When a wrestler leaves a major promotion such as WWE, it is common for them to explore their options, and either perform for another wrestling company such as AEW or IMPACT, or sometimes enter into a brand-new avenue such as acting.

However, it’s sometimes the case that a wrestler disappears from the public limelight following their WWE tenure, with their wrestling career either fading into the background, or the wrestler in question trying to return to a so-called “normal life”.

So, with that being said, let’s look at 10 WWE wrestlers who fell off the face of the earth.

10: Ezekiel Jackson

At one point in time, it looked like Ezekiel Jackson was going to be positioned as a top-star in WWE.

When the infamous faction known as The Corre disbanded, Jackson was presented as one of the future stars of the company, and a subsequent Intercontinental Title reign would follow.

The problem was that Jackson struggled to connect to the audience, and despite WWE putting Jackson in a prominent position on WWE TV, unfortunately, the fans just couldn’t care less.

Jackson would be released from WWE in 2014, yet he didn’t immediately fall off the face of the earth. Following his WWE tenure coming to an end, Jackson had runs in both IMPACT Wrestling and Lucha Underground. Both of these respective runs were brief, and it was revealed in 2015, that Jackson had since retired, and now opts to train wrestlers rather than compete himself.

9: Spike Dudley

Spike Dudley is one of the more underrated stars that have stepped into a WWE ring.

Spike had the ability to get over with the audience, no matter if he was being slammed through several tables, or he was a cut-throat heel who was bossing The Dudley Boyz around.

Spike was truly a fantastic talent, and it’s hardly a surprise that everyone who ever worked with Spike has nothing but praise for the former Cruiserweight Champion.

When Spike retired in 2015, sightings of Spike went quiet, as Spike wasn’t exactly a frequent user of social media, so it was difficult for fans to keep up with what Spike was up to. Spike would resurface a number of years later on WWE’s digital show, The Bump, and the response on social media to Spike was overwhelmingly positive.

Spike has decided to stay out of the public spotlight, which is of course, completely understandable, and these days, instead of taking dangerous bumps on RAW and SmackDown, Spike works in the world of finance.

8: Adam Rose

WWE put a ton of resources into trying to make Adam Rose a huge deal. Rose would be given the gimmick of the leader of the Exotic Express, and whilst this gimmick was fun at first, after a couple of months, it became increasingly tiresome.

Rose would eventually be released in 2016, and Rose did very little following his release, and every-time he resurfaced, it was always for something controversial. Notably in 2016, Rose decided to release a t-shirt with his mugshot on, which completely baffled fans, and those fans who had stuck by Rose slowly began to distance themselves from him.

A subsequent retirement would follow for Rose, and based on social media posts, it appears that Rose puts all his efforts into getting into insane shape, as Rose looks like a completely different human being these days.

7: Ahmed Johnson

During the mid to late 1990s, Ahmed Johnson was without a doubt one of the most popular talents on the roster with the fans, yet behind the scenes, Johnson wasn’t exactly the most likeable person in the world.

Unfortunately, Johnson’s wrestling career began to fall apart when he departed WWE in 1998.

When Johnson resurfaced in WCW, he had put on a considerable amount of weight, and his character which saw him linked to Harlem Heat was never going to light the world on fire.

Johnson would decide to retire in 2003, and in the past two-decades, Johnson has cut ties with the wrestling industry completely. Outside of the occasional shoot interview, Johnson prefers to keep himself private, and in terms of occupation following his retirement, Johnson would study for a Criminology degree in Houston Texas.

6: Austin Aries

For the longest time, Austin Aries had great success in whichever promotion he landed in. However, in recent years, the perception of Aries has drastically shifted, and Aries has completely fallen off the face of the Earth.

Whilst Aries in-ring ability can’t be questioned, his behaviour and attitude outside of the ring has led to rampant criticism, so much so that Aries has zero presence in the modern-day wrestling space.

Aries would previously spend hours a day arguing with fans over political issues, and he was also named in the 2020 Speaking Out Movement.

Aries has yet to wrestle a single match in 2023, and it looks like he has taken a step back from pro wrestling.

Aries’ last in-ring appearance came for the Wrestle Cade promotion in 2022, and when Aries was announced for the aforementioned show, fans on social media were quick to condemn the promotion for booking such a problematic figure.

5: Hardcore Holly

Hardcore Holly was a prominent fixture on WWE programming through multiple eras. Holly was involved in the New Generation, Attitude, Ruthless Aggression, and PG Era, and this is something that can never be taken away from the former Hardcore Champion.

When Holly was released from WWE in 2009, which ended his 15-year (yes, 15-year) career in the company, Holly still focused on wrestling, yet the majority of his work was in independent promotions; meaning little fanfare was made when it came to Holly’s wrestling career post-WWE.

In recent years, Holly has stepped back from wrestling, and he prefers to focus on his love for cars, and in 2013, Holly released his autobiography, titled: The Hardcore Truth.

Holly made a rare podcast appearance on The Steve Austin Show in 2018, and Holly reflected on his career, and he revealed that despite his age, he still feels pretty good, and he remains active:

"As far as career-wise, I always think, I do think a lot of times, I wonder how my body would be if I didn't wrestle and I did something else. Would it be something else that's worse than what's going on now? You always question your choices as far as the things you do and I have questioned, 'why did you get into wrestling?' I got into it because I loved it. Was it worth it to me? Yeah, it was. It gave me a good life. It provided me with a good life. I’ve experienced the world. I've experienced a lot of things…”

“But as far as my body-wise, I think I'm okay. I really do. Being 55, I still move around really well. I'm still pretty fast. Of course, not as fast as I used to be, but I'm still pretty agile. And I feel pretty good for 55 and I attribute that to staying in shape, working out, and things like that. And I stay active.”

4: Nathan Jones

When Nathan Jones decided to part ways with WWE in 2003, Jones’ wrestling career became virtually non-existent.

Outside of a few independent shows, Jones ventured away from the wrestling industry, yet in 2008, there were plans for him to become a part of the TNA roster. However, due to a serious injury, Jones never ended up competing for the popular promotion.

Jones is probably now more known for his acting roles, as opposed to his brief time as a WWE star. Jones has appeared in major movies such as Mortal Kombat, and Hobbs and Shaw, and this is an avenue which Jones is clearly excelling at, as the roles keep coming in for The Undertaker’s former protegee.

3: Mason Ryan

Most WWE fans like to label Mason Ryan as Batista 2.0, and it was a shame that his WWE career didn’t go to plan, as Ryan was keen to work hard and get better in the ring.

When Ryan departed WWE, he decided to make a bold step outside of the box of pro wrestling, and the reason why fans don’t hear about Ryan is because he is working for Cirque du Soleil as an archer.

WWE.COM would catch up with the former New NEXUS member for an interview back in 2016, and this is what he had to say in regards to his new profession:

“There are two or three fight scenes in the show itself, so obviously having my WWE training for many years helped a lot. What’s great about the show, as well, is that they’ve welcomed me in and they haven’t seen me as a newcomer. They see me as someone who can help and add something to the show. They’ve been open to my ideas, they’ve asked for my ideas — I’ve had a lot of input on the fight scenes that I have. We have some of the most talented athletes in the world here and they come from all different backgrounds, but I really feel coming from WWE that I bring something different than what they have. We have an amazing product.”

2: Mr Kennedy/Anderson

WWE letting go of Mr Kennedy in 2009 was one of their more controversial firings; however, Kennedy using the name of Mr Anderson managed to find success in IMPACT Wrestling, as the former WWE star would go on to become World Champion on two separate occasions.

Sadly despite the initial success, Anderson departed IMPACT on bad terms, as it was said that Anderson failed an on-the-spot drug test, and ever since his release, Anderson hasn’t been a prominent figure within the wrestling industry.

Since his release from IMPACT, Anderson has worked the independent circuit, and even wrestled in NWA, yet Anderson is no longer the major attraction he once was during his days in WWE and IMPACT.

It looks like Anderson is slowly fizzling out his days as an in-ring talent, as Anderson only wrestles on sporadic occasions, and he prefers to train future wrestlers at his wrestling school, which is known as The Academy.

1: Ted DiBiase

WWE’s Legacy stable was designed to make Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes main-event stars in WWE. Unfortunately, when the stable disbanded, Rhodes became a popular star in the company, whereas DiBiase faded into the background, and was eventually released from the company in 2013.

Following his release, DiBiase would delve into the independent circuit, yet in terms of his notoriety, it fell drastically, and it wasn’t until 2023 in which his name would resurface.

In April of 2023, the US Department of Justice released an official statement indicting DiBiase with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, six counts of wire fraud, two counts of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, and four counts of money laundering.

As of writing, DiBiase is facing a potential prison sentence that could total 185-years.

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