5 superstars who are too big for the WWE

Wrestling getting mainstream attention is not a new thing. Mainstream media and professional wrestling has been going hand in hand ever since Vince McMahon decided to break the territories and give birth to the phenomenon we know today as WWE.The absolute peak of this rare combination came during the Monday Night Wars as there were two prime time wrestling shows fighting it out for the ratings.Wrestlers were treated like pop stars during that period and even though it has toned down a bit, being a wrestler still presents a lot of main stream opportunities.However, only a few found success seeking other career options. And here is a look at some of the superstars from that list that have turned out to be too big for WWE.

#5 Brock Lesnar

From the moment that Lesnar stepped into the squared circle, the company was well aware of the potential he had. This made them invest heavily in Lesnar and within months of his debut, he became the world Champion.

Despite getting such a big push, Lesnar had other things in his mind apart from wrestling. He wanted to try his hand in mixed martial arts and NFL which drove him out of the WWE.

His NFL career failed to pick up due to the injuries he sustained during a Motorcycle accident but this wasn’t going to stop him from making it big in UFC.

He went and conquered UFC, turning out to be one of the best pay-per-view draws for the promotion. He came back to WWE as a bigger star who was worthy of being the face of WWE again.

#4 Chris Jericho

Jericho is one of those rare WWE superstars who made it big in WCW, WWE and ECW. He won numerous titles in all three promotions while being equally impressive when it came to the between the rope performance.

And one thing that stole Jericho from wrestling was his other passion: music. Unlike most of the other wrestlers who went out for acting, Jericho ventured the music field with his band Fozzy.

Fozzy, that has Jericho as its lead singer released six studio albums and held numerous live shows across the world.

He stands out from the others in the list with his unique talent and is one of those wrestlers who achieved bigger things after leaving the wrestling business.

#3 Steve Austin

WWE’s golden period, the Attitude Era is synonymous with Steve Austin. He was the backbone of the company during the most crucial period and no one would’ve ever thought about him leaving the business that made him.

However, the neck injury he picked up thanks to Owen Hart’s piledriver considerably shortened his in ring career.

Though Austin stuck around for some time as authority figure, he had to go out of the business to seek other opportunities.

The doors of Hollywood were wide open for Austin and even though he didn’t become a bigger star like the next two names in the list, the rattlesnake managed to build a solid career in acting.

#2 Batista

After debuting alongside the Evolution, Batista had a promising run in the WWE. He was a multiple time world champion and was one of the crucial main event stars for Vince McMahon.

However, in 2010, Batista decided to leave the company and pointed out creative differences as his reason for departure. He tried his hand in acting and MMA after leaving but it wasn’t until he secured a role in Marvel’s Guardian of Galaxies that made him look too big for the wrestling business.

Batista’s performance in the film was appreciated by both fans and the critics making his stock rise in Hollywood.

Being part of a Marvel franchise is always promising and with the recent rumors suggesting his role in the sequel of Avengers, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Batista sticks to acting rather than returning to WWE.

#1 Dwayne The Rock Johnson

A majority of the world’s population still sees Rock as the face of professional wrestling because he was someone who found huge success after leaving the business.

For a wrestling fan, names like Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels or John Cena would ring bells but for a mainstream fan that only has base knowledge about wrestling, Rock represents the business.

After being a major player in the Attitude Era, Rock announced his retirement in 2002. Many doubted about him surviving in the film field but twelve year from then, Rock still is one of the most celebrated actors.

His occasional appearances in the WWE might suggest that he still loves the atmosphere, but the things he has achieved in Hollywood makes it clear that Rock grew bigger than the business.