10 Mistakes That Cost WWE Stars Their Careers

3. Yokozuna Ignores Pleas To Lose Weight

Ken Doane John Cena Mickie James
wwe.com

In 1992, a new face began appearing on WWF programming. Known as Yokozuna, the monster heel rapidly moved up the ranks and became WWF Heavyweight Champion at WrestleMania IX. 

Despite quickly dropping the belt to Hulk Hogan, he was there to stay near the top of the cards.

Long-obsessed with gargantuan grapplers, Vince McMahon clearly loved the idea of promoting Yokozuna. He looked the part, and was surprisingly agile for such a huge man. 

Ironically, it would be his weight that eventually cost him his WWF career. 

By 1996, Yoko weighed well over 600lbs. No longer was he able to run around the ring like before, or bump convincingly for his opponents. As a result, the WWF tried to cajole Yoko to drop some pounds, even going so far as to send him to a 'fat farm', but this is something he had a lot of trouble with. 

Incredibly, even after he had been released by the promotion, Yokozuna continued to rapidly gain weight. Right before his passing in the year 2000, he reportedly weighed somewhere in region of 700-750lbs.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.