One of the first things Triple H did when he took over the reins of WWE’s creative was to rehire several talents who were let go during the Vince McMahon era.
In this article, we look at what each of them is up to after 3 years.
Before we begin, we would like to give an honorable mention to the late Bray Wyatt, who was brought back to WWE in October 2022. On his return, the late Wyatt presented an even more demented persona. A majority of his run featured a feud with LA Knight, during which a segment saw The Undertaker seemingly pass the torch to him.
Unfortunately, before he could get any further in developing his character, the beloved star passed away in August 2023 due to a pre-existing heart condition, which was exacerbated by a COVID-19 infection.
Former WWE Stars
Top Dolla
The leader of the Hit Row faction was rehired in August 2022. However, the faction did not manage to create an impact, and he was released in September 2023 as a part of WWE’s budget cuts.
After his release, he joined TNA, where he performs under the name of AJ Francis and has also won their Digital Media Championship.
Braun Strowman
The Monster Among Men made his WWE return in September 2022 during the September 5 episode of RAW. His run saw him teaming with Ricochet and eventually having a feud with Jacob Fatu.
He was released in May this year, and while he is not actively wrestling, the former WWE Universal Champion has gotten into great shape and teased a movie career recently.
Ashante “Thee” Adonis
Like his stablemate, Ashante “Thee” Adonis was brought back to the company in 2022. However, after Hit Row disbanded, he was sent to NXT, where he was involved in a romantic angle with Karmen Petrovich.
His run did not last long as the promotion did not renew his contract, and he departed from the company recently.
Dakota Kai
Dakota Kai was rehired at SummerSlam 2022, where she, Bayley, and IYO SKY went on to form the Damage CTRL faction.
Currently, she has not been active in the ring and appears to have taken a break from wrestling.
Tegan Knox
Tegan Knox was rehired in WWE after being released in 2021. However, injuries plagued her throughout her run, and she was let go in November 2023 again.
She remains active on the independent circuit where she performs as Nixon Newell.
Emma
Emma was rehired by WWE in October 2022, where she answered Ronda Rousey’s open challenge. Her last run with WWE was short-lived, and she was released in September 2023.
She has been active on the independent scene, where she wrestles under the name Tenille Dashwood.
Sarah Logan / Valhalla
Valhalla rejoined her former allies, the War Raiders, on her return to WWE. But her last run did not see much in-ring action, and she was released in June this year.
Authors of Pain
Akam and Rezar had their second run in WWE in 2022 after a 2-year hiatus. On their return, they joined Karrion Kross and Scarlett, along with Paul Ellering, to form The Final Testament. While the faction had a short feud with The Wyatt Sicks, they were mostly underutilized and were released in February this year.
Good Brothers
Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows’ second stint with WWE saw them ally with old partner AJ Styles. However, they remained largely inactive and were released in the round of cuts in February.
Post their release, the duo has been active on the independent circuit as well as frequently appearing in NJPW.
Eric Young
The leader of the Sanity faction was brought back to WWE in November 2022, but asked for his release before making a television appearance. He left the company in April 2022 and has been actively wrestling in TNA ever since.
Karrion Kross and Scarlett
The most recent and shocking departure. Ever since their rehiring, the duo has been part of multiple storylines. However, they recently found success with Kross becoming one of the most popular stars in WWE.
The duo’s contract status was shrouded in mystery till today, when the real-life couple confirmed their departure from WWE as their contracts had not been renewed.
Currently Active In WWE
Bo Dallas
Shortly after Bray Wyatt’s rehiring, his real-life sibling, who wrestled under the name Bo Dallas, was brought back to WWE.
Dallas is still an active part of the main roster, where he wrestles under the Uncle Howdy persona and leads the Wyatt Sicks faction.
Dexter Lumis
Dexter Lumis was brought back to the fold in August 2022. Before his release, he had a solo run as well as allying with his NXT “family.”
He is currently a part of The Wyatt Sicks faction, where he plays the role of Mercy the Buzzard.
B-Fab
B-Fab is currently an active part of the SmackDown women’s roster, where she frequently tags with Michin and also shows up with the Street Profits.
Michin
Michin was rehired in November 2022 and allied with the Good Brothers and AJ Styles. She also changed her name to Michin from Mia Yim and is an active part of the WWE SmackDown roster.
Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae
The real-life couple was rehired in September 2022, Gargano reunited with his DIY teammate Tomasso Ciampa, and has found success winning the WWE Tag Team Titles on two occasions.
LeRae has been an active part of the women’s roster and recently took a hellacious ladder bump at SummerSlam during the Six-Pack TLC Match for the WWE Tag Team Championship.
Bronson Reed
Reed has found an upward trajectory ever since his WWE return, being featured in high-profile feuds such as the WarGames Match at Survivor Series 2024, where he was a member of Solo Sikoa’s team but had to be sidelined due to an injury he suffered during the bout. Upon his return, he swerved fans by joining former rival Seth Rollins’ faction.
How Would You Rank Triple H’s WWE Rehires
While Triple H certainly did bring back a lot of underutilized stars to WWE, besides the success of a few, such as Bronson Reed, the majority of the rehires ended up being released again due to a variety of factors.
Do you think any of these superstars had potential that Triple H missed out on? Share your thoughts with us on Facebook or Twitter.