WWE departures in the last 5 years:
Emma – Signed with Impact, could see her return down the line.
Darren Young – with Titus winding down, not much use for him, he wasn’t that good.
Summer Rae – Not what the Womens division is about now.
James Ellsworth – No. No. Not with a 40 foot barge pole.
Enzo –Not a chance.
Rich Swann – Probably not, given why he got released.
Big Cass – Yes, I see this happening in the next year.
Hideo Itami – A case of the WWE would now but I doubt he ever would.
TJP – No.
Tye Dillinger – Wont happen, from both sides. AEW contract too.
Moxley – Maybe, in the future, one day.
Dustin Rhodes – HOF induction one day, that’s it.
Rhyno – Nah, he’s surely about winding down his career.
The Ascension – Doubt it.
Luke Harper – RIP, big man.
Revival – On HHH’s dream list of people he can’t get back. FTR are far too busy and happy elsewhere.
Curt Hawkins – Maybe, but low priority.
Anderson/Gallows – HHH likes them but Impact contracted. May return inside 18 months as contract boost for AJ or Balor.
EC3- No.
Eric Young – Seemed low potential on NXT even. Unless Sanity return. Nikki needs something.
Lio Rush – Depends on his mental health tbh.
Heath Slater – Yes, I think he’ll return. Once his Impact deal is up.
Sarah Logan – They still brought her back for the Royal Rumbles, so I think she’ll be back if she ever feels ready to go full time again. Her family and bestie are in WWE.
Rowan – If he wants to. Yes.
Primo and Epico – Bring nothing to the table.
Mike Kanellis – A HHH project the WWE saw nothing in.
Zack Ryder – I’m going to say no. Though he probably would say yes if they asked.
No Way Jose – Past sell by date before release, no.
Rusev/Miro – Another HHH project. AEW locked in. One day but not soon.
Deonna – NXT kept re-signing her and not using her.
Aiden English – As a commentator, maybe. But not a priority.
Tay Conti – NXT had her for ages, didn’t seem to see much in her.
Curtis Axel – as a trainer, or agent, almost certainly. Popular backstage, trusted training rookies, recently fired by Vince McMahon – practically a bingo pick.
Jack Gallager – No chance.
Mauro Ranallo – No, that boat passed.
Authors of Pain – I originally said yes till being told they’d pissed off wrestling for screwing over folk.
Lars Sullivan – Dear god I hope not.
The unfortunate sons – Perhaps. They were screwed over by fecking Ryker.
Andrade – Yes, but not soon.
Iconics – Yes, but not soon. Given pregnancy. Billie might show up first.
Chelsea Green – If she wants to return, yes.
Mickie James – If she wants to return one day, yes, but to wind her career down.
Tucker – out in the cold.
Kalisto – Think he got fed up.
Samoa Joe – One day, yes, but in a non-wrestling role.
Bo Dallas – Likely, unless he’s turned out to be Jack the Ripper.
Mojo Rawley – Seems to have left the business? Wiki says he works for TMZ now.
Alexander Wolfe – If he wants to come back, yes.
Jessamyn Duke/Marina Shafir – Seem otherwise busy. Maybe one day depending how long Ronda is linked to WWE.
Velveteen Dream – No, piss off.
Braun – High chance imo. An over semi-main eventer who can wrestle and the fans liked. His value transcends him being a shithead.
Aleister Black – Absolutely, but not until AEW contract ends.
Ruby Riott – Absolutely, but not until AEW contract ends.
Lana – Depends on Miro.
Santana Garrett – No.
Buddy Murphy – 1000%. But again, in AEW.
Tony Nese – AEW.
Everise – HHH liked them, and they actually have personality in AEW now. They’ll come back, one day.
Breezeango – High chance, HHH loved those guys.
Killain Dain – Massive chance. Wife’s there. HHH loved him. He liked WWE.
Curt Stallion and those 205 rookies – possibly, given they were only just signed by HHH when they got fired?
Bronson Reed – Massively high chance. But currently in New Japan.
Undisputed Era – Locked down to high AEW contracts. One day, not soon. Never for Bobby Fish on age.
Mercedes Martinez – AEW and age is against her.
Leon Ruff/Tyler Rust – Possibly.
Jake Atlas – Not with recent news.
Nia Jax – I’m expecting it tbh.
Keith Lee/Mia Yim – Yes, but not for a while now.
Gran Metalik – Maybe.
Oney Lorcan – No.
Swerve – Think he got burned, will take a lot to return.
Rest of Hit Row – No chance. Not worth much without Swerve.
Ember Moon – Now in AEW. One day, if she wants to.
John Morrison – Maybe.
Tegan Nox – High chance imo as said before.
Jaxon Ryker – No, feck off.
Toni Storm – Don’t think she’ll ever want to return.
Regal – If he wants one day, yes.
Road Dogg – By the time you’ve read this?
Tim Thatcher/Dexter Lumis – Feel absolutely NXT returns.
Cesaro – No, he left of his own accord.
Gargano and Candace - Yes, 100% when they feel like it.
May have missed a few names - Vince did fire a lot of people in the last few years.
So before the Rumble? Cass, Rowan, Axel (backstage), Killian Dain, Braun, Breezeango, Nia (alas), Tegan Nox, Gargano seem the likeliest of this lot for immediate returns.
But what do we know? Look at how quickly Dakota Kai (yes) and Karrion Kross (meh) came back. For all we know Braun's a "whatever happened to" name one day while HHH brings back KENTA in a fortnight and makes him a main eventer. Hah.