Becoming a wrestler for the world’s premier wrestling company brings in a lot of fame and privileges. However, not every individual is equipped to handle the responsibility that comes along with of being famous.
WWE is quite acquainted with talented individuals making wrong choices and decisions which killed their careers before they could become decorated Superstars and perhaps even future Hall-of-Famers. The history of WWE is also dotted with individuals who struggled with substance abuse and other such guilty pleasures that prevented their careers from being truly great.
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Let’s have a look at such individuals who committed “career suicide”:
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#10 Rey Mysterio
The master of the “619” has been a fan favorite throughout his career; and he was a true personification of an underdog in the WWE due to his size. But, what he lacked in size, he made up in tenacity and agility and became a 3-time World Champion in the process.
However, frequent injuries and lack of direction in his character increased his frustration with the WWE. He decided not to renew his contract with the company and signed up with AAA for the first time since 1995.
However, Rey had to leave AAA in February 2016, almost a year after leaving WWE, due to financial disputes. He has since then been wrestling on the independent circuit and Lucha Underground. Had Rey shown a some amount of patience, WWE may have inserted him into a meaningful feud as he was undisputedly a crowd puller and a big name.
#9 Kurt Angle
The Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle, is a 21-time champion, which includes 13 World Championships during his tenure in WWE, TNA and Japan. He was at the peak of his career when he decided to jump the ship to TNA though.
Moving to TNA had its own set of advantages for Angle in terms of work load and monetary compensation despite depriving his skills and talent in a grander stage. Fans are now waiting for Angle to give them a proper see-off at the grandest stage of professional wrestling – Wrestlemania.
With Angle openly acknowledging that he can return to WWE, fans are waiting with bated breath, but, his run-ins with the law (4 Driving under influence offenses) might make a potential return a distant dream for them after all.
#8 Chyna
The late Chyna, was a phenomenon in her own right. She broke the glass ceiling and went beyond gender based stereotypes during her stint in the WWE because of her sheer talent. Her real life affair with Triple-H and him cheating on her with Stephanie McMahon is also well documented.
But her time in the WWE started coming to an end when she confronted the boss about his daughter’s affair. It was after that the WWE decided not renew her contract and let her go. After that incident, Chyna did some Playboy shoots and also stepped into the adult entertainment industry.
It was this decision that prevented her from coming back to WWE later on and give her fans one last match that they deserved to see. Sadly, what Chyna could have achieved on her return is left up to wishful thinking after her untimely demise.
#7 “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan
“Hacksaw” is a legend. He was the first ever winner of the Royal Rumble in the 1988 and a WWE Hall-of-Famer. He is famous for portraying the character of an American patriot who made the U-S-A cheers what they are today.
He was famously fired by the WWF in 1987 when he and the Iron Sheik were charged with possession of marijuana and cocaine. Duggan got a conditional release and Iron Sheik was put on probation for a year.
Though Duggan came back to wrestling after the incident, he was never able to achieve the heights that he should have in the wrestling world. The aforementioned incident will always remain a black spot on his legacy.
#6 Jake “The Snake” Roberts
Jake and his snake Damien are a part of the WWE folklore. He was the master of the DDT and was known for his powerful and clever promos. However, his career spiraled downwards when he let drugs and alcohol rule his life in the 90’s.
His career serves as a great example of how you should not let your demons affect your career to a point that you become an embarrassment to yourself. Roberts’ subsequent fall from the top, tarnishing his own legacy is only too well known.
WWE even got him into a rehab in 2007 so that he could get rid of his drug and alcohol addiction. In 2012, Diamond Dallas Page got him to move in and helped him stay sober through DDP yoga. Though in a better phase now, The Snake wasted the huge potential he had.
#5 Jeff Hardy
“The Enigma” Jeff Hardy’s history with substance abuse is out there in public for everyone to read. He was among the few talents that the WWE wanted to make a star out of. He was pushed to the hilt which resulted in 3-World Championship reigns in the WWE and a feud with The Undertaker as well.
In 2003, Hardy had to leave the WWE due to his unpredictable ways, drug abuse, worsening performances and his hesitancy in attending the rehab. He returned to the WWE after stints in various promotions in 2006, but, had to again part ways due to similar problems which had caused his earlier release.
He would have been a living legend by now had he tried to stay away from substance abuse and would have achieved much more in the WWE that he ended up doing.
#4 Scott Hall
Razor Ramon was a star who lost his way in life. He was this agile and muscular guy who has all the ingredients to succeed in the wrestling industry. But, alcohol took over his life and left it in shambles.
Scott Hall had a special career, winning various championships across all the promotions he performed for. But, his drug abuse and alcohol ruined his life, destroying his career and also ending his marriage. He also suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder because of the same.
In 2013, DDP took Hall to his home to re-build his life from the ground up and also helped in raising funds for his hip replacement surgery. The only thing that gives contentment to a wrestling fan about Scott Hall’s story was that he was eventually inducted in the Hall-of-Fame in 2014.
#3 Hulk Hogan
Wrestling has produced many superstars, but, no one has achieved the stardom that Hulk Hogan achieved in his day. He was truly a mega star with unparalleled accomplishments.
However, Hogan who made himself a mega star is also responsible for ruining his own legacy. His involvement in the sex tape scandal and the subsequent racist rant not only led to his firing from the WWE, but also his name being completely removed from their website and Hall of Fame listing too!
The consequences of Hogan’s actions should be a lesson to all the younger Superstars about how an act performed in the past can still come back to haunt them in the future.
#2 Bret Hart
“The Hitman” is regarded as one of the greatest wrestlers of all times and was lauded for his in ring skills and astute technique. However, what Hart is known for is the infamous “Montreal Screwjob”.
Vince screwed Hart and made him lose the title to Shawn Michaels, despite him not actually losing the match, as they did not want Hart to take the WWF championship belt to WCW. It is also well known that as a result, a fuming Hart punched Mr. McMahon backstage.
Though he moved to the WCW soon after, he could not fit in due to his differences with Eric Bischoff. Hart could never achieve things that would have justified his talent and his promising career was spoiled by his acrimonious move away from the WWE.
#1 Chris Benoit
When we talk about ruining one’s career, Chris Benoit name has to be a part of that list. He was a revered wrestler whose persona of the “rabid wolverine” was loved by fans and contemporaries alike. The scene when Benoit and Eddie Guerrero celebrated Benoit’s title win at Wrestlemania 20 is still fresh in every wrestling fan’s mind.
But, Benoit’s name has been removed from the history books and is never mentioned on air ever. Reason? Benoit murdered his wife and his son on June 22, 2007 and later went on to hang himself. It was later revealed that Benoit had suffered from depression and severe brain damage which was caused by the grueling career that he had.
A moment of misjudgment from Benoit erased the legacy that he had created over the years through his hard work, serving as a reminder that one can always fall from the heights of stardom and reach the lowest ebbs of life by making the wrong choices.
