5 Times WWE Quickly Rehired Released Superstars

The massive wave of WWE talent cuts in April were understandably a rough time for most involved, with one wrestler in particular baring his soul in the immediate aftermath. Shortly after his release, wrestler/manager Drake Maverick spoke tearfully in a video posted online, still trying to get a grip on the devastating news. His pain was felt by many who watched him speak candidly about his apparent exodus from the company.

And yet, Maverick persisted, being kept on just long enough to compete in the Cruiserweight title round robin that he was booked for days earlier. He managed to stay alive despite being "fired", with most speculating that him getting rehired was all but inevitable. Indeed, after losing in the finals to El Hijo del Fantasma, Maverick was publicly re-signed by Triple H. Some were happy to see a nice payoff to the saga, while others (like Lio Rush, who was let go in that same round of cuts) criticized WWE for turning a firing, especially one motivated by finances, into an angle.

Circumstances aside, Maverick's not the first WWE performer to be quickly rehired following a firing. Here are a few others.

The massive wave of WWE talent cuts in April were understandably a rough time for most involved, with one wrestler in particular baring his soul in the immediate aftermath. Shortly after his release, wrestler/manager Drake Maverick spoke tearfully in a video posted online, still trying to get a grip on the devastating news. His pain was felt by many who watched him speak candidly about his apparent exodus from the company.

And yet, Maverick persisted, being kept on just long enough to compete in the Cruiserweight title round robin that he was booked for days earlier. He managed to stay alive despite being "fired", with most speculating that him getting rehired was all but inevitable. Indeed, after losing in the finals to El Hijo del Fantasma, Maverick was publicly re-signed by Triple H. Some were happy to see a nice payoff to the saga, while others (like Lio Rush, who was let go in that same round of cuts) criticized WWE for turning a firing, especially one motivated by finances, into an angle.

Circumstances aside, Maverick's not the first WWE performer to be quickly rehired following a firing. Here are a few others.

5. The Rockers (1989)

Time gone: Less than one day

During a tour of Europe in October 1989, The Rockers (per Bret Hart's memoirs) got drunk and started destroying chandeliers at a hotel in Brussels. Reportedly, Marty Jannetty was upset because the hotel operator couldn't get a hold of his father, who had just had heart surgery.

This is where accounts slightly differ. Hart wrote that the Jannetty and Shawn Michaels *weren't* fired, but simply had to pay for the damages. TheHistoryofWWE.com, however, writes that they were rehired after a day gone, with paying for the damages the likely compromise.

4. Koko B. Ware (1989)

Time gone: Roughly six weeks

On that very same night that The Rockers went crazy, Ware found himself on the outs with the WWF, after getting into a physical altercation with company executive Jim Troy. Reportedly, the two even crashed through the plate glass wall of a gift shop.

Ware was fired for his part in the chaotic fight. However, he was rehired the following month, when it was revealed that Troy reportedly made insensitive remarks toward "The Birdman" during an argument, spurring the brawl. Troy, for his part, resigned from the company.

3. Matt Hardy (2005)

Time gone: Three months

Twitter didn't even exist when this all went down, which may have been for the best for all parties involved. When Hardy's real-life girlfriend Lita was found to be having an affair with Edge in 2005, the future "Broken One" was understandably irate.

Hardy's outcry on social media was deemed unprofessional by the company, and he was fired just after WrestleMania 21. Fans were furious at WWE's handling of the situation, and right before Matt's 90-day no-compete lapsed, WWE brought him back - to feud with Edge.

2. Daniel Bryan (2010)

Time gone: About two months

Has it been ten years already? When the original octet of The Nexus tore apart John Cena, CM Punk, and the entire ringside scene on an episode of Raw, Bryan strangled ring announcer Justin Roberts with his necktie, and ended up paying for it.

Between the tie incident and spitting on a downed Cena, Bryan was fired from WWE for "going too far", despite Bryan's claim that The Nexus were told to make the attack look like a gang-style beatdown. As with the Hardy case, fans were outraged, and Bryan returned at SummerSlam.

1. Emma (2014)

Time gone: Mere hours

Months after debuting on the main roster, Emma was arrested in Hartford, CT for apparent theft, after not paying for an iPad case while using the self-checkout machine at a WalMart. As it turned out, she just didn't properly scan the item when paying for her total purchase.

WWE opted to fire Emma for the incident, which drew immediate backlash from fans, especially after some (including Jack Swagger and Cameron) had been arrested for far worse offenses. Emma was quickly rehired, and she performed one day of community service.