Shawn Spears & 9 Other Former WWE Wrestlers Who Didn't Become Stars

Sometimes, when a wrestler either quits or gets released from WWE, it is clear that they're not going to go on and become major stars elsewhere. However, often the case is that wrestlers who get let go by WWE have the potential to become huge names in different places, just as Kenny Omega did after his time in developmental.

However, there are times when a wrestler can be popular with fans and have the in-ring potential to be big stars, yet they don't end up achieving anything after leaving. They fail to live up to that ability and don't go on and become huge names elsewhere, despite having the tools to do so.

10 Shawn Spears

Shawn Spears is somebody that has always been touted as a top talent, from his days in developmental to NXT. He has had great moments and his Perfect 10 character caught tons of traction, giving him a loyal fanbase that have stuck with him.

When he found himself joining AEW a lot of people thought that he'd finally get to the main event scene and become a huge star. But that just hasn't happened, instead, he's been the man who often takes the falls for The Pinnacle to keep others looking strong.

9 PAC

PAC worked for WWE as Neville, and he did have some great moments with the company, such as becoming NXT Champion or his great run as Cruiserweight Champion. He's a talent everyone always thought could do more, and when he joined AEW that's what audiences expected to see.

However, that hasn't really materialized. Despite an impressive start against Kenny Omega, PAC has struggled to get any higher than the mid-card within the company, and his star power certainly hasn't risen above what he was in WWE.

8 Ryback

At one point, Ryback was one of the biggest names in the wrestling industry due to the huge push that WWE gave him. Everybody thought he was going to be a future WWE Champion, but that never came to pass and while he did have a very good career, Ryback was still released.

Because of his solid WWE run, fans thought he would naturally go on to become an even bigger name outside of the company. However, that really hasn't been the case, with the Big Guy struggling to make any impact in wrestling after parting ways with the company.

7 Enzo Amore

Enzo Amore is someone who had a lot of confidence and he wasn't afraid to shout about it after his time with WWE ended. This included showing up at a PPV and trying to hijack the show, but even that failed to gain Enzo the traction he required.

Since leaving WWE his star power hasn't been able to grow anymore. While his former tag team partners back in wrestling with Impact making a name for himself again, Enzo seems to only pop in and out of the industry, which has stopped him from reaching that top level.

6 Maven

Maven was seemingly somebody that could do no wrong in wrestling, from being a star in Tough Enough to eliminating The Undertaker from the Royal Rumble, he had a great period in WWE. However, that wasn't something that he was able to sustain.

Rather than building on that and becoming a major star in wrestling, Maven ended up fading away and being forgotten about. He's someone who simply couldn't keep up the momentum that he had built.

5 Chris Masters

Chris Masters had the physique of a main event name, but that didn't lead to a main event career. While he did make major improvements throughout his two spells with the company, neither of them led to him becoming a true star in the industry.

Even outside of WWE, Masters was never quite able to become the World Champion star that he had promised to be at one point, which was a shame. Of course, he still had a solid career that he can certainly look back on proudly.

4 Evan Bourne

Evan Bourne is another wrestler who had tons of potential but never quite got to that level. Inside the ring, Bourne can do some magical things, and still to this day he puts together a thrilling match in AEW, but the fact he is not one of the featured stars for the company is telling.

Bourne has had a good wrestling career, but he never quite got to the point of being one of the top stars in the industry, which he possibly could have done due to how exciting he is in the ring.

3 Damien Sandow

Damien Sandow was somebody that fans felt WWE dropped the ball on, and there were certainly times when that was the case. From his Mizdow character to failing to cash in Money in the Bank, WWE did shoot themselves in the foot with how he was handled.

But after leaving the company he didn't go on and become a big name himself. His time in Impact was very poor and that stopped his star power from growing, and while he's putting together some good work now for NWA, he still isn't the main man.

2 Alex Riley

Alexy Riley's career suffered from backstage heat as his fallout with John Cena stopped him from doing what he could have in WWE. However, after he was let go by the company, Riley didn't really kick on and make himself a bigger name.

In fact, it was quite the opposite, with fans really forgetting all about Riley at this point. He's dabbled in acting and wrestling but hasn't quite managed to make anything truly work to the point where it has risen his star value.

1 Mr. Kennedy

When Mr. Kennedy was released by WWE there was a huge shockwave in the industry. He is somebody who many had tipped to be a future main event star and World Champion, and he'd always been given strong pushes by the company.

While there was no AEW for him to work for, TNA was at its peak when he joined the roster and had the chance to really make a name for himself to prove them wrong. That didn't really take place either, and he just ended up having an average career.