WWE is a well oiled machine consisting of many parts, Superstars who are in from of the audience and people behind the scenes. For the wheel of production and entertainment keeping, every know and then people, product and production requires changes. So the most notable once are when WWE releases its superstars for many reasons. Join us as we uncover the untold stories behind WWE Superstars released during 2023, examining the factors that led to their exits and how they've navigated the unpredictable world of professional wrestling outside the WWE universe.
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#dolphziggler #mustafaali #mattriddle #elias #wwe #wrestling #sportskeedawrestling
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00:00 WWE released a total of 14 main roster superstars and 7 more from NXT, making it a whopping
00:07 21 names cut by WWE last year in 2023.
00:12 It's not really that much compared to the insane pandemic numbers of 2020 and 2021,
00:18 but it still feels like a lot and WWE is truly a machine where talent come in and talent
00:24 go out.
00:25 One of those releases came around the time when the TKO merger with the Endeavor Group
00:30 was made official and we knew that would cause some different changes to what you see on
00:34 WWE television.
00:35 Reportedly, it made a lot of changes to what happens behind the camera quite a bit as well.
00:40 For the sake of this video, we're going to focus on the main roster superstars that WWE
00:45 released and what they're up to these days.
00:47 This is Sportskeeda Wrestling, I'm Kevin.
00:50 Let us know what you think of the talent that has hit the free agency market and what do
00:54 you think of these now former WWE superstars and what they're up to now.
00:58 Dolph Ziggler is one of those profound superstars in WWE that was referred to as a lifer by
01:03 many, which is why it was a very big surprise when he was released by the company last year.
01:08 Ziggler was arguably one of the most shocking names to be released, but some saw this coming.
01:13 It was clear that his peak had been over for quite a few years now and that though he was
01:18 well regarded by fans and the industry itself, it didn't feel like WWE was going to push
01:24 him to the next level.
01:25 An overall 15-time champion in WWE, including a run with the world title, an even more impressive
01:31 feat the fact that he lasted a whopping 19 years in WWE from when he signed a developmental
01:37 deal after a successful collegiate amateur wrestling career.
01:42 Although many fans felt his pro wrestling career might wind down or not have the same
01:46 amount of momentum after finishing up with WWE, he's proving that he's far from done
01:51 and still the showstopper.
01:53 Apart from signing with TNA Wrestling where he's made quite the impact, the man now known
01:57 as Nick Nemeth also became the IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion, making a big splash
02:03 with New Japan Pro Wrestling and having some very well-received matches, most recently
02:08 with Tomohiro Ishii on the Windy City Riot pay-per-view.
02:11 Nemeth maintains his Mr. International status where he's set to face a man he knows well
02:16 from his WWE days, Alberto Del Rio for the vacant AAA Mega Championship.
02:22 And if that wasn't enough, Nemeth continues his quest to entertain with his hunkamania
02:26 stand-up comedy show with his brother Ryan.
02:29 A less surprising release by WWE in 2023 was Matt Riddle, and it's really a shame because
02:34 Riddle undoubtedly had a ton of potential and he was pegged by many as a future world
02:40 champion.
02:41 His "Oh" act was way over with fans, his credibility from his UFC fighting days along
02:47 with his time in the independent wrestling circuit gave him a lot of momentum coming
02:51 into WWE.
02:52 He had all the talent in the world, but at the end, Matt Riddle had some issues out of
02:57 the ring.
02:58 A bit shameless of a plug, we recommend you watch our long-form video about his rise and
03:03 fall within WWE, but let's check out what he's been doing recently.
03:06 The King of Bros was back in action for Major League Wrestling, where he was able to face
03:11 notable names like Jacob Fatu.
03:14 And much like Nick Nemeth, he was in action for New Japan Pro Wrestling, where he defeated
03:19 the ace of New Japan, Hiroshi Tanahashi, to win the New Japan Pro Wrestling World Television
03:25 Championship.
03:26 At WrestleCon, he's able to tag team with someone else we'll be talking about, Mustafa
03:30 Ali, taking on the Rascals of Impact Wrestling.
03:34 And well, you might light one up for this, he did have a big match with Rob Van Dam.
03:39 Sheldon Benjamin was another unfortunate name released by WWE in 2023.
03:44 Unfortunately, the former gold standard, 6-year return run to WWE never saw him get past the
03:51 mid-card level.
03:53 The peak of this last run was undoubtedly during the peak of the pandemic, when he was
03:57 in the Hurt Business with Bobby Lashley.
03:59 His previous terms in WWE saw him capture the WWE Intercontinental and Tag Team Championships
04:05 in the height of the Ruthless Aggression years.
04:09 He's one of those highly praised names within the industry, who just never seemingly got
04:13 his due in terms of a main event evolution.
04:16 Sheldon Benjamin is set to make his return to independent wrestling on the Prestige Wrestling
04:21 Show, where he'll face former Impact World Champion Josh Alexander.
04:25 He'll get his first post-WWE bouts for the Australian Upstart promotion, OPW, facing
04:30 Tommy Knight in April of 2024.
04:33 Another guitar-slaying superstar in WWE who suffered a cut was Rick Boogs.
04:38 He was a superstar that unexpectedly really hit some success on Smackdown with Shinsuke
04:43 Nakamura.
04:44 Reportedly, Vince McMahon was a big proponent of the guitar hero himself.
04:49 He unfortunately suffered a poorly timed injury at WrestleMania 38 in a big tag team title
04:55 match, and once Vince McMahon was out of the picture, Rick Boogs was lost in the shuffle.
05:01 He blamed the change in the creative picture of WWE as the real reason for his release,
05:07 and since he admitted he is done with wrestling altogether, it's hard to see if we'll see
05:11 him do anything in wrestling in the future.
05:14 Another well-tenured member of WWE to be released in 2023 was Dana Brooke.
05:19 She was always well-respected and established name in the fitness world before joining WWE,
05:24 and most situations, the chances for her to grow seemingly were never really there.
05:29 She never got the opportunity that many WWE fans felt she deserved in WWE.
05:34 Still, she had a great run, nothing to be ashamed of, and was featured in plenty of
05:39 different mid-card angles, including the WWE 24/7 Championship scene.
05:44 Her first destination post-WWE was on TNA Wrestling, with a brand new character and
05:49 a much smarter reboot, maybe even the most creative thing she's done in her career,
05:54 her new character Ash by Elegance.
05:57 We highly suggest you go check out our deep dive interview with her, where she breaks
06:01 down the newfound freedom she has in TNA Wrestling.
06:04 It's over on the Sportskeeda Wrestling WrestleBinge channel.
06:07 It would not surprise us if Ash was able to be so elegant that she wins the TNA Knockouts
06:13 Women's Championship in 2024.
06:16 Another star who had some unfortunate luck recently in WWE was Emma.
06:20 Yes, she had the misfortune of really having not much backstage support and being allowed
06:26 to break the perception of her role as a lower-tier character in WWE, despite having a massive
06:32 following on social media.
06:34 She was brought back in 2022 and really didn't get to do much.
06:38 The Australian superstar was unfortunately released just as she shared her online excitement
06:43 for WWE returning to Australia with the Elimination Chamber, which the timing felt cruel, but
06:51 that sometimes is big-time pro wrestling.
06:54 Emma has been active making appearances at events like Starrcast, but seems unsure if
06:58 she'll be back in active in-ring competition any time soon.
07:02 She seems more focused on her travel influencer content on Instagram, where she's pretty
07:08 busy with that.
07:10 She is also busy being the wife of another WWE superstar, Riddick Moss, whom she married
07:14 in March.
07:15 Speaking of Riddick Moss, he is another one of those unfortunate names released in 2023.
07:21 His release was probably more of a disappointing one because for a while it looked like he
07:25 had the potential to break out on WWE television.
07:28 He experimented with a few characters in his times in NXT and had a decent run as Mad Cat
07:34 Moss underneath Baron Corbin.
07:36 They were featured on several different big-time pay-per-views.
07:40 For reasons unknown, presumably because creative had nothing for him, he had the misfortune
07:46 of being released.
07:48 He has since teased returning to the independent circuit and is expected to do so in 2024.
07:53 Next up is a critically acclaimed performer, Mustafa Ali.
07:57 He had an awkward situation, publicly requesting his release from WWE and reportedly having
08:03 it denied, which probably wasn't very fun to come back to that element backstage.
08:09 After years of being in a creative yo-yo with WWE, Ali knew he reached his limit in the
08:14 company and how far he was able to run within it.
08:17 He did have some eyes during his time in WWE, being featured prominently in 205 Live, the
08:22 Cruiserweight Classic Tournament, and a show opening bout on WrestleMania.
08:26 He was given a critical role as the leader of the much-typed but failing to meet expectations
08:30 faction Retribution, which some consider one of WWE's big misfires during the closed-set
08:36 Thunderdome days.
08:37 There was major creative stagnation around him, even him pitching great characters that
08:42 seemingly got over on social media and deviated from being the stereotypical "foreign heel."
08:49 He had something special, and he took a stand and denied going with the archetypical character
08:55 that people were tired of.
08:57 Oh yes, the foreign heel.
08:58 We've seen that before.
09:00 Ali had the confidence to put himself out there and make something new and fresh.
09:05 Using social media, he garnered a lot of hype around what he was able to do when he hit
09:10 the independent circuit as an active free agent, signing with TNA's X-Division where
09:15 he became the X-Division Champion in a very fast, really cool way that showed he was able
09:21 to present a new character and be a big star right away in a new promotion.
09:26 Ali is easily one of the hottest independent names in pro wrestling right now.
09:31 It's really going to be interesting to see what happens with him.
09:33 Make sure you follow him because there could be a very special run that follows him outside
09:37 of WWE.
09:39 Another name that left WWE in 2023 was Aaliyah.
09:43 One of the longest-tenured stars in WWE NXT history, she had an insane six years in the
09:49 developmental line of WWE, something that's pretty unheard of.
09:53 Usually the developmental superstars don't show any signs of progress after a certain
09:57 period and maybe they get lost and leave the performance center.
10:01 She would definitely debut on the main roster though with a decent tenure in a short, quick
10:06 way, having some big wins like a 3.1 second victory over Natalya that finds herself in
10:13 the Guinness Book of World Records.
10:15 Yeah, not everyone gets to be in that book.
10:17 Apart from that, Aaliyah had a very brief run of the Women's Tag Team Champion with
10:21 Raquel Rodriguez.
10:23 For some reason, she didn't appear at all in 2023 and was undoubtedly released.
10:28 She has yet to hint at a return to pro wrestling at this time.
10:31 The next was Top Dolla.
10:33 He was a superstar who probably received a lot more hate than maybe he deserved as a
10:38 hip-hop-influenced in-ring performer, although there were some rumors that he rubbed some
10:43 people the wrong way backstage.
10:45 Not many may know this, the reason he got so much flack on WWE Smackdown commentary
10:50 from Michael Cole, who loved to trash him at least as much as fans knew from watching
10:56 the show, was because, well, Michael Cole loved him in real life, something he did for
11:00 similar villains on television like Dominik and Bayley to help them get over.
11:05 His WWE career was clouded by an underwhelming run with the hip-hop-influenced faction Hit
11:10 Row, who were on the main roster for a very brief time before being swiftly released in
11:16 2021.
11:17 In fact, he was someone who was utilized in WWE to host the non-in-ring-focused television
11:23 show Most Wanted Treasures on the AEW channel in the United States.
11:28 Now without Swerve Strickland, Hit Row was brought back to WWE under the new Triple H
11:33 regime in 2022, but under the sink or swim position they were on this second run, they
11:39 simply didn't swim.
11:41 Top Dolla, now known as AJ Francis, has shown he has a good attitude post-release in keeping
11:46 the positive momentum.
11:48 He has taken his name back to the independent circuit, has earned television roles on TNA,
11:53 MLW, and NWA, a good way to spread his wings and gain momentum in the wrestling world.
11:58 Now what about those male models Mance or Mace and Mansoor?
12:04 They were acts from WWE on the dreaded date of September 21st in 2023.
12:09 They were lovable goofballs, playing a low-tier on the WWE card role of the maximum male models.
12:16 And they weren't given enough TV time to really get it going beyond a certain level.
12:21 Although the ceiling wasn't exactly high to begin with, it probably would have been fun
12:25 to see Mance or Mace and Mansoor win those tag team titles at one point or another, but
12:31 they simply just weren't developed to that point.
12:34 Mace had an underwhelming career in WWE, first being Dio Maddin on commentary before having
12:40 a failed run in the Retribution faction.
12:43 Mansoor, on the other hand, prior to his tag team run, had some big fleeting moments as
12:48 a single superstar who was hoping to gain traction with the Middle East audience featuring
12:54 on WWE's big shows in Saudi Arabia, including a huge unexpected win over Cesaro.
13:02 That momentum, though, simply couldn't be sustained.
13:04 Both Mace and Mansoor are now teaming together on the independent circuits as MXM, and we
13:10 love how their partnership on TV has translated into a friendship in real life and on the
13:15 independent circuit.
13:16 They even went to Africa, in Uganda, where they performed with the Soft Ground wrestling
13:22 promotion which has found viral fame on the internet.
13:27 Another name released by WWE in 2023 was Shanky.
13:31 Yes, the heavyweight had a big smile and occasionally would dance, but his appearances on WWE television
13:36 were minor at best, and he never had a certain flair that would have you thinking he was
13:42 a future world champion.
13:44 Interestingly enough, his final match in WWE saw him compete in one of WWE's big returns
13:50 to India, the first time there in over six years, where he performed on the Superstar
13:55 Spectacle, failing to take the WWE Intercontinental title from Gunther in a five minute loss.
14:02 He recently performed a return to the ring in Australia for OPW.
14:08 This list is a mixture of superstars who were both established veterans who could still
14:12 have a lot of great success outside of WWE, and those that simply just maybe didn't
14:17 get what they deserved when they were there.
14:20 It is a sign of how tough the competition is in WWE as the number one pro wrestling
14:26 company in the world.
14:27 While they may not be with WWE, that doesn't stop their careers in entertainment or pro
14:32 wrestling.
14:33 No one is bound by simply being defined as a superstar with WWE.
14:38 What do you think?
14:39 Let us know in the comments below.
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