WWE lets wrestlers go each and every year, and in 2023 several high profile names were let go, including former World Champions, popular wrestlers, and talented individuals. When exiting WWE, some wrestlers firmly find their feet, repackaging themselves into a self-made star and becoming a draw elsewhere, before perhaps eventually returning to WWE someday.
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For other wrestlers, it can be a tough road outside of WWE, failing to succeed and sometimes even parting ways with professional wrestling as a whole. We will take a look at some of those released in 2023 to see where they are today in 2024.
Mace & Mansoor Have Had A Lot Of Fun Outside Of WWE
They Reportedly Signed With AEW/ROH
Final WWE Match | Current Promotion | Current/New Ring Name |
|---|---|---|
Battle Royal (WWE RAW 05/15/2023) | Freelance | Mansoor & Mason Madden |
The duo of Mace and Mansoor showed just a taste of their charisma in WWE as the Maximum Male Models, but ever since leaving their various podcast appearances and Twitch streams have opened the door to them becoming one of the most entertaining and likable acts in wrestling.
They have had a lot of fun ever since leaving WWE, taking the setback in their stride, becoming a strong act on the independent scene - they even showed up in the viral Ugandan SGW promotion. A report from Fightful Select revealed that they held talks and may have even signed with ROH/AEW.
Rick Boogs Is Not Currently Wrestling
He Is Focused On Other Ventures
Final WWE Match | Current Promotion | Current/New Ring Name |
|---|---|---|
Battle Royal (WWE SummerSlam 2023) | N/A | Eric Bugenhagen |
Rick Boogs had the looks and charisma to thrive in WWE, but an ill-timed injury at WrestleMania 38 halted his momentum a couple of years back - and he never got another opportunity before getting released in 2023. Speaking to Chris Van Vliet, Boogs revealed that returning to wrestling wasn’t on his current plans. (h/t Fightful)
“I started a YouTube channel. I've kind of become this underground lifting cult figure, which is cool. That kind of built my own brand… Now that this is over, I can invest in all that.”
Top Dolla Is Building His Name Value In TNA
He Has Won Titles And Been Involved In Several Feuds
Final WWE Match | Current Promotion | Current/New Ring Name |
|---|---|---|
w/ Hit Row Vs. LWO (WWE Sunday Stunner 09/10/2023) | TNA | AJ Francis |
The former Hit Row member was released from WWE after a pretty underwhelming main roster run, and he was soon signed to TNA.
He has become a prominent member of the midcard, having feuds with the likes of Joe Hendry, PCO, and others, whilst also becoming the TNA Digital Media Champion. He has been getting better and better throughout his time in the promotion, firmly finding his feet in TNA.
Ikemen Jiro Returned To Japan A Terrible NXT Run
He Is Competing In AJPW Once Again
Final WWE Match | Current Promotion | Current/New Ring Name |
|---|---|---|
Vs. Luca Crusifano (WWE NXT Level Up 09/12/2023) | AJPW | Kuroshio TOKYO Japan |
Given his talents, the way Ikemen Jiro was booked in NXT was an absolute joke. Racial stereotypes, poor comedic work, and a personality that was zapped of anything interesting led to a failed run which ended with him getting released.
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In the time since, Jiro returned to AJPW, where he wrestled before his failed WWE spell. He has been regularly competing in the promotion in addition to other minor companies in Japan too.
Shelton Benjamin Returned To The Independent Scene In 2024
He Hasn’t Done Too Much Of Note
Final WWE Match | Current Promotion | Current/New Ring Name |
|---|---|---|
w/ Cedric Alexander Vs. Viking Raiders (WWE Main Event 09/11/2023) | Freelance | Shelton Benjamin |
Shelton Benjamin’s second spell in WWE saw him gain some minor success in the tag team division, but ultimately he ended up doing very little in the promotion. His release in 2023 opened a door for him to do something important and noteworthy once again.
Benjamin has been competing on the independent scene, though there has been some talk of AEW being interested in bringing him in. Back in April, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful noted that plans for Benjamin debuting in AEW were delayed, and nothing has happened on this front since.
Emma Has Hardly Wrestled Ever Since Leaving WWE
She’s Had One Match Since Her Release
Final WWE Match | Current Promotion | Current/New Ring Name |
|---|---|---|
Vs. Shayna Baszler (WWE RAW 07/10/2023) | N/A | Tenille Dashwood |
Emma’s release from WWE in 2023 felt like one of the most harsh, as it came soon after she showed huge excitement at potentially competing at the 2024 Elimination Chamber event, which was set to take place in her home country of Australia. However, she has turned away from professional wrestling for the time being, explaining why in an Instagram post. She would also tie the knot and get married to fellow former WWE wrestler Riddick Moss.
“2023 was filled with highs and lows. The man of my dreams proposed to me and I also lost my dream job at the company where we first met. It was bitter sweet. While I’m not sure if I’ll ever wrestle again... I am sure that I’ll turn this into a positive. No restrictions, no putting things on the back burner. Time to follow my heart.”
Mustafa Ali Has Been A Dominant TNA X-Division Champion
He Is Finally Getting His Deserved Recognition
Final WWE Match | Current Promotion | Current/New Ring Name |
|---|---|---|
Vs. Dragon Lee (WWE NXT 09/05/2023) | TNA | Mustafa Ali |
Mustafa Ali was someone who fans felt got dealt a bad card from WWE’s creative team, with him never really achieving the heights that people thought he deserved. Leaving WWE has seen him finally get success and attention, most notably in TNA where he became the X-Divison Champion, reigning for several months before losing the gold to “Speedball” Mike Bailey. Ali has also been competing on the independent scene too, whilst being a TNA regular without signing a full-time deal.
He Hasn’t Found A Permanent Home
Final WWE Match | Current Promotion | Current/New Ring Name |
|---|---|---|
w/ Drew McIntyre vs. Viking Raiders (WWE RAW 09/04/2023) | Freelance | Matt Riddle |
Despite brushing with the main event scene here and there, Matt Riddle’s controversial side was too much for WWE to handle, leading to him receiving his release from the company in 2023. Although he hasn’t officially signed anywhere as of yet, Riddle has found some success in the likes of NJPW and MLW.
He won the NJPW World Television Championship earlier this year, before dropping the title to Zack Sabre Jr.
Elias Is Now On The Independent Wrestling Scene
He is Now Competing Under A New Name
Final WWE Match | Current Promotion | Current/New Ring Name |
|---|---|---|
Battle Royal (WWE RAW 05/15/2023) | Freelance | Elijah |
There was one point in time where Elias looked set to be a top level star in WWE, but a spell of bad booking and a lack of creative plans led to him becoming a forgotten part of WWE programming before eventually getting his release.
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Elias has been wrestling here and there on the independent scene, recently even wrestling the red hot Joe Hendry in the NORTH Wrestling promotion. On top of that, he has been reading Bible passages on social media.
Dolph Ziggler Has Achieved World Championship Gold Since Leaving WWE
He Has Won Titles In TNA, NJPW, & AAA
Final WWE Match | Current Promotion | Current/New Ring Name |
|---|---|---|
Vs. JD McDonagh (WWE RAW 05/29/2023) | TNA | Nic Nemeth |
Dolph Ziggler was arguably the highest profile name let go from WWE in 2023, ending a near two-decade stay which saw him win a sea of championships and wrestle countless great matches. In 2024, he worked in several other high profile companies such as NJPW, TNA, AAA, and elsewhere in the wrestling world.
He became the second ever IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion, and as of this writing he is both the TNA World Heavyweight Champion and AAA Mega Champion. He is having a very successful spell outside of WWE, and is one of the more prominent names currently not signed to AEW & WWE.
