12 Wrestlers Who Mysteriously VANISHED
Now you see them, now you don’t! Wrestling’s wildest disappearing acts.
Wrestling has always blurred the line between reality and fiction, but sometimes the most unbelievable twists happen outside the ring.
One moment a performer is a weekly fixture on TV, the next they’re simply gone—fading from the spotlight without explanation. No storyline closure, no dramatic send-off. Just a sudden absence that leaves fans guessing and the industry quietly moving on. Behind the scenes, though, the reasons are rarely simple—and often far stranger than anything that ever played out under the lights.
Some of these disappearances are tragic, others baffling. A few wrestlers walked away to battle personal demons—addiction, illness, or even homelessness. Others returned to the ring only to find creative had absolutely nothing for them. And then there are the truly wild cases: the ones who swapped suplexes for silencers and allegedly became hitmen.
Really.
These stories aren’t just about career slumps—they’re about lives that took sharp, often surreal turns away from the spotlight. Some found redemption. For some, the truth was stranger than any fiction coming from the pencil of a pro wrestling storyteller. Some are still missing in action.
12. Davey Boy Smith Jr.
In terms of strange WWE returns, few top the case of Davey Boy Smith Jr.
In July 2021, WWE proudly announced his re-signing. He even worked a dark match before SmackDown, seemingly setting the stage for a long-awaited return to TV. With his family legacy and international experience, it felt like a no-brainer. But then… nothing.
Four months later, WWE quietly released him—without a single televised appearance. Fans were left scratching their heads. Why bring him back at all? According to Smith himself, there were plans in place. He was set to be rebranded as “The Stampede Stud,” a nod to his roots and a potential fresh start. But those plans never made it past the drawing board.
It’s one of the most bizarre vanishing acts in recent WWE history: a return that technically happened, but never really happened. Davey Boy Smith Jr. was back—until he wasn’t.