00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today, we're counting down our picks for the top 10 wrestlers who
00:13decided to make a dramatic exit from the business at the most unexpected of times.
00:18And once you're one foot out the door, to me, I feel like I don't want to ever halfway
00:23do something.
00:2510.
00:26Kamala
00:27Not every wrestler ends up a millionaire, it's a sad fact about this gruesome business,
00:31and for Kamala, everything he gave to the game ended up costing him in a big way later in
00:37life.
00:42After payment disagreements with the WWF, reportedly due to some huge disparities between his salary
00:48and his opponents, Kamala left the promotion in 1993.
01:00Although he did wrestle sporadically over the coming years, he became a truck driver to make
01:05ends meet.
01:06He eventually retired due to health issues that led to him getting both legs amputated.
01:18He passed away from diabetes complications brought on by COVID-19 in 2020.
01:239.
01:24Stan Hansen
01:26When Stan Hansen was asked to lose his title to Nick Bockwinkle, it represented an opportunity
01:31to do his current company a favor and earn some good faith in the business.
01:3910.
01:40Stan Hansen
01:41However, Hansen decided to refuse the fight, jumping ship to Japan while still calling himself
01:46the American Wrestling Association champ.
01:51AWA threatened legal action, so he ran over the belt in his tractor and sent it back to
02:04the promotion.
02:05He went on to become a star in Japan, but likely hurts his chances of becoming a bigger name in
02:11the United States, simply because he didn't want to.
02:238.
02:24Eve Torres
02:25Eve Torres was carving out quite a promising early run for herself in the WWE, winning the
02:302007 Diva Search, which earned her a contract with the organization.
02:34She also became the first person to win the WWE Divas Championship on three different occasions.
02:41However, despite seeming like a huge part of the WWE's next generation, she shocked the
02:50world by announcing her retirement abruptly at the age of 28.
02:59She then moved her focus entirely into becoming an instructor for the Gracie Women Empowerment
03:04Program, teaching women about self-defense.
03:07It's quite a noble decision, don't you think?
03:177.
03:18Tyson Kidd
03:19Sometimes, the decision to walk away from the ring isn't entirely up to the athletes
03:24themselves.
03:25Tyson Kidd was very clearly a promising technical wrestler who had spent the best part of a decade
03:30working up a reputation for himself.
03:38Unfortunately, during a dark match on Raw vs. Samoa Joe, his opponent's muscle-buster
03:42finisher cost him his career, and nearly his life.
03:46Kidd suffered a brutal spinal injury, one that he claimed that only 5% of people actually survived.
03:52His wrestling career was brought to a very sudden and irreversible end.
04:00Thankfully, he now works as a producer with the WWE, but his days in the limelight are sadly
04:05over.
04:106.
04:11Rick Rude
04:12It was very easy to hate on Rick Rude in his prime.
04:15In many ways, he was the perfect heel figure.
04:18Looking back on his career now, you can see how excellently he played off the crowd, but
04:23his story is undoubtedly a tragic one.
04:30At a pivotal point in his own rise, he experienced complications from an earlier back injury, which
04:36might have resulted in insurance rates issues.
04:39So Rude decided to retire, becoming a ringside personality instead.
04:43In 1999, during an attempt to get back into the ring, Rude's training process was interrupted
04:49by his sudden death at the age of 40, making him one of wrestling's great what-ifs.
04:555.
05:00Stacy Keebler
05:01Stacy Keebler was well and truly one of the standout divas of her era.
05:06Coming over to the WBF from WCW after their purchase, she entered the game right in the
05:20thick of the Attitude Era.
05:22However, the grueling lifestyle and physical tolls of this sport weren't exactly what
05:27she wanted for the rest of her prime years.
05:36So in 2006, seemingly at the height of her powers, she left the WWE to chase other interests.
05:43Though she did make appearances as an actress and on reality TV, she later left Hollywood
05:48entirely to focus on her family life.
05:554.
05:56Spike Dudley
05:57As part of the notorious Dudley Brothers faction, Spike Dudley, real name Matthew Heysen, actually
06:03spent time as a third-grade teacher's assistant before finding his way to the ring.
06:09However, his run in the WWE as part of tag teams and as a singles fighter saw him carve
06:19out a memorable career, eventually culminating in a Cruiserweight Championship.
06:33When his contract ended, he spent some time on the regional scene and began training other
06:38prospective wrestlers.
06:40Eventually, he stopped full-time training completely and began work as a financial transition specialist.
06:453.
06:50Bart Gunn
06:53The problem with a career in wrestling is that you really don't know for sure how things
06:58are going to play out.
07:04One poor move can leave you with an injury that changes the course of your career forever.
07:09For Bart Gunn, he had a commendable run in the business between 1991 and 2007, wrestling
07:15for some of the biggest promotions around, including the WWE.
07:19Bart Gunn
07:26However, he eventually decided to step away from the ring so he could make a move towards a
07:31more stable profession.
07:32He now works entirely in construction and, as an electrician, a far more risk-averse way
07:38of securing his future.
07:452.
07:46AJ Lee
07:47AJ Lee's early retirement in 2015 came as a major shock for everyone.
08:01Known for her uncoachable charisma and technical skill, she pretty much walked away right in
08:06the middle of her most promising period of time at just 28 years old.
08:16She instead decided to focus on writing, authoring several comic books and even a Netflix film,
08:21Blade of the 47 Ronin.
08:23Thankfully, after proving to herself that she was very capable of finding her footing in
08:28any field, she returned to the WWE in 2025, marking 10 long years since her initial exit.
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08:551.
08:56Trish Stratus
08:57No list of all-time great divas would be complete without a mention for Trish Stratus.
09:03And yet, she seemed to have no interest in overstaying her welcome.
09:08In fact, she walked away from the WWE just after winning her record-breaking seventh women's
09:18championship.
09:31She was clearly a legend of the game, but there's no denying that she could have become something
09:35even greater if she had stuck around.
09:37A reason for leaving shed some light on things, though.
09:40After her mother became ill, Stratus decided to dedicate more time to her care.
09:45She was already toying with the idea of chasing other interests, and this made her decision final.
09:50Aside from some small appearances, she has kept to her word.
09:54But which wrestler would you love to see mount an unexpected comeback?
10:03Let us know in those comments below!
10:05Bye!
10:06Bye!
10:07Bye!
10:08Bye!
10:09Bye!
10:10Bye!
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