5 Superstars who left WWE for unusual reasons

WWE is where most pro wrestlers have wanted to wrestle at over the last two decades or more and the company has been the premier pro wrestling promotion in the world. To join the company is a huge achievement for most Superstars.

There have been thousands who have come in and out of the WWE doors over the last few decades, some of whom left on their own accord, while others let go by the company. The reasons usually are disagreements with the company, lack of opportunities, or unhappiness over how they are used.

But, some left the company for bizarre reasons. Let's take a look at 5 Superstars who left WWE for unusual reasons:

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#5 Brock Lesnar left WWE to play football

Brock Lesnar was a part of the Minnesota Vikings

When Brock Lesnar debuted on the WWE roster way back in 2002, he was considered to be the next great in WWE - and he created that legacy in the two years that he was in the company. Lesnar left WWE in 2004 for quite an unusual reason - he wanted to play football.

Here was a wrestler who had earned the respect of the WWE management and had put on some fantastic matches that won over the fans, and was set to earn huge sums of money. But Lesnar wanted to pursue his dream of playing in the NFL.

After trying out to play for the Minnesota Vikings, Brock Lesnar was signed by them, only to be released later. He then wrestled in NJPW, followed by a successful stint in MMA promotion UFC, before returning to WWE in 2012!

The Beast did not cut it in the NFL and could not quite achieve his dream, but his decision to leave the millions that WWE were set to give him in pursuit of his dream is commendable.

#4 Shane McMahon left WWE to become a businessman

Shane McMahon

Shane McMahon, the son of Vince McMahon, was supposed to be the heir to the throne of the WWE empire, eventually taking over from his father. But Vince McMahon seemingly preferred his daughter Stephanie McMahon and her husband Triple H to run the ship.

This led to Shane leaving the company way back in 2009. While speaking to Mick Foley on his return to the company in 2016, Shane said that he left as he did not want his relationship with his father to deteriorate:

"I think with any parent and child relationship, it’s tough. Especially with the older guard allowing the new guard to flesh those ideas out and try them, go for it. Because they’re so guarded against it. No [Vince wasn’t open to his ideas] and what grew out of that, it stopped being a collaboration and stopped being fun and when that happened – you know, the WWE defines my father."

Shane McMahon also left WWE to create a niche for himself in business, as he headed a few companies. He was the CEO of China Broadband Inc., which later became You on Demand and is now called Ideanomics. He is on the board of several companies apart from his role backstage in WWE.

#3 Sgt. Slaughter chose GI Joe over WWE

Sgt. Slaughter

Sgt. Slaughter's popularity grew in the 80s, coincidentally with the growth of the GI Joe comic book series. Slaughter left WWE in the mid-80s after getting an offer to be a GI Joe. WWE Chairman Vince McMahon was not keen on it as WWE were in talks with another company.

The WWE Hall of Famer said that he left the company after telling Vince McMahon that he "can't always be a GI Joe".

"I said, ‘Hey Vince, guess what? I’m gonna be GI Joe, the All American hero.’ He said, ‘Well, that’s great Sarge; but, I can’t let you go. I said, ‘Why not?’ He said, ‘Because I’ve got another toy company: LJN. We’re gonna be doing cartoons and we’re gonna be doing this and that. If you want to go, you can go; but, you can’t be here with us. It would be a conflict of interest. I said, ‘Oh my God, you burst my bubble.’ I went home dejected not knowing what to do, so that became kind of a bad situation between Vince and I. At the time, I gave him my notice. He said, ‘You’re not leaving. You can’t leave.’ I said, ‘I’ve got to leave. I’ve got to go.’ I said, ‘I can always be a wrestler, Vince, but I can’t always be a GI Joe."

He eventually returned to the company a few years down the line and faced Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania VII in the main event.

#2 Dynamite Kid left WWE because of air tickets

British wrestler Dynamite Kid, was one of the first smaller sized wrestlers to make it big in WWE, thanks to his incredible high-flying moves. The former WWE Superstar, who passed away in 2018, made a name for himself in Vince McMahon's promotion in the mid-80s, but left the company in 1988, never to return again.

Dynamite Kid revealed in his book, Pure Dynamite: The Price You Pay for Wrestling Stardom (H/T Pro Wrestling Stories), that he left the company in 1988 due to issues with WWE regarding aeroplane tickets. His tag team partner, Davey Boy Smith, also followed him through the exit door.

The duo, who were known as The British Bulldogs, also had an infamous backstage fight with Jacques Rougeau, where Rougeau punched Dynamite Kid resulting in the British Superstar losing a few of his teeth. Vince McMahon had to step in to act as peacemaker between the two parties, but Dynamite Kid later revealed that his reason for leaving WWE was not his real-life feud but because of disagreement with WWE over aeroplane tickets.

#1 Hulk Hogan wanted to become a TV star like David Hasselhoff

Hulk Hogan was one of the biggest reasons for the success of the WWE in the 80s. But in the early 90s, his relationship with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon had deteriorated due to various reasons.

Hogan eventually left WWE in 1993. One of the biggest reasons for the now WWE Hall of Famer to leave the company was his desire to become a big TV star with the Thunder in Paradise TV show. Bruce Prichard revealed recently that Hogan thought that Thunder in Paradise would be a big hit, considering it was produced by the same team which created Baywatch.

"This was a time that he had distanced himself, and Hulk saw the opportunity with Thunder in Paradise to go off and become a David Hasselhoff in the syndication world, so he saw bigger and better things. If he was going to do wrestling maybe he was going to do good for a different billionaire, even though Vince wasn't a billionaire at the time" (H/T WrestlingInc)

Prichard also revealed that Hogan's relationship with McMahon was very poor and that one of the reasons for it was Hulk Hogan's decision to use WCW wrestlers in his show, even when he was contracted with WWE.

"The fact that Hulk was using talent from WCW that was doing tapings I believe in Disney in Orlando, Florida, that was kind of a statement by Hulk Hogan."

It was unusual for Hogan to leave considering he was still a big deal in WWE, and that he had previously been part of movies and TV shows even when he was contracted with WWE.

Hulk Hogan then joined WCW and showed a different side of his character as a heel as part of the NWO.