5 WWE Superstars who left at the peak of their careers
Every WWE Superstar dreams of "grabbing the brass ring". This is one of Vince McMahon's most famous colloquialisms which refers to reaching the top of the mountain in the company.
Therefore, it can be shocking to see your favorite superstar walk out of the company while they are enjoying the greatest success of their career. It could be due to health issues, creative differences, better offers or just self care. Fans may feel let down but the talent has to do what is best for them.
While there is no objective criteria for what a superstar's peak is, we have kept this list down to superstars who held a world title in the last year before they left the company.
Here are 5 examples of superstars who left WWE at their peak.
#5: Shawn Michaels retired from WWE after main-eventing WrestleMania XIV as World Champion
At @WrestleMania XIV, @ShawnMichaels lost to @steveaustinBSR for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
#19DaysToWrestleMania https://t.co/y5hMZFadZb
WrestleMania 14 was main-evented by a world title match between champion Shawn Michaels and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, with Mike Tyson being guest referee. The Texas Rattlesnake was a rising star riding a wave of momentum and gunning for his very first world championship win.
Meanwhile, The Heartbreak Kid was at the peak of his powers, getting the loudest reactions and having the best matches of his career.
The Showstopper had suffered a nasty back injury at that year's Royal Rumble after being back body dropped onto a casket by The Undertaker. This meant he worked the match in immense pain, finally dropping the title to Austin after Tyson turned on him.
Michaels disappeared from WWE TV for three months before returning as an on-screen authority figure. However, fans had to wait four years to see him wrestle in the company again.