10 Times Wrestlers Quit Before Major PPVs

1. Brock Lesnar (WWE WrestleMania XX)

Brock Lesnar was made out from the start as a wrestler that would headline PPVs and carry WWE on his massive back for years to come.

Millions of dollars were invested in securing him to a developmental contract and training him after his successful amateur career. What WWE weren’t prepared for, though, was Brock hating life on the road as a WWE Superstar.

In 2004, Lesnar dropped the WWE Championship to Eddie Guerrero at No Way Out and was heading into a feud with Goldberg he was scheduled to win at WrestleMania XX. Lesnar had been touring every week around the world for two years at that point and it came to a breaking point.

Only a week before Mania, Lesnar handed in his notice to WWE officials, claiming he wanted nothing to do with wrestling anymore, and wanted to pursue a career in the NFL. Lesnar quit WWE in its busiest week of the year, leading up to WrestleMania XX.

Vince McMahon and company were irate, having to rewrite months of storylines and plans post-Mania. Irked, they had Goldberg go over Lesnar in a match fans booed out the building at Madison Square Garden. WWE wouldn’t see Lesnar again for 8 years.