10 Wrestlers Who Got Jacked After Leaving WWE

Having to leave a dream job from one of the biggest companies in the world has to be one of the toughest moments in a pro wrestler's life. Likewise, many superstars in the past had to leave the promotion either by their own will to pursue other ambitions or by getting released from their contracts.

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The wrestlers we're talking about on this list left WWE at various time intervals and had different journeys, but the most common thing they did was to get in the best shape of their lives. With that said, let's take a look at 10 wrestlers who got jacked after leaving WWE.

10 JTG

The WWE Universe remembers JTG for his time as part of the Cryme Tyme tag team alongside the late Shad Gaspard between 2006 and 2010. Cryme Tyme was one of the most entertaining tag teams in WWE history, but unfortunately, they couldn't get their hands on the championships.

After JTG and Gaspard split in April 2010, JTG broke out into singles competition, which didn't go very well for him. He found himself out of the company by 2014 and returned to the independent circuit, where he continues to perform to this date. But before he would rejuvenate his in-ring career in the indies, he went on to get in the best shape of his career and shared the incredible results on social media, and received tons of appreciation from the fans.

9 Carlito

Carlito was one of the most hated heels during his initial days in WWE, and he made an impactful debut by defeating John Cena to win the United States Championship.

He went on to achieve decent success in WWE by winning the Intercontinental and tag team championships throughout the entirety of his WWE career. WWE released him from his contract in 2010 after violating the company's wellness policy. Following the exit, he returned to the independent circuit and remained on the sidelines.

But when he made a surprise appearance at the 2021 men's Royal Rumble match, the fans were surprised to see the phenomenal shape he was on. He looked better than ever and caught the attention of the WWE Universe, but he didn't sign a contract with the company and went straight back to the indies.

8 Vladimir Kozlov

Vladimir Kozlov made his WWE debut in April 2008, and the company booked him as an unstoppable monster heel right from the get-go. He soon started programs with main event stars like Triple H and Jeff Hardy and even defeated The Undertaker clean in a one-on-one match.

But his momentum went downhill by the end of his stay with WWE, and he got relegated to a comedic act by teaming with Santino Marella. He found himself out of the company by 2011 and returned to the Inoki Genome Federation, and then stepped away from in-ring competition in 2012.

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He remained on the sidelines away from all the hype but made sure he got into the best physical shape of his life, and the results he shared on social media blew the fans' minds away.

7 Big Cass

Big Cass' exit from WWE turned out to be uneventful after he got released by the company owing to behavioral issues, including being intoxicated in public and disobeying direct orders from Vince McMahon.

WWE released him from his contract in June 2018, and Cass himself revealed that his struggle with depression, anxiety, and alcohol addiction as the main factors behind his release.

He let himself go after the release and looked worse during his matches in the independent circuit. However, he pulled himself back up and trained hard to get ripped and into the best shape of his life.

6 Adam Rose

Adam Rose was that superstar the fans never got behind despite the company's efforts to build him up in the mid-card. He had a unique character and an equally unique entourage in his Rosebuds.

Some of his Rosebuds went on to become main event stars in WWE, but Adam Rose never found any real momentum as his character was watered down so fast.

He left WWE after the company suspended him following real-life domestic violence allegations. He returned to the independent circuit and reinvented himself by undergoing an incredible physical transformation which gained him tons of praise from the fans.

5 Jinder Mahal

Jinder Mahal's first run with WWE didn't do him any favors as he remained in the lower mid-card level and then had to be a part of the underwhelming 3MB faction alongside Drew McIntyre and Heath Slater.

He was let go by WWE in June 2014, and he went over to the indies, where he reinvented himself by getting into a more muscular physique, which resulted in him making a comeback to WWE.

His second run proved to be extremely successful as he went on to win the WWE Championship to everyone's surprise and held it for 170 days.

4 Pac

Current AEW star Pac is well-known among the WWE Universe as Neville, a former Cruiserweight and NXT Champion. Pac's final days with WWE saw him walking out of the company due to frustrations with his creative direction in 2018.

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Pac had a decent physique during the final days of his WWE run, but once he left the company, he got into the best shape possible and got ripped. It opened the doors for him to make his debut for All Elite Wrestling, where he continues to perform as of this writing.

3 Drew McIntyre

Drew McIntyre's first run with WWE had its fair share of ups and downs as he went from being Vince McMahon's chosen one to becoming part of the comedic 3MB faction.

WWE released him from his contract in 2014, but he didn't let the setback hurt him as he went on to reinvent himself in the independent circuit and Impact Wrestling, and in the process, got into the best shape of his career.

His excellent run in Impact Wrestling opened the doors for his WWE return, and he made sure that he didn't fall down the cards like the last time. Drew made the most of his opportunity by beoming a two-time WWE Champion.

2 Edge

The Rated R Superstar Edge's in-ring career came to a crashing end after he had to announce his retirement after sustaining several neck injuries. WWE inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 2012, and the fans thought they had seen the last of Edge as an in-ring performer.

However, Edge started making changes to his physique right in time for his in-ring return at Royal Rumble 2020, and when he finally made his entrance at the event, the fans were overwhelmed to see him back in action and also at the sight of his new and improved physique.

1 The Rock

The Rock's first run with WWE came to an end by 2004 as The People's Champion left the company to pursue his Hollywood ambitions. Throughout his first WWE run, The Rock had a decent physique, but it's nothing compared to the shape that he's in today.

Following his exit from WWE, The Rock slowly started to make physical transformations, which turned out to be massive as he ended up looking like he ate his previous version for supper.

His new and updated physique helped him get back to the ring between 2011 and 2013 and also made him look spectacular in his movies.