Many kids dream of growing up to be a WWE Superstar. But that dream doesn’t include being a glorified jobber or a joke that WWE creative likes to beat on.

The sad truth is that in the squared circle (as in life), only a handful of people will be main eventers while everyone else will be filler. Wrestlers spend years training and learning the trade in hopes of making their passion a career. The pinnacle is to make it to the big leagues of WWE (sometimes via way of NXT). Dreams of grandeur come crashing down, however, once wrestlers get inside the machine. Even though they may have the talent or look required to be a star, there’s a thousand reasons why most won’t be used properly or get derailed from the path to success.

For those that couldn’t reach the proverbial “brass ring,” WWE may be handing out pink slips shortly as the company starts to restructure their rosters. Looking over the three major brands, we selected wrestlers that are on the verge of getting fired or those that should leave in hopes of resuscitating their careers.

Curtis Axel (Joseph Curtis Hennig)

This guy is the equivalent of a first-round draft pick that turns out being a bust. The once blue chip prospect with the wrestling lineage of his father, “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig and his grandad, Larry “The Axe” Hennig has been floundering for years. Not blessed with his father’s charisma or his grandad’s skills, Curtis Axel has tried several gimmicks and team-ups that have generated poor results. From Nexus, to AxelMania and The Social Outcasts, nothing has worked for this guy. Hell, even Paul Heyman couldn’t give him some shine as one of “his guys.”

He’s been with the company since 2010 and he’s barely on TV nowadays, as his WWE expiration date could be any day now. After WWE the best landing spot for him is TNA, where he’d be a recognizable face that might be able to luck into a gimmick that helps save his career.