4 times WWE stars went "missing" and why

In the exciting world of WWE, wrestling fans see a myriad of intriguing angles and storylines. The themes of betrayal, friendship, and romance are commonplace in the company's traditional narratives. However, in the past, the creative team and the locker room have explored unconventional storylines.

One such compelling narrative is the "Superstar goes missing" angle, which is often accompanied by WWE posting such posters on social media. Here, we look at 4 times WWE stars who went "missing" and why.

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#4 Current WWE SmackDown Superstar Mace is missing

The most recent addition to this list is SmackDown Superstar Mace, who was last seen on January 4. The news broke on his official Twitter page, where a poster featuring ambiguous and incomplete details of the star's attributes was posted. This seems to work, and it'd be interesting to see where this leads.

For those who don't know, Mace is one-half of The Maximum Male Models alongside Mansoor. The stable was headed by Max Dupri, who later left the group and became LA Knight. Before becoming a dashing on-screen model, he was a member of Retribution, a stable that quickly lost steam during the pandemic era.

This "disappearance" angle has been one of the most intriguing narratives Mace has been involved in during his underwhelming main roster run. Hopefully, this gives him more steam and recognition.

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#3 Former WWE Superstar Dean Ambrose

Before he reignited his wrestling career as Jon Moxley in AEW, he was Dean Ambrose, the unhinged Lunatic Fringe in WWE. Modern fans may recall his days as an eccentric and untamed member of The Shield, one of the most dominant factions in the last two decades.

The former WWE Champion was a difficult person to control; as such, he did whatever he wanted, regardless of the damage he could inflict upon others and himself. Ambrose "disappeared" in the summer of 2014 after he refused treatment for injuries he sustained at the hands of his former Shield brethren, Seth Rollins.

After Rollins stabbed his brothers in the back, he began feuding with The Lunatic Fringe. Their rivalry reached a climax when the former Architect of The Shield curb-stomped Ambrose through a pile of cinder blocks in August 2014. The AEW star was stretchered out of the arena, but he refused treatment from the doctors backstage and ran off.

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#2 Butch went missing last April

NXT stalwart Pete Dunne was brought up on the main roster as "Butch"- who had a rambunctious personality quite similar to that of Dean Ambrose. He then joined forces with Sheamus and Ridge Holland to form a three-man trio called "The Brawling Brutes."

Their first major feud was against The New Day. As such, Butch was at odds with Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods. The latter defeated the former NXT UK Champion with a roll-up on an episode of SmackDown in April 2022. A frustrated Butch left the arena, attacking a security guard on his way, and was reported missing.

On WWE's official Twitter account, a poster inquiring about his whereabouts was posted as #Where'sButch started trending. This was a work meant to further the ongoing narrative.

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#1 Dexter Lumis kidnapped The Miz last summer

One of the first Superstars to return during Triple H's rehiring wave was Dexter Lumis. After weeks of lurking in crowds and causing backstage disturbances, Lumis finally struck the worst way possible for his primary target, The Miz.

During a tag-team match between the team of Bobby Lashley and AJ Styles and the tandem of The Miz and Tomasso Ciampa, Lumis locked the A-Lister in a sleeper hold and forcefully dragged him out of the arena. Following the returning star's inexplicable actions, WWE official Adam Pearce sent out a tweet with the victim's face on a milk carton.

It was an incredible storyline that saw Lumis earn a RAW contract. However, The Miz got the last laugh as he defeated his foe in a ladder match, with help from the returning Bronson Reed, to win a huge sum of money.