5 Superstars who left WWE at the peak of their careers

Throughout the years, we have seen many wrestlers come and go. While most of the wrestlers left the company at a low point in their careers, there were few who decided to quit even when they were at the peak of their career.

WWE is the biggest promotion in professional wrestling and hence, a dream for most if not all to be part of the company. So while it seems a little outrageous that wrestlers would leave it at the peak of their careers, there are actually few people who qualify for the least. While some did it to move on to better things, some just weren't happy with what they had.

Here are 5 wrestlers who left the company at the peak of their careers.

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#5 Bobby Lashley

Bobby Lashley was released by WWE in 2008.

When Bobby Lashley made his debut on the main roster in 2005, his success in the company was imminent. Lashley had the looks that WWE has always admired. A three-time National Amateur Wrestling champion and a four-time All-American, he quickly made his way to the top. "The Dominator" won the United States Championship within the first year of his debut, defeating John Bradshaw Layfield.

After briefly feuding with King Booker for the World Heavyweight championship, Lashley was drafted to ECW. Lashley became the first African American to win the ECW title. He even went to represent Donal Trump in the "Battle of the Billionaires" against Vince Mcmahon's representative, Umaga in a winning cause. In 2007, Lashley was moved to Raw where he quickly earned a WWE Championship match against John Cena.

At the Great American Bash PPV, Lashley yet again failed to win. He went on a hiatus after suffering an injury in the same match. 6 months later, Lashley was released from WWE. Although neither of the parties made any comments about the release, many felt it was due to dispute with Smackdown lead writer, Michael Hayes.

#4 Neville

Neville held the Cruiserweight Championship for a record 197 days.

In 2012, it was reported that Neville had signed with WWE. He made his televised debut on NXT on 13, January 2013. Known for his agility and physique, Neville quickly gained the support of the fans in NXT. At NXT Arrival, he captured the NXT Championship, defeating his former tag team partner Bo Dallas. After losing the title to Sami Zayn, Neville was moved to Raw where he spent most of his time in the mid-card.

At Roadblock: End of the Line PPV, he turned heel for the first time in his career after he attacked the then-Cruiserweight Champion, Rich Swann. "The Man that Gravity Forgot" went on to win his first championship on the main roster at Royal Rumble 2017 where he defeated Swann for the Cruiserweight championship. This marked the beginning of the best phase of Neville's career, where he evolved as a complete package. He rightfully claimed himself as the "King of the Cruiserweights". Neville held the title for a record 197 days before losing it to Akira Tozawa. He quickly regained his "lost crown" at the SummerSlam PPV. At No Mercy 2017, Neville lost the championship to Enzo Amore.

On 10 October, it was reported that Neville had walked out of the company. While WWE denied the claims, Neville wasn't used until his contract terminated in August 2018. There were rumors that he wasn't happy with his position in the company and wanted to fight for something bigger. Considering how Mustafa Ali rose from Cruiserweight division to pinning the WWE Champion Daniel Bryan, big things could have happened for Neville had he stayed.

#3 Goldberg

Bill Goldberg did not sign with WWE when WWE bought WCW in 2001.

Goldberg was arguably the hottest star to have come out of WCW. Despite not being the most gifted technical wrestlers, Goldberg brought an unparalleled intensity and strength to his matches. When WWE bought WCW in 2001, Goldberg was one of the superstars who did not sign with WWE. Instead, he made his debut in the company in 2003. He carried his popularity from WCW to WWE as he directly feuded with The Rock upon his debut.

Goldberg quickly made his way to the top entering the main event scene where he feuded with Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship. At Unforgiven 2003, Goldberg defeated Triple H to win the coveted title. At Armageddon PPV, he lost his title to Triple H in a match that also involved Kane.

Goldberg was then involved in a feud with Brock Lesnar, a dream match in itself. He defeated Lesnar at Wrestlemania 20. However, he decided not to renew his contract with the company. Goldberg later stated that he left the company because wrestling in WWE wasn't fun anymore.

#2 Bret Hart

Bret Hart left the company on a very bitter note in 1996.

Bret Hart was arguably WWE's biggest star in the mid-'90s. Hart who made his debut for the company in 1984, went on to become one of the most decorated wrestlers in its entire history. Bret was a five-time WWF World Heavyweight Champion, one time United States champion, two-time WWF Tag Team champion, two-time King of the Ring winner and joint Royal Rumble winner along with Lex Luger.

However, despite being such a big name, the company could not afford to pay for Bret Hart's contract. Although "The Hitman" was reluctant to leave, he eventually signed with WCW, WWE's arch-rival at that moment. "The Best there is, the best there was, the best there will be" stands out in this list because he did not leave on his own terms. Also, his departure was planned when he was still the WWF World Heavyweight Champion. Bret Hart eventually lost the championship to his longtime rival, Shawn Michaels.

#1 Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar became the youngest wrestler to win the WWE Championship.

Brock Lesnar without a shadow of a doubt had the best debut year in the company's history. Lesnar won King of the Ring, WWE Undisputed Championship and the Royal Rumble in his very first year. The Next Big Thing was set to be company's next megastar after Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock. However, that wasn't meant to be.

Brock left the company after his defeat to Goldberg at Wrestlemania XX. Of all the wrestlers mentioned in this list, The Beast's departure was the worst for the company. Lesnar decided to leave just after 2 years to try his luck in the National Football League. He also wasn't a big fan of WWE's hectic schedule.

Considering what Lesnar had achieved in a mere 2 years, it would have been very interesting to see how things would have unfolded if he had never left.