WWE cutting costs and releasing dozens of promising talents has fans wondering which names were the biggest missed opportunities. Brandi Lauren appeared to be a future star when signing a developmental deal after her independent wrestling run. There was a lot of expectations for Lauren to continue improving as a naturally athletic performer with a great look, shades of Trish Stratus, Victoria and many others.

The women’s division will always need new talents with Raw, Smackdown and NXT all having unique rosters. Lauren could have blossomed into something special if the company invested time into her character’s growth. The future could see WWE looking like fools for missing the boat on a special talent. Lauren may have been the most marketable talent to get fired from WWE without a fair chance.

Brandi Lauren Seemed Like A Top Prospect

WWE initially signed Brandi Lauren after she spent some time on the independent circuit building her brand. Lauren was a standout performer for Evolve Wrestling when WWE had the smaller company as a feeder system to find new signees. The presence of Shotzi Blackheart and Lauren added a lot to Evolve and both ladies ended up impressing WWE management.

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Youth was on Brandi’s side and still is at the young age of 24. WWE took a bet that she would blossom into a top star due to her potential and marketability. Impact Wrestling even used Lauren on a few occasions under the name of Ava Storie when seeing she could become a major player. About four years on the indie circuit was all the time needed to get a WWE contract offer.

There used to be a running joke about WWE trying to sign talents to keep them away from AEW and other promotions. Despite there being truth to this thinking, Brandi was one of the talents WWE signed with the desire to use in a relevant manner down the road.

WWE Dropping The Ball On Brandi Lauren

The short WWE run of Brandi Lauren lasted about eight months before getting released in early 2021. Nick Khan’s drastic approach to cutting costs with big contracts saw unused names like Lauren getting released as a product of the business. WWE didn’t do nearly enough with Brandi before that to see how she would fit into the landscape.

The only NXT match for Lauren during her time under contract was a battle royal won by Candice LeRae for the NXT Women’s Championship title shot. All the ladies on the roster were placed in the match with little emphasis on Brandi. There were rumors of NXT wanting to introduce her when the time was right for a bigger push, but that just never came.

WWE changing their approach to business left Lauren as an odd woman out. However, it is a bit confusing since the new mandate is for younger talents without much experience. Even though Brandi is trained and experienced, most would assume WWE would prioritize a young star with a great look and the potential to become a bigger star.

The Future Is Bright For Brandi Lauren

Brandi Lauren has shown the ability to build a fan base in a short time even with minimal time on WWE television. The first move after leaving WWE for Lauren was to start a Twitch channel with a strong following. Brandi’s future will likely continue to play out in impressive fashion without WWE for all the same reasons that WWE wanted to add her to the roster.

Lauren’s look is a show-stealer both for the beauty associated with a public figure role and the athleticism is there in the ring. The promos of Brandi flew under the radar, but she was clearly improving during her time in Evolve. A smaller promotion will be a tough place for a wrestler to make their name. However, the option to grow and improve makes up for the smaller audience and pay scale.

Impact Wrestling brought Lauren back into the fold for a match against Melina on the build for the NWA Empowerr show. Fans reacted to Brandi positively and she did her job by making Melina look strong. The hope for a bigger role is there with Impact looking to pick the right talents to build their long-term future around like Lauren.

Any wrestling viewer who has watched the product long enough can easily see the potential in Brandi. WWE took a calculated risk by firing talented names nowhere near hitting their ceiling. Lauren will likely come back to haunt them down the road when her marketability leads to a star run in another promotion down the line.