WWE Stars Most Likely to Leave the Company in 2024

The resignation of Vince McMahon, the chairman and CEO of WWE, sent shock waves across the WWE fraternity. Given the nature of the business over the last few years and mounting pressures from lawsuits, we can’t deny it was coming.

It taught us that no wrestler is dispensable to facing the axe. Moreover, the wrestling landscape is constantly shifting, with loads of buzz around potential exits to the company. Other brands like AEW and TNA are rapidly adopting a large audience, and a couple of WWE stars are ready to jump ship.

A couple of top names from the company were released in 2023, including Edge, Dolph Ziggler, Shelton Benjamin, and Mustafa Ali, among many others. Unfortunately, 2024 isn’t quite promising, with several names allegedly under the guillotine. Let’s look at some popular names who might jump ship or face the sack this year.

Brock Lesnar

He is undoubtedly one of the most dominating WWE stars of our generation. He became synonymous with his imposing and physically dominating wrestling style, characterized by a blend of agility, strength, and pure strength. Much more research, similar to MasterPapers.com, is needed to revive the old-school offensive wrestling approach, which overwhelms opponents with sheer strength and technique.

Brock Lesnar managed to shake things in the industry, with one of the most career-defining moments being ending the streak. As a WWE champion, he held various stints in the WWE, involving feuds against Goldberg, Drew McIntyre, and Roman Reigns.

Following his removal from the Royal Rumble, many questions surrounded his future. His last appearance in the ring was in August when he lost the title to Cody Rhodes at Summerslam.

However, there’s a buzz about his name being scrubbed from WWE records. The first proof in the pudding is the new update in the upcoming WWE 2K24 video game. Gamers can still use the ‘Beast’ in various modes. Lesnar’s return to TV has only been expected for some time.

Kevin Owens

A contract expiration in late 2024 could close the curtains on Canadian wrestler Kevin Owens. Rumors were quite high in 2021 that Owens would soon jump ship to AEW upon his contract expiry. This fits the narrative, joining top-rated stars like Daniel Bryan and Adam Cole. However, he signed a three-year contract extension and ended the ongoing rumors.

Owens has an impressive career spanning nine years in WWE. However, the former Universal, NXT, and Intercontinental star isn’t finding favor with the scriptwriters, and a feud with Logan Paul is in the books. There’s still a lot of untapped potential for the Prizefighter outside the WWE brand to become a star again.

Shinseki Nakamura

It was quite a surprise in 2023 when Shinki Nakamura embraced his heel side in his feud against Seth Rollins for the WWE title. Apart from moving into the main roster in 2017, Nakamura is yet to find favor for a title contention. He is yet to live up to the NXT hype that saw Triple H book him as the next babyface.

A last run to the title was in the books, with Triple H pitching him against Seth Rollins. Ultimately, he wasn’t becoming a World Heavyweight champion with managing a defeat to Seth Rollins in the Last Man Standing match at Fastlane.

An exit from WWE seems the most feasible step for the superstar and the company. Nakamura can succeed as a babyface again on the independent Japanese wrestling scene.

Sheamus

Sheamus became a household name in WWE known for his aggressive, powerful, and brawl-style wrestling. Recently, he has been a no-show on WWE, with his last appearance dating back to August on an episode of Smackdown.

His last battle came against Rated-R superstar Edge in Toronto to commemorate his 25th anniversary as a WWE star. Two spears earned Edge the win before he made his move to AEW. There have been rumors about a potential exit from the company.

He is currently nursing a shoulder injury he picked up during a match. His contract expires in 2024 without much talk of an extension. Also, we could see some months spent off on the recovery table added to his contract.

Drew McIntyre

The status of the former WWE champion has been discussed in recent months. The 39-year-old took a break from the main stage after Wrestlemania 39. He made a major comeback in Money in the Bank, speculating on a new contract signing.

With Wrestlemania 40 approaching, Drew McIntyre has no plans to headline it. Previously, the storyline involved a feud with Seth Rollins for the WWE Championship. However, a Wrestlemania storyline that pitches Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes alongside the Bloodline sets to headline the show. This leaves Drew McIntyre in the cold while pursuing a feud against CM Punk.

AJ Styles

Again, one of the hottest free agents in the market could be AJ Styles. This could be a possible reality following his speculated five-year contract from 2019. Following his departure from TNA, AJ Style found success with independent bookings and New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

He made a shocking debut at Royal Rumble 2016 and managed a successful career, winning the United States Championship three times, the Intercontinental Championship, and the Raw Tag Team Championship.

However, he recently discussed the possibility of retirement after WWE. Moreover, he also stated that signing up for another promotion is impossible.

Ricochet

There seems to be a strong attachment for Ricochet to continue at WWE following his romantic entanglement with RAW announcer Samantha Irvin. Lately, we have witnessed how WWE is capitalizing on work romance to push the brand, with the most popular couple series show Love & WWE featuring Bianca Belair and Montez.

Hence, another romantic storyline between a wrestler and announcer could prove a massive success for the scriptwriters. However, with AEW readily available, the 35-year-old could explore his options.

Final Thoughts

We can only expect another mass departure from the company, with some popular faces either switching brands or retiring. The best part is that we are witnessing some popular returns to the brand, including CM Punk, Randy Orton, and Andrade.

This is a sponsored article and does not reflect the views of Fightful