Are These Former WWE Stars Still Wrestling Today?
- by Joey Haverford
- – on
- in Sports
The future of a wrestler after their time in WWE ends is very difficult to forecast. Some performers will move on to another promotion like New Japan, GFW or Lucha Underground to sign a contract. Others will work the free agent world of independent wrestling attempting to set their own schedule. However, you need to possess the hunger and determination to make it in the industry outside of WWE. This culminates in many wrestlers leaving the wrestling business altogether. It is often easier to start a new career for better financial results along with preserving health in the long run.
Cody Rhodes is currently the best example of someone thriving after leaving WWE. Sadly, not everyone cares enough about wrestling or gets the opportunities to hit such a home run. There is also the story of older wrestlers refusing to give it up by continuing to appear on the independent circuit. Passion often wins out over logic as they risk their health by wrestling at their age. We will take a look at a variety of names that left a career in WWE. Test your knowledge of the wrestling industry by guessing if they are still wrestling matches outside of WWE today.
Is Rey Mysterio still wrestling?
The legendary career of Rey Mysterio went to the next level when he joined WWE. Mysterio was the smallest man to reach the top of the mountain as the World Champion. Rey inspired many future stars that we see today and will be in the WWE Hall of Fame one day for all he gave to the business. The decision of Mysterio to request his release from WWE came following many knee injuries. Has Rey overcome his injuries to continue wrestling outside of WWE?
Is Ryback still wrestling today?
Ryback was supposed to be one of the next big stars in WWE. They pushed him with an undefeated streak for quite some time before putting him in the main event picture. Ryback however just couldn’t perform at the level of John Cena, CM Punk and other top names of the time. The rest of Ryback’s career in WWE would go down as a disappointment. Ryback and WWE mutually split ways when his contract expired in 2016. Is he still keeping his career going today?
Brad Maddox?
The WWE career of Brad Maddox ended when he used the term “cocky pricks” as an insult during a dark match promo breaking one of the company rules. Vince McMahon apparently wasn’t fond of wrestlers using that term and fired Maddox for saying it. Maddox left WWE but returned to the controversial spotlight recently. An old sex tape featuring Paige, Xavier Woods and Maddox surfaced putting them in the embarrassing news headline. Does Maddox still have to worry about this drama for a wrestling career?
Is Jack Swagger still wrestling?
Another recently released wrestler from WWE that wanted out of his contract was Jack Swagger. The forgettable former World Champion never reached the potential WWE wanted out of him. Swagger’s lack of personality and charisma were always his weaknesses. WWE flat out stopped using him as a relevant on-screen character during his final few years. Both sides were happy to end their professional relationship when he requested his release to leave the company. Is Jack Swagger still wrestling outside of WWE today?
Is MVP still wrestling today?
The heel work of MVP made him a relevant player on Smackdown within months of his WWE debut back in 2006. Vince McMahon loved the arrogant athlete character of MVP inspired from the likes of Terrell Owens. MVP had a very memorable United States Championship reign and held a roster spot for many years. The dream of MVP however was to wrestle in Japan and he requested his release after becoming unhappy in WWE. MVP had a fun time in Japan but stopped working there as well. Does he still wrestle at all today?
Is Carlito still wrestling?
Carlito is someone that could have had a great career in WWE but wasted away his opportunity. The reason WWE released Carlito many years ago was due to believing he lacked motivation and passion. Carlito was accused of being lazy numerous times and eventually failed a drug test to violate the company’s Wellness Policy. Most wrestlers just get suspended but WWE decided he was no longer worth the hassle. Do you know if Carlito is still performing in the ring these days?
How about Sabu?
Former ECW/WWE star Sabu put his body on the line every night he performed. Many wrestlers would hold back on certain nights to preserve their health, but Sabu refused to hold anything back. Sabu is viewed as a groundbreaking performer introducing moves that were never seen before in the ring. Unfortunately, his health suffered for it all as he is in need of multiple surgeries today. Sabu has tried to fund the surgeries with help of fans online due to not having the money. Is he still wrestling to earn the money despite the injuries?
John Morrison
John Morrison may go down as one of the most underrated WWE midcarders of all time. The presence of Morrison always saw him in the Intercontinental, United States of Tag Team Championship picture. WWE occasionally elevated him into main event matches against The Miz, Sheamus and a few other top names. Morrison always held his own but didn’t appear bound to be the guy that would main event a WrestleMania. The decision to leave WWE was inspired by wanting to get into acting, but does Morrison still wrestle today?
Alex Riley
The potential of Alex Riley made WWE invest a lot of time into him. Riley spent the early portion of his career working as The Miz’s sidekick. It allowed Riley to work in the main event segments with then WWE Champion Miz before moving into a singles push. Everything went downhill after that with Riley flopping in the role. Riley remained employed for a few years as a NXT broadcaster and wrestler before getting fired. Is he still trying to make a name in the squared circle these days?
X-Pac
The Attitude Era was such a long time ago but many of the wrestlers are still wrestling today. D-Generation X is still celebrated today for being one of the best factions of the time. X-Pac contributed quite a bit to the second version of DX that eventually became the most popular incarnation of the group. The in-ring work of X-Pac gave WWE some of their best matches of the 90s. Is the highly respected veteran of the sport still wrestling in the ring?
Santino
The comedic antics of Santino made him a memorable performer in WWE. Many fans specifically remember him for his humorous one liners and comedy skits, but Santino actually was an entertaining Intercontinental Champion on multiple occasions. Injuries would limit his time in WWE with the company deciding not to clear him to compete. Many wrestlers have elected to risk their health by performing in independent wrestling matches outside of WWE. Is Santino one of these aforementioned wrestlers that still wrestles today?
Billy Gunn
Another member of D-Generation X that saw his career rise to new heights thanks to it was Billy Gunn. The long tenured WWE employee achieved his greatest success working alongside X-Pac, Triple H, Chyna and his tag partner Road Dogg. Gunn recently worked for WWE again as a trainer in the Performance Center before violating the company’s Wellness Policy by failing a drug test. With his ideal job situation no longer available, is Billy wrestling matches for other companies these days?
Is Chuck Palumbo still wrestling?
The career of Chuck Palumbo saw him get a few opportunities in various roles through the years. WWE tried him in multiple tag teams and later gave him a push as a singles heel playing the biker he was in real life. Nothing worked out for him in the long run as the fans just never showed strong interest in any of his characters. Palumbo legitimately works on bikes in his everyday life, but does he still perform in the wrestling ring at all?
Tyler Reks
The lack of direction for Tyler Reks in WWE led to him requesting his release. Reks trashed John Cena instantly after leaving WWE showing he wasn’t happy there. The fact that he had such bad blood with the biggest star in the company likely hurt him from ever getting a fair shot at moving up the card. One of the reasons Reks didn’t mind leaving WWE was getting to spend more time with his family. Do you know if he still wrestles at all on the independent circuit today setting his own schedule?
Is Melina still wrestling?
The former love interest and manager of John Morrison on WWE television was Melina. Despite being one of the most talented woman in company history, Melina found her name in many controversial reports through the years. The belief was that Melina had a bad attitude causing rifts with her peers consistently until her release. Melina attended college in recent years to set up a future career after the WWE money stopped coming in. Does she still try to wrestle on the independent scene now?
Molly Holly
Speaking of talented women in wrestling, Molly Holly was one of the true in-ring greats of her time. Every woman to have matches with Molly during that time frame still speaks glowingly about what she contributed to the business. Holly not only gave us great matches, but she led less talented and less experienced women through the matches to get there. The WWE career of Molly ended quite some time ago but she recently was shown in the crowd at the 2017 Hall of Fame. Does Holly still wrestle on non-WWE shows these days?
Jerry Lawler
Jerry Lawler has had one of the more interesting WWE contracts during his time as a broadcaster. WWE allowed Lawler to wrestle on independent shows for a long time out of respect for his passion. Lawler does not need the money but still loves to perform in front of the crowd. Considering he only commentates for WWE, they gave him the chance to wrestle at his own accord on non-televised independent shows to scratch his itch. At the age of 67, does Lawler still choose to wrestle outside of WWE today?
Marc Mero
Marc Mero surprisingly received one of the first ever guaranteed contracts in WWE history. Vince McMahon believed in Mero enough to pay him to defect from WCW during the early stages of the Monday Night Wars. Mero however was overshadowed by his then wife and manager Sable. Fans completely forgot about Marc and focused on the actions of the popular Sable. Mero witnessed his career fall downhill until he eventually left WWE. Does Mero still wrestle on the independent wrestling scene today?
Is Bubba Ray Dudley still wrestling today?
The Dudley Boyz accomplished just about everything one team can in the wrestling industry and achieved their greatest success in WWE. Bubba Ray left WWE in 2016 after the team had one more run with D-Von moving into a backstage producer role for the company. WWE didn’t offer a producer position to Bubba like they did with D-Von. Bubba currently co-hosts Busted Open Radio on Sirius but does he also still compete in the squared circle outside of WWE these days?
Spike Dudley
The third Dudley brother in WWE was the loveable underdog Spike Dudley. Unlike his brothers, Spike didn’t have a mean streak for the majority of his career. That only helped him get over with the fans as a character you couldn’t help but root for. Spike was significantly smaller than Bubba and D-Von limiting his upside in WWE. Still, he carved out a pretty impressive career that is still memorable today. Many years have passed since his prime, but does Spike still wrestle?
Maxine
The women’s revolution in WWE right now is giving the spotlight to many highly talented female wrestlers. One that unfortunately found bad luck with her timing was Maxine. The majority of her WE time was spent in developmental. Dusty Rhodes was Maxine’s biggest supporter believing she could be a huge star for the company. Unfortunately, she never got a fair chance to succeed with a forgettable main roster. Maxine was released faster than anyone could have expected. Is she still continuing her career in the wrestling business outside of WWE today?
Layla
Layla was one of the longest tenured female wrestlers in WWE lasting from the 2006 Divas Search all the way until she left the company in 2015. Despite not being one of the better wrestlers in the division, Layla eventually rose to the top by being around for so long. Layla is one of the very few women to hold both the Women’s Championship and Diva Championship during her WWE run. Do you know if Layla is still wrestling outside of WWE these days?
Ted DiBiase Jr.
Everyone is aware of the success of Cody Rhodes today after leaving WWE, but what about his former tag team partner? Ted DiBiase Jr. teamed with Rhodes as the tag team following the leadership of fellow second generation star Randy Orton in the Evolution faction. DiBiase Jr. was the first one to leave WWE after the company shockingly released him. At one point, he was viewed as a favorite to become a future world champion but things change quickly. Does Ted still wrestle outside of WWE?
Rob Van Dam
The legendary career of Rob Van Dam saw him instantly became a top star in WWE after coming over following the death of ECW. Fans loved watching the athleticism of Van Dam on display with an innovative move set. The laid back personality also helped make RVD one of the coolest guys ever in the industry. Van Dam always fell just short of making the top spot in WWE but still had a Hall of Fame worthy career. Does RVD still wrestle outside of WWE these days?
Jerry Lynn
Another man most known for his ECW career that did work for WWE was Jerry Lynn. WWE never pushed Lynn as much as fans would have hoped for, but he did manage to win the Light Heavyweight Championship during his short tenure there. Lynn is definitely one of the most underrated wrestlers of all time thanks to his runs in ECW and TNA showcasing his talent without restrictions. Do you know if Jerry is still wrestling outside of WWE today?