10 Superstars who left WWE in their prime - where are they now?
WWE superstars typically benefit from the exposure they receive as members of a global brand. This recognition can help build their careers, as it enables superstars to easily move from one promotion to another. It also allows them to try their hands in other fields and make it big in the entertainment industry.
Major WWE stars like The Rock, John Cena, and Batista have landed movie contracts that have pulled them away from the wrestling ring. Mickie James and Mick Foley are some other names who thrived away from WWE.
There are many names in the industry that left WWE during their prime. Several of them signed with a different promotion. Others tried their hands at something different.
While these moves worked out for a number of the superstars involved, others floundered after they left WWE.
Here's a look at what 10 WWE Superstars who left the company in their prime are doing today.
#10 'The Beast' Brock Lesnar left WWE in 2004
Superstars like Brock Lesnar aren’t born every day. His unique abilities have helped him become a huge force in the wrestling world. Lesnar joined WWE in 2000, and he debuted on WWE RAW in 2002.
It didn’t take him long to become the youngest WWE Champion of all time. Lesnar won the WWE Championship two more times. But he decided to leave the company in 2004 and surprised everyone in the process. Lesnar wanted to pursue a career in the National Football League (NFL), so he chased that dream instead. At the time, Lesnar explained the move in an interview with ESPN:
"I think Vince thought I'd change my mind and come back. But it wasn't going to happen. I was at the top of my game in wrestling, I was a three-time champion, I had pretty good coin in my pocket. What was stopping me? A set of nuts. You either nut up or you don't. So I did."
Lesnar also appeared for some Japanese wrestling promotions during his time away from WWE. He went on to become a top star in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Lesnar rejoined WWE in 2012 after an eight-year absence. Since his return, he has won the WWE Championship twice. He has also held the WWE Universal Championship three times in his second tenure with the company.
Since his match at WWE WrestleMania 36 in 2020, Lesnar has been away from the WWE ring once again. His future is unclear, as he hasn't signed a new contract with the promotion yet.