wrestler were often low-quality, while some behind the scenes reportedly described him as ‘unteachable’.
Amore infuriated the company even further by showing up uninvited to Survivor Series in 2018 and trying to hijack attention during the live show.
Ryback
For a short period of time, Ryback seemed destined for main event status in the WWE thanks to his catchy gimmick and impressive physicality.
Things didn’t quite work out for the ‘Big Guy’, who endured an acrimonious WWE exit back in 2016 – one plagued by a public contract dispute.
Ryback has openly criticised the WWE’s pay structure and has continued to bash the company since his departure, even describing them as a “garbage company”.
The wrestler also had a poor reputation for his in-ring work, with CM Punk famously trashing Ryback on Colt Cabana’s podcast, saying: “Ryback literally took 20 years off my life.”
Ryback failed to forge a wrestling career outside of the WWE and is currently busy with other ventures away from the sport.
Velveteen Dream
Hailed for his charisma, in-ring talent and unique persona, Velveteen Dream was considered to be a future WWE main-eventer.
However, a series of misdemeanours and legal troubles have since shattered his pro wrestling career.
Back in 2020, Dream was accused by a minor of allegedly sending explicit images and voice messages. The wrestler denied the allegations, while an internal WWE investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing. Despite this, the company never pushed him again.
Two years later, Dream was arrested on two separate occasions – once on battery and trespassing charges, and later for possession of drug paraphernalia and destroying property.
Jon Moxley
Jon Moxley, known for many years in the WWE as Dean Ambrose, may not be surrounded by scandals or misconduct allegations, but there are other professional and personal reasons which prevent his return to the company.
The current AEW star left the WWE in 2019 on his own terms, letting his contract expire and rejecting big offers from the organisation.
Later that year, Moxley made an appearance on Chris Jericho’s podcast and blasted the WWE for a ‘stifling’ creative environment.
The wrestler compared the company to a ‘prison’ and said he was ‘dying a slow death’. He also took offence to Vince McMahon, saying the former WWE chairman was obsessed with bathroom humour and control.
In a far more serious accusation, Moxley alleged that the WWE failed to help when recovering from a health scare, saying: “I had a staph infection in my elbow and nearly died. I felt like they didn’t care.”
In 2021, Moxley entered rehab to deal with alcoholism problems. He has since returned to AEW and signed a long-term deal with the company.
Considering there has been no attempt at public reconciliation, coupled with the fact Moxley actively opposes WWE’s structure and philosophy, fans may never see him in the company again.
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