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

#3 CM Punk left WWE in 2013

CM Punk walked away from WWE in his prime

While many big names shocked the WWE Universe by leaving the company in their prime, CM Punk's departure remains infamous. After he conquered ECW, Punk became the WWE World Heavyweight Champion for the first time in 2008 by cashing in his Money in the Bank contract.

After he became a 5-time world champion, Punk left the company in 2014. He did not appear for the tapings he was advertised for. It was soon revealed that "The Best in the World" had legitimately walked out of the company. He was strongly displeased with several things related to the company. He gave an explosive interview about his exit on Colt Cabana's "The Art of Wrestling" podcast.

Punk tried his hands at MMA following his departure from WWE, but he struggled to find success there. He ventured into the writing world, and he's also beginning an acting career.

Punk later revealed to PWTorch that he felt good being retired at the age of 35:

"It feels good. It's a lot easier when you hook up with organizations like the Cubs and being friends with some of the team members. It isn't hard to support their charities. Plus I get to do fun stuff like bowl and paint chairs and play whiffle ball with Bill Murray. It was super fun and for a great cause. You've got athletes and actresses and musicians and all kinds of people painting chairs. I'm super happy to be a part of it."

Punk eventually worked with WWE again as a member of the WWE Backstage team. Many fans have hoped he'll show up in AEW someday, but his future is in his hands.

.@CMPunk responds to @WWERollins' recent tweets, and gives him some advice.#WWEBackstage pic.twitter.com/D0R9FLBlJh

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) November 20, 2019