WWE is, without a doubt, the biggest wrestling promotion in the world. Many people, male and female, alone or in groups, have stepped foot in its ring; however, not all of them made it big and eventually left for other ventures.
But not every wrestler who left the WWE managed to find success, especially when it came to championship gold. Some of these names eventually floundered into obscurity, even eventually leaving the industry altogether. This stands in stark contrast to those who continued to find success even after they realized that they were not going to progress under Vince McMahon's watch.
10 Left Wrestling: Dorian Mak
Almost no one but diehards knows about Dan Matha aka Dorian Mak, but he managed to last four years in WWE, spending almost the entirety of it losing in NXT house shows. He was one of many football converts that the NXT system unsuccessfully attempted to turn into wrestling stars in the 2010's.
He managed to achieve some notoriety shortly after his release, when he was arrested for no-showing a scheduled court appearance related to two driving offenses he had committed, one of them in the final months of his wrestling career. He has not been heard from since.
9 Became World Champion: Tessa Blanchard
Once upon a time, Tessa Blanchard was the among the hottest wrestling prospects in the world, male or female, possessing phenomenal in-ring skill and unbelievable charisma that she inherited from her legendary father Tully. Unfortunately, WWE did not seem to capitalize on her potential, using her as a jobber in three NXT matches in 2016.
The following year, she returned to the company as a competitor in the Mae Young Classic. But she was eliminated in the first round by Kairi Sane, and opted to take her talents to WOW and Impact. She received a massive push in the latter, culminating when she became the first woman to win the promotion's top singles championship.
8 Left Wrestling: Shaul Guerrero
Shaul Guerrero is a mostly forgotten name from the very early days of NXT, one whom diehard fans may recognize only because of her surname.
But even as a second-generation wrestler with relatives who worked in the same company as her, she struggled to make a mark. Personal issues like an eating disorder soon started eroding her passion for the business, and by 2014 she was gone from the company, and the industry as a whole. She did make a few more appearances in indie promotions and AEW, but in 2021 she finally decided to end her involvement in wrestling for good.
7 Became World Champion: Rich Swann
Rich Swann had modest success in WWE, winning the Cruiserweight title. But that all came crashing down in late 2017, when he was arrested for alleged domestic violence against his wife Vannarah Riggs, better known as Su Yung. No charges were ultimately filed, but WWE no longer wanted him around.
After a brief hiatus, he emerged in Impact Wrestling, where he started redeeming himself. He first became X Division Champion, then finally reached his potential by winning the Impact World Championship in 2020. He even unified it with the original TNA title against Moose.
6 Left Wrestling: Aksana
The third season of NXT's reality show-esque iteration is easily the second-most iconic, after the first, of course - obviously because it centered on women. Of the cast, half of them - AJ Lee, Naomi Knight (later just Naomi, now Knockouts Champion Trinity), and Kaitlyn evolved into great wrestlers and champions.
The other half did not do much of note, at least in the ring, but it is ironic that Aksana, the one who had the most TV time of that half, quit the business after leaving WWE. Maxine later rebounded as Catrina, one of the best managers in Lucha Underground history, while Jamie Keyes even did a battle royale in Europe this year, according to Cagematch.
5 Became World Champion: Claudio Castagnoli
Cesaro, the Swiss Superman and an infamous subject of Vince McMahon's "brass ring" comment. He was very over when he was in the WWE, winning multiple midcard and tag team titles, but he never reached the upper echelon that was world champion status.
So after he failed to dethrone Roman Reigns, he packed his bags and headed for the AEW fold. Fold, as in its new sister brand ROH. He has since become a two-time Ring of Honor World Champion and a focal member of the Blackpool Combat Club.
4 Left Wrestling: Batista
Technically, this has happened thrice, but the first is the most memorable.
Coming off losing an I Quit match to John Cena at Over the Limit, Batista came out in a wheelchair and cast to open the next night's episode of Raw. He announced that he would be suing John Cena and WWE for his injuries (which were actually legit, by the way). Then Bret Hart attempted to book him in a contenders' match, and he got his release.
He would soon find his calling in Hollywood, most notably becoming Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy. He did have to return stints, the first initially widely panned and the second a one-off before he decided that making movies was better.
3 Became World Champion: CM Punk
CM Punk could just as easily have been one of those people who left wrestling after WWE, but then he turned the business on its head when he appeared on AEW in 2021. From there, it was only a manner of time before he proved that his firing by WWE was the best thing to happen to him.
Buoyed by stellar angles and matches with Darby Allin and MJF, Punk ultimately reached his zenith when he defeated Hangman Page for the AEW World Championship at Double or Nothing 2022. Injuries and backstage issues conspired to taint his run, but his impending unification match with MJF, when it happens, will surely be the mother of headlines.
2 Left Wrestling: Michelle McCool
Outside a few one-off appearances, mostly at the Royal Rumble, Michelle McCool has been, for all intents and purposes, retired from wrestling ever since she lost to former partner Layla in 2011.
She had been dealing with many injuries at the time, including a torn MCL, and she was also tired of being harassed by the fans over her relationship with (and eventual marriage to) The Undertaker. WWE quietly allowed her to leave the business entirely and become a mother, and since then she has enjoyed a positive reappraisal of her time in the company.
1 Became World Champion: Jon Moxley
Jon Moxley is very different from Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns, his brothers in The Shield. He did not use a highly polished wrestling style, he did not ply his trade in NXT before entering the main roster, and he ultimately left the company.
And leave he did in explosive fashion, appearing at AEW's first-ever event and immediately becoming one of its premier attractions. That culminated in a critically-acclaimed World Title run (which soon became three) that proved that with the right environment, he could be a top star in wrestling.
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