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Sticking around in the professional wrestling business and WWE isn't easy. What we as fans tend to see is only the "glamorous" side on television and the stardom and, bright lights. But professional wrestling is one of the most grueling and difficult industries to thrive in, which is why it takes a special kind of talent to make it big.
There are many reasons why a WWE Superstar quit the business early. We're not talking about forceful retirements like Paige or Edge or even 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin where continuing to wrestle would pose a legitimate risk to their life.
These are WWE Superstars who walked away from the wrestling business for various reasons, whether it was another career opportunity, burnout, and more. However, these are the Superstars who exited the industry far too early and could have made it much bigger than they did - or at least have had a few more years to add to their legacy. Let's jump right into the list.
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#6 Ted Dibiase Jr. - left WWE to spend time with his family
Whether we like to admit it or not, legacy plays a large part in many Superstars' ascent in WWE. That's why we've seen several second-generation stars over the years and the last decade, a few third-generation Superstars as well.
Ted Dibiase Jr. was always meant to succeed, which is why he was paired up with Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton in their Legacy stable. It was believed that WWE intended to give Dibiase a bigger push and they tried a few different attempts at doing so.
Ultimately, his run didn't pan out and he was a victim like many other Superstars over the years to the grueling WWE schedule. He quit WWE in September 2013 at just 31 years old and only ended up wrestling a couple of matches in 2016 and 2017.
He stated that the reason for him leaving WWE was to spend more time with his family.
Given how WWE superstars are on the road every week in a year, it's not surprising that he wanted to choose spending time with them over sacrificing his life for wealth and fame.
It's hard to blame anyone in such a case and the reality is that the only place the finger should be pointed to is WWE and their hectic schedule with TV and live events weekly. We can only be left wondering what could have been.
#5 Eva Marie
When you think of WWE superstars who can get a crowd to universally hate them, Eva Marie is one of the few names that come up. For a few years in her run in WWE, she was heavily criticized, with fans giving her the "go away heat" treatment, especially in NXT.
WWE was aware of how much fans disliked her but knew that despite her limited in-ring ability, they had the potential to do something with her. In NXT, she was the Women's title challenger at one point and was used to help Bayley get a big win.
In 2016, she was drafted to SmackDown and while the women's division seemed a bit more limited as compared to RAW, we would later find out that it isn't just about the talent in the division, but how they're all utilized.
Eva Marie was in an entertaining storyline and had the potential to be a huge star in WWE. However, she was suspended later in the summer of 2016 and never made a comeback. At just 31, she would call it quits in WWE and focus on a career in movies.
#4 CM Punk
CM Punk is one of the two most accomplished wrestlers on this list. He quit WWE one night after Royal Rumble 2014 and over six and a half years later, he's yet to return. He's stated no interest in it as well and has gone a long way since.
36 might not be a 'young' age per se, but when you look at the level that CM Punk competed in, it was clear that he had at least four or five more years left in him in terms of a main event run. He wasn't always utilized to his satisfaction but as we know, things in WWE can be cyclical. He made it no secret that he felt he deserved to be pushed consistently the way superstars like John Cena were and his career ended on bad terms after a string of frustrations with WWE and overall physical pain burned him out to the point of no return.
We feel he retired too young because there was still a lot more left for him to accomplish. However, we respect his decision to walk away and never come back. It's not often that we see that in WWE.
#3 AJ Lee
AJ Lee is one of the most important women in WWE history, but the company won't acknowledge that. She was a women's wrestler in the era of Divas and found various ways to stand out.
There wasn't a shred of doubt that during her peak, there was no woman in WWE better than her. It's a shame that she left so early because it was only a few months after retirement from wrestling that the Divas division started making the eventual transition into the Women's division.
It would only be a year post-retirement when the WWE Women's Championship was introduced in a new lineage and with the inflow of talent from NXT that would happen, there's little doubt that she would have been perfect for it.
However, due to various circumstances, including her husband CM Punk's firing, AJ Lee decided to call it quits in wrestling at the age of 28. Had she stayed, she would have continued to be an integral part of the division and would have fit in perfectly with the growing crop of female talent on the roster.
#2 Lita
When you think of the two greatest women's wrestlers in WWE before 2014 onwards, two names stand out - Lita and Trish Stratus. This isn't to say there wasn't any other talent, but even when accounting for stars like Mickie James and Beth Phoenix, it's hard for them to touch the legacy that Lita and Trish Stratus left behind.
Lita inspired a whole generation of female wrestlers and if it wasn't for her, there would be no AJ Lee and many other names that we see today. She stood out because of her "daredevil"-like personality and the fact that she could hang with some of the best male wrestlers as well.
In the Women's division, she created a legacy that would take a decade for other women to touch. Her career ended in 2006 at the age of 31, citing various issues and some nagging injuries. While she would make occasional appearances in WWE and the independent scene, that was the end of her career. Had WWE been going in a better direction, we don't doubt that she would have stayed another four years atleast.
#1 The Rock
It's hard to blame The Rock for walking away from wrestling and WWE very early when you consider the fact that in 2020, he's among the biggest movie stars in the world. There was a point where he was even the highest-paid actor and virtually every movie he's a part of becomes a box office hit.
It took him a good decade to reach that position, but it was a gamble he took in 2003 when he quit wrestling. We're aware that he wrestled in WWE during 2004, 2011, 2012, and 2013 (and even 2016, if you count the six-second match against Erick Rowan), but the reality is that his wrestling career at its peak ended in 2003. As you might know, in 2001, he acted in The Scorpion King in the leading role and this would eventually set up his big Hollywood career.
Given the impact he had in WWE and that it was his platform to become a megastar, we find it hard to believe that his run on the top truly only lasted for 4-5 years. He quit wrestling full-time in 2003 at just the age of 31. What was an even bigger shame was the fact that in 2003, his "Hollywood Rock" character was taking off in WWE and it was some of the best work of his career. Unfortunately, we never got to see how that would unfold.
