Wrestlers walking out on their promotions isn’t a common thing. It has happened numerous times in the past, but there have been consequences for that. Although this is often the case, these wrestlers eventually return to the company after resolving any issues they had with it.
In this article, we’ll take a look at some of these wrestlers who decided to walk out on their company.
Also read: WWE Streaming Guide 2026: Raw, SmackDown, NXT, PLEs and More
Nixon Newell & Miranda Alize
Back in November 2025, it was reported that Nixon Newell and Miranda Alize walked out of an AEW Collision taping where they were scheduled to take on Tay Conti and Anna Jay. This happened because Newell and Alize wanted more time for this match, and they only received three minutes to work the program.
Both wrestlers later provided their side of the story and said that the people in AEW agreed that the time allotted to this match wasn’t enough. So they were allowed to go home without any bad blood between them.
Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar was one of the biggest investments WWE had in the early 2000s. He was showcased as The Next Big Thing in wrestling. Despite receiving a main event push from the get-go, Lesnar was unhappy with a lot of things going on behind the scenes. As a result, he left the company in 2004.
Lesnar eventually returned to WWE in 2012 and became a huge star attraction for them.
In 2022, when Vince McMahon announced his retirement from wrestling, Lesnar, who was scheduled to work on the July 22 edition of SmackDown, “abruptly left” the building. This whole walkout thing didn’t last long, as Lesnar eventually showed up on SmackDown later that night.
At WrestleMania 42, Brock Lesnar wrestled Oba Femi in what was seemingly the final match of the wrestler’s career. Femi defeated Lesnar.
Also read: 5 WrestleMania Shows That Everyone Should Watch
Sasha Banks & Naomi
In May 2022, Sasha Banks and Naomi walked out on WWE. They reportedly had a dispute with Vince McMahon. Banks and Naomi were scheduled to work in a six-pack challenge involving Asuka, Becky Lynch, Doudrop, and Nikki A.S.H. to become the number one contender to the Raw Women’s Title.
Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy walked out on WWE during a live event that took place on December 4, 2021. He was reportedly asked by WWE to either get into rehab or get released. Hardy chose to get released from his contract. He later commented on his departure and said he wasn’t under the influence that night.
The wrestler was released from WWE a few days after the incident, and he arrived in AEW after his non-compete clause was up. While contracted to AEW, Hardy got arrested for DUI in June of 2022, and he was suspended as a result.
He left the company in June 2024 after his contract expired.
Main image credit: IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire
Wrestling news reporter.