10 WWE Superstars Who Went AWOL After WrestleMania

2. Rowdy Roddy Piper

roddy piper bret hart
WWE.com

Alongside Hulk Hogan, Pat Patterson and Vince McMahon himself, Rowdy Roddy Piper came under intense media scrutiny in early 1992 as a wave of sex and drug scandals rocked the WWE empire to the core.

Piper was among the named performers wrapped up in a steroid abuse accusations that were briefly a hot topic and forced the level of testing that lead to Sid Justice exiting the promotion entirely and Hulk Hogan walking away until the heat died down.

As reigning Intercontinental Champion, Piper had responsibilities to take care of before he could disappear for a while. Laying down for Bret Hart at WrestleMania, Piper allowed himself to be pinned for one of the only times in his career on the grandest stage.

After an outstanding match with 'The Hitman' and a dynamic run with the title, Piper recorded a series of unused Piper's Pit segments at the post-WrestleMania TV tapings then left without a trace until a strange appearance at SummerSlam '92 in August, playing the bagpipes for the electric Wembley Stadium crowd.

One of several key stars that departed that year for a variety of different reasons, Piper would have been a valuable asset for the company but with his absence leaving another gaping hole in the roster, his exit passed without mention.

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett