In the past few months, a lot of wrestlers have left WWE. Most of them were released, while a few left willingly. At the same time, many wrestlers re-signed with the company, when many expected them to leave. These stars will now be working for the WWE for the next few years. Although this isn't a guarantee because wrestlers can lose their jobs even after renewing their contracts.
Even among those who were fired in the past 12 months, many of them had just renewed their contracts. Those stars were quite surprised when they learned about their release. One would wonder why WWE even offered them a new deal if they wanted to release them.
10 AJ Styles
Some time ago, Fightful reported that AJ Styles has inked a new contract with WWE. Styles is one of the top stars in WWE, and after re-signing with the company, he's reportedly making over $3 million per year.
The Phenomenal One joined WWE back in 2016, and aside from a few booking errors, the company has always used him properly. This could very well be Styles' last contract with WWE before he decides to retire.
9 Kevin Owens
A lot of fans speculated that Kevin Owens could leave WWE after his contract expires in 2021. But The Prizefighter chose to stay with WWE because they gave him a pretty good deal, with Vince McMahon reportedly reaching out to Owens.
His reported salary is around the $2-3 million mark, which makes him one of the top earners in WWE. Incidentally, AEW didn't even try to bid on Owens since it's clear that Tony Khan just can't sign every wrestler in the world.
8 Sami Zayn
Fans also thought that Sami Zayn would leave WWE alongside Kevin Owens. Both wrestlers are great friends, and apparently, this is why most people thought they'd leave together. But earlier this year, it was reported that Zayn has also renewed his contract with WWE.
It's a multi-year contract, and it's probably safe to say that it's a very lucrative deal too. Zayn is one of the most talented stars in WWE, and has managed to turn whatever he's been given, into gold.
7 Pete Dunne
Former NXT UK Champion Pete Dunne has been with WWE for 5 years now. Last year, he renewed his contract with WWE and signed a three-year deal. He had previously signed a short-term extension as well.
Most fans believe Dunne is ready for the main roster, and there was even a rumor that he was joining the main roster brands last month. But he's still wrestling in NXT, and it seems like he's going to stay there for a while.
6 Rey Mysterio
Rey Mysterio returned to WWE in 2018 during the Men's Royal Rumble match. There were some reports that Mysterio had re-signed with WWE back in late 2020. But those claims weren't confirmed until February 2021, when Mysterio himself confirmed that he has signed a new contract with WWE.
Getting to work with his son, Dominik, was one of the reasons why The Master of 619 decided to stay in WWE. He and Dominik make for a great tag team, and any match between the two will likely be very special.
5 Roderick Strong
NXT's Diamond Mine leader Roderick Strong reportedly signed a new contract with WWE last year. At the end of 2021, many people expected him to leave WWE alongside other NXT wrestlers. But Fightful told fans that it won't happen since Strong is under a WWE contract.
Last year, WWE released his wife, Marina Shafir, and it was one of the reasons people expected him to leave the company as well, but he has stuck around so far.
4 Becky Lynch
Becky Lynch is the biggest female superstar in WWE. Before returning to the company last year, Lynch reportedly signed a new contract with WWE. She's the highest-paid female wrestler as well.
It's probably safe to say that Lynch will never leave the company. She's treated like a big deal here and there's no reason for her to consider working somewhere place. Becky's husband, Seth, is also a huge WWE superstar and makes a ton of money there.
3 Drake Maverick
Drake Maverick got released in 2020 due to budget cuts. He still continued to work for WWE and was later given a contract by Triple H. Maverick got released again earlier this year, but according to a report, he's back with WWE. Nobody thought this would happen, but fans are glad to know that Maverick still has a job.
However, he's not working as a wrestler anymore but has a creative position in WWE backstage.
2 Bronson Reed
Before his release, Bronson Reed worked a dark match on SmackDown. Many fans thought that he would soon join the main roster, and even Reed thought so when WWE called him one night during SmackDown.
He thought they are calling him to tell him about his main roster call-up. Instead, he learned about his release. Reed had renewed his contract for three years in 2021, and fans were very upset when he got released.
1 Samoa Joe
Fans were very upset when WWE released Samoa Joe after last year's WrestleMania. Joe was working as a color commentator for WWE and fans liked his work. Once again, WWE cited budget cuts as the reason behind his release.
In an interview, Joe revealed that only a few hours after he got released, he got offered another contract by Triple H. Unfortunately, he got released again earlier this year.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTErKeoqqSowaa%2BjZympmenrLJuw9Geqq2klafAbr7Ep5ywnZRisLC606uYnKxdpa60wIyynJqqXw%3D%3D