Wrestlers Who Will Never Work For The WWE Again

Many wrestlers have fallen in and out of the good graces of the WWE over the years, particularly during the 40 years Vincent K. McMahon ran the company. McMahon, who is a big personality in his own right, was not beneath having public issues with some talent for reasons both justified and unjustified. However, McMahon was never one to let a personal issue get in the way of making a sound business decision. Such thinking paved the way for polarizing wrestlers such as Hulk Hogan to return to the company on multiple occasions, and laid the foundation for many wrestlers once exiled, such as Bret Hart, to return to WWE programming.

Not every previously exiled wrestler is able to work their way back into the company's good graces, however. Many men and women who have walked through the doors of the largest wrestling company in the world walked out of the doors as persona non grata and were never able to repair the burned bridge due to one of several reasons. Post-WWE legal trouble has often stood in the way of many once popular stars making their way back to the publicly-traded company, but others conducted themselves in such an unprofessional manner on their way out, that it effectively dashed any hopes of a return to "New York."

Here are 12 former WWE superstars who will probably never work for the company again.

There was a brief time when Buff Bagwell, a WCW mainstay for more than a decade, figured heavily into WWF's "Invasion Angle" plans. Initial plans called for the company to have "WCW matches" on WWF programming. After the WWF seized control of WCW's assets and library, Bagwell was one of the first wrestlers to accept the buy-out on his AOL Time-Warner contract and become a member of the WWF roster. His time with the company would be brief, though he did appear in the first-ever WCW match to be held on WWF television, one that would forecast the demise of the "Invasion Angle." Bagwell made his WWF televised debut on the July 2, 2001 episode of "Raw is War," fellow WCW name wrestler Booker T for the WCW Championship. The match bombed, with Bagwell made to be a scapegoat for the negative reception. Match-ending interference from "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Kurt Angle served as a further precursor for the programming to come.

The WWF released Bagwell from his contract one week removed from his match with Booker T. Rumors swirled about Bagwell's backstage attitude. Stories made public included a backstage fight with Shane Helms and an apparent injury he sustained at the hands of Bradshaw at the subsequent "SmackDown" tapings. Another rumor claimed his mother, Judy, phoned the office to request that her son get time off from house shows. Bagwell has disputed the rumors, and to this day claims he was never made privy to why the company released him from his contract, though he places the blame on former executive Jim Ross. He has not appeared on WWE programming since. 

Today, Bagwell is living in Diamond Dallas Page's accountability crib as he looks to get his life back in order after years of alcohol abuse.

The story of Nailz' interaction with Vince McMahon that led to his WWF departure is one many wrestling fans are familiar with. Kevin Wacholz, the man behind Nailz, played a menacing ex-convict brought in specifically to feud with the Big Boss Man. Donning an orange prison jumpsuit, Nailz alleged in promos he was abused by the Boss Man and sought revenge. Standing at 6'5 and weighing over 300 pounds, Nailz seemed like a good fit on paper as an adversary for the Boss Man, and was even teased as a future opponent for The Undertaker in late 1992. A photo of a stare-down between Nailz and The Undertaker was used in the January 1993 edition of WWF Magazine, which hit shelves one month after the confrontation between Nailz and McMahon.

The incident occurred on December 14, 1992 when Nailz put his hands around the neck of McMahon after an argument over finances. Bret Hart recalled his memories from the confrontation on an episode of Kayfabe Commentaries' "Timeline: The History of WWE" series. "I was right outside the door," Hart said. "I didn't see it happen, but I could hear all of it. Nailz was shrieking in a really high-pitched shrill. Clearly, the guy on the other side of the door was losing it and losing it badly, but I had no idea. He said he had enough of the bull**** and lies. Then you heard a big bang and kind of a gurgling sound." By the time the agents intervened, Nailz left the premises with his hands up, then summoned the police, claiming McMahon attempted to arrest him. Once the police officers got the full story, Nailz was charged on the spot and became persona-non-grata in the years to come. Later, Nailz put the final nail in the coffin of his WWF career when he testified against the company in the 1994 steroid trial.

When many people think of Ken Shamrock, they likely think of the former UFC champion as an MMA fighter before a pro wrestler. However, Shamrock's brief run in the WWF between 1997 and 1999 did wonders for his visibility and even led to him becoming the first NWA World Heavyweight Champion under the TNA banner. Shamrock accrued a heap of momentum in the WWF during one of the hottest periods in company history. Billed "The World's Most Dangerous Man," Shamrock thrived as both a face and heel and endeared himself to the fans as a legitimate athlete. However, Ken Anderson is not the only "Ken" to find himself on the outs with WWE in modern times, as Shamrock has not returned to the company in any capacity since his 1999 departure. 

In an interview with Chris Van Vliet, Shamrock chalked his departure up to burnout from the WWF's hectic travel schedule. He also mentioned a lack of synchronicity between the creative team and himself, as both parties had two different visions for what "The World's Most Dangerous Man" could become. Shamrock also told Kurt Angle on an episode of "The Kurt Angle Show" that his trust in the company began to wane after the Montreal Screwjob, and waned further after Owen Hart's tragic fall at "Over the Edge" in 1999. 

However, Shamrock has long been open to a WWE return and openly questions why the company has not contacted him for a return. That said, he also spoke of a potential issue with Triple H in a 2014 interview with MMA News, mentioning a dispute the two had over a ribbing incident as well as Triple H's apprehension toward putting him over.

Bill DeMott, a former WWE and WCW wrestler who became the head trainer of the WWE developmental system between 2012 and 2015, will probably never work for the company again after allegations of misconduct and bullying became public knowledge. DeMott first came into his own as a trainer when he signed on to work for Deep South Wrestling, one of two WWE developmental territories at the time. DeMott soon became the head trainer at DSW, but left the company in 2007 only to return in 2011 to replace Dr. Tom Prichard as the head trainer at Florida Championship Wrestling, which later became NXT. Four years into his tenure, numerous stories from wrestlers willing to attach their name to their allegations came forward with stories that painted DeMott as someone who fostered a toxic workplace culture as the head trainer for WWE developmental talent.

Some of the stories that came about the culture under DeMott included a willingness to let wrestlers train naked, as well as physically assaulting and bullying trainees. Former developmental talents Chase Donovan and Chad Baxter appeared on fellow wrestler Kevin Matthews' podcast in 2013 and detailed a story of DeMott pulling out a gun in front of trainees in addition to the frequent use of homophobic slurs. In spite of the overwhelming quantity of allegations against DeMott and his methods over the years, WWE never actually fired DeMott. Instead, the embattled trainer resigned from his role to "avoid any embarrassment or damage" to the WWE. Matt Bloom, formerly known as A-Train and Lord Tensai, replaced DeMott as Head Trainer, a role he has held for more than seven years. As for DeMott, his lack of popularity amongst his trainees spelled an end to his training career. He has also had zero involvement in wrestling since his WWE departure.

For as creative as Raven has proven himself to be over his lengthy wrestling career, he is not likely to ever return to WWE in any capacity. While two full decades have passed since Raven last appeared in a WWE ring, Raven's relationship with the company dates back to 1993, when Vince McMahon brought him into the fold as Johnny Polo, a preppy Connecticut snob. Despite wrestling as Scotty Flamingo in WCW, the Johnny Polo character was created specifically to be a manager to midcard wrestlers such as Adam Bomb and the Quebecers. However, Raven, real name Scott Levy, endeared himself to Vince McMahon and Pat Patterson and took on an expanded role with the company as an Associate Producer. However, Raven did not last in the role, instead expressing a desire to return to an in-ring role elsewhere.

During an episode of "Talk is Jericho," Raven spoke about being "persona non-grata" in WWE due to a lawsuit he enacted with fellow wrestlers Chris Kanyon and Mike Sanders. The lawsuit claimed the WWE insisted on treating its wrestlers as regular employees despite labeling them internally as "independent contractors" to evade having to provide health care and other benefits regular employees are entitled to. In the Jericho interview, Raven intimated his goal was to positively change wrestling by forcing WWE to provide healthcare for its employees. However, the statute of limitations expired and the case was eventually dismissed. Raven sued the company again in 2017 for unpaid royalties stemming from WWE Network appearances. The WWE, meanwhile, sued Levy for intimating during his appearance on Chris Jericho's podcast that Vince McMahon paid off a judge to get away from his independent contractor lawsuit. While the suits have since been settled, there is no love lost between Raven and the WWE.

Tammy Sytch, also known as Sunny during her time in the WWF may be a member of the WWE Hall of Fame, but has done just about everything in her power since her induction to fall out with the company. Her unsavory and criminal behavior outside of wrestling have even led to some calling for her removal from the Hall of Fame. Since her 2011 induction, Sytch has built one of the most infamous criminal rap sheets in wrestling. It began in 2012 when she was arrested five times in a four-week span for disorderly conduct, third-degree burglary, and three counts of violating a protective order.

Sytch violated her parole less than two years later, then would be arrested twice in early 2018 for separate DUIs in New Jersey. Her 2018 DUI also came with a charge for fleeing the scene of an accident. From there, Sytch's legal troubles persisted. She was arrested in 2020 for allegedly eluding a police officer, contempt/violation of a domestic violence restraining order, and operating a motor vehicle during a second license suspension, then again in 2022 for unlawfully possessing a weapon and making terroristic threats to a "romantic partner," allegedly threatening to murder them with a pair of scissors. Sytch's most recent and most significant arrest in March 2022 stemmed from her involvement in a fatal car wreck that killed a 75-year-old man in Volusia County, Florida. Toxicology reports found that her blood alcohol content was about 3.5 times the legal limit and could face up to 26 years in prison if convicted of the maximum charges. As a danger to herself and those around her, it is highly unlikely the "First Diva in WWE History" will ever be seen on company programming again.