10 Wrestlers Who Jumped Ship (And Ruined Their Careers)
New pastures don't always bring new opportunities.
WWE's wrestling monopoly has killed the concept of jumping ship at a mainstream level. Lucrative opportunities do exist elsewhere, as proven by Cody Rhodes' reinvention as the sport's smartest freelancer (a blueprint Neville will surely look to follow when his non-complete clause expires), but we may never see anything like the Monday Night Wars' rampant promotion-swapping ever again.
Switching workplaces yields mixed results, especially in this business. Christian was transformed into a bona fide main event star for the first time ever have joined TNA in 2005, but others? They weren't so lucky, as we're about to find out.
While jumping ship can be the perfect tonic to revive a struggling run, it's just as likely to be a death-knell. One simple misstep can tank a wrestler's whole career, as they struggle to fit into their new surroundings, learning the hard way that perhaps their old situation wasn't so bad after all.
It isn't always the performer's fault, and in some cases, their plight was out of their hands. Still, the wrestlers within would've almost certainly enjoyed longer, more fruitful careers had they stuck around at their previous place of work...
10. Hideo Itami (NOAH To WWE)
The former GHC Heavyweight Champion returned to Pro Wrestling NOAH for the first time since May 2014 last weekend, facing former partner and rival Naomichi Marufuji in a sentimental Sumo Hall main event. Watching the bout, it was like a switch had flipped inside the 205 Live slugger. Though not quite to the same levels as old, his stiffness, star power, presence, and aura were back. KENTA was back.
Swapping NOAH for WWE turned Itami from star to also-ran. Yes, injuries have sabotaged his run, but they're far from the only reason for his struggles under Vince McMahon's employ.
A wrestler who always relied on stiffness, aggression, and pure badassery couldn't rely on these traits in WWE's safety-first environment. Thus, his ability to get over was hampered from day one. He was miscast as an awkward babyface, and to top it all off, his moveset was pilfered, with Daniel Bryan claiming his signature kicks, and CM Punk the Go 2 Sleep.
Things have improved in the years since his debut, but the Marufuji match only highlight's Hideo's slide to irrelevancy. He's a joyless, half-arsed self-parody on 205 Live, struggling to keep his head above water in an environment he has never been suited to.