10 Superstars who left WWE in their prime - where are they now?

#4 The Rock left WWE in 2004

The Rock has returned to WWE a few times to make an impact

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson debuted in 1996. But it took him some time to fine-tune his gimmick and persona. But once he hit his stride, he quickly became an absolute superstar in WWE. By 1998, The Rock won the WWE Championship for the first time. Just two years into his time on the main roster, WWE knew it had hit the jackpot. The company even decided to name the Rock Bottom: In Your House PPV after him.

While many people on this list left the company because they were finding it hard to become successful, The Rock decided to leave WWE in 2004 for the opposite reason.

After his performance in "The Scorpion King", Johnson became a wildly popular acting star. The heftier paychecks and softer schedules of the acting world made The Rock question why he’d put his body on the line for WWE. So when his contract expired in 2004, Johnson focused on his acting career.

By the time he left the company, Johnson was already a 7-time WWE Champion. Naturally, WWE kept a working partnership with him for the years to come. Fans have seen The Rock make sporadic appearances and even compete in a few matches since his departure.

A ROCK BOTTOM... from @JohnCena?!? It happened at The Showcase of the Immortals! @therock #HappyBirthdayCena #WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/xGg9sYKMEU

— WWE (@WWE) April 23, 2017

Johnson's success outside of WWE is truly remarkable. He's the highest-paid actor in Hollywood, and he's also part of the XFL's new ownership group.

It’s official 🤯🥃@Teremana has become the biggest launch in spirits history.300,000 cases in 12months.(for context Clooney sold Casamigos at roughly 200k cases). So grateful & humbling to get this mind blowing news.THANK YOU🙏🏾#tequilaofthepeople 🥃https://t.co/hBvKIzJXMJ

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) December 5, 2020