Being a wrestler is a dream job for so many fans. It does come with some incredible perks with the high life, but there are also some lows. Wrestlers have a short window of opportunity since most don't get to enjoy being employed by the WWE for more than a couple of years. There are plenty of wrestlers who made millions of dollars during their prime years, but they are currently broke today. Many believe if wrestlers could continue to perform at a high level and be well-paid for more time, they would be better off financially in the long run.

But that is unrealistic, and most wrestlers either continue competing for different promotions or switching professions. It is quite difficult for wrestlers to adjust from being in the limelight to fading into obscurity. Many names who landed on this list were enjoying the highs of the industry and living a lavish lifestyle until they got older. Depending on the wrestler, many of them may have burned bridges with the WWE and aren't welcomed back - which would prevent any future opportunities for another pay day.

In the past few years, it is becoming possible once again to make a living as a wrestler while being an independent competitor, but sadly some of these older wrestlers had limited options once WCW and ECW died. Today's list features many of our favourite Superstars from the past, as we look at 15 former WWE stars whose lives fell apart.

15 Sunny

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Sunny's rise and fall from the top has been an interesting story to follow. In the 90s, she was the most popular female wrestler for some years and had a huge following. She was also quite active on the dating scene among those in the wrestling industry, as she was in a relationship with several stars including Chris Candido and Shawn Michaels. Sunny has also been apart of one of the most famous rivalries in Bret Hart versus Shawn Michaels, which didn't help her reputation.

But since leaving the WWE, she has struggled to remain relevant and has taken some strong measures to do so. In the past few years, she has offered naughty Skype sessions to fans for some non-negotiable prices. From being a major icon in wrestling to begging for attention on the internet, Sunny had one of the worst fall offs in wrestling history.

14 Orlando Jordan

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Orlando Jordan's WWE career got off to a great start, earning an important spot as a member of JBL's stable. He would even capture the WWE United States title by defeating John Cena - a remarkable feat that could turn around many careers. And while WWE tried their best to get him over, Jordan failed to connect with the fans and was released from the company. He followed it up with another forgettable run in TNA back when they were hiring all WWE rejects.

Jordan has failed to leave a mark on the independent scene, and now only competes for local wrestling promotions. He is also a personal trainer but it seems like his WWE money has already been spent. But unlike many other former Superstars, you can credit him for trying to maintain by continuing to be active instead of trying to live off the past.

13 Buff Bagwell

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For many of today's entries, the door may be open for a return to the WWE in some capacity, but that cannot be said about Buff Bagwell. His career took a major hit once WCW folded and he was never able to recover since then. After barely lasting in the WWE, Bagwell faded into irrelevancy as he has been blacklisted from the company. With wrestling no longer being a viable source of income, Bagwell decided to have a career change by turning into a gigolo.

If there was slight hope of him reconnecting with the WWE, that move made sure to burn any last bridges. It doesn't like Buff has got the stuff anymore as he looks flabby and old these days, but at least he looks good enough to be in demand in his new profession. That is probably not the future most would had predicted for him back in WCW.

12 X-Pac

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Many wrestlers from the 90s are now struggling in more ways than one. There are some who have been battling addictions, while others have had plenty of health problems. Others are just struggling financially and can't seem to be able to get back up on their feet. X-Pac belongs in all three categories as he has faced trouble in the past decade. Some fans were really worried about him at one time, and while he has improved in recent time, he still isn't nearly as fine as he should be.

But unlike most of these entries, X-Pac will always have a back up option in Triple H, who will likely always look out for him in one way or another. And while he certainly won't ever wrestle for WWE again, they could perhaps bring him for a backstage roll if he gets his act together.

11 Ashley Massaro

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Ashley Massaro came to the WWE at a perfect time, and as a result, she had some successful years. She wasn't known for her wrestling talent - which was quite embarrassing - but for winning the 2005 WWE Diva Search Contest and then later on posing for Playboy. Massaro's entire career and push was based on that accomplishment, which is why you have either already forgotten her or never even heard of her.

Since leaving the WWE, she still can't let go that period of her life and always promotes herself as the Diva that she once was. She has been struggling financially according to some reports, which is why it doesn't surprise us that she jumped at the first chance Stephanie McMahon contacted her for a return on Raw - except that it was an obviously fake account. That should tell you that Massaro is going through some rough times.

10 Jimmy Wang Yang

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It wasn't that long ago when Jimmy Wang Yang was a SmackDown Superstar, yet it seems like a different lifetime. He had a decent stint in the WWE with some memorable moments - nothing to be ashamed of as one could argue that he overachieved. But since then, his wrestling career has been nothing short of disappointment. But it seems like he has now moved on with his life since wrestling is no longer bringing in enough money.

During an interview with the WWE, he claimed to be driving a party bus around as a job. He didn't look like a former WWE Superstar as he lives a country life. Some thought that he was only playing a gimmick at the time but as it turned out, that was one of the rare times in which WWE was portraying reality - and yet we never knew.

9 Jake Roberts

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Jake Roberts was a big draw for many years, and one of the most popular WWE Superstars during his era. But as time went by, he faded away from the spotlight as he struggled with personal problems. From battling addiction to financial trouble, Roberts went through some rough times and hit rock bottom at some point. Thankfully, his good friend Diamond Dallas Page stepped in, and looked out for Roberts at a much needed time.

He is looking much healthier these days, and has been able to repair his somewhat tarnished reputation, but it is certainly too late to be relevant enough to make some money off it. Roberts has gotten back in the good graces of WWE with several appearances on their events after having been away for so long. And while Roberts' life fall apart for some years, it seems like he is finally getting it back together.

8 Scott Hall

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Everyone is well aware of the Scott Hall story by now, it has been covered by ESPN after all. We have seen him through a few cameos back in the WWE as he had somewhat gotten back healthy. Just as he did with Jake Roberts, DDP helped Hall through the rough times. But Hall continues to have problems from time to time although he is more reliable these day. He certainly looks healthier and we hope that Hall continues to improve.

But considering that he still has to make appearances at unknown promotions confirms that he is still struggling financially. And if the WWE believed in him to the fullest, they would have made him apart of the team, especially since one of his best friends Triple H is leading the way. As of now, Hall is much better than he was for so many years but not quite at the ideal level.

7 The Sandman

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There was a time when The Sandman was one of the edgiest wrestlers in the industry. He instantly clicked with the ECW fans and became one of the top stars of the company during its prime years. And when WWE brought back ECW as a brand, they had to also nab The Sandman. That brief run was possibly his biggest payday throughout his career, but it didn't last too long.

And since he has been living reckless for quite a while, his money problems have also increased along the way. But I mean if The Sandman was remotely close in real life to his on-screen character, then you had to expect that he wouldn't be the brightest with money. And although he has been going through some tough times, we certainly hope that he can bounce back as we have previously seen many of his peers do.

6 Maven

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Maven peaked early in his WWE career upon winning the first edition of Tough Enough. But his most memorable would come on sooner at the Royal Rumble when he shockingly eliminated The Undertaker with a smooth dropkick. But nothing that he did afterwards ever mattered and he disappeared from television for a while before being released. Unlike many of his peers, Maven didn't choose to continue heading on the same path and went away from the wrestling business.

He worked as a bouncer for many years, and is supposedly a sales man these days. It's safe to assume that any money left from his Tough Enough contest is long gone by now. He is another Superstar from the Ruthless Aggression era who left the WWE and failed to make any impact on the independent circuit, which is why they ended up having to either switch professions or beg for attention.

5 Lex Luger

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For someone who was a big name in the industry for many years, it is rare that we hear about Lex Luger. Such has been the case since the death of WCW, he is among many wrestlers whos careers and legacies were highly affected by that. Luxger's reputation hasn't been helped due to his supposed involvement with Miss Elizabeth's troubles towards the end of her life. In the past couple years, Luger has aged very badly and differently from what fans remember.

And when you haven't been involved with the WWE for so long, it is almost impossible to be doing well on your own. There is no doubt that Luger would have had a better future if WCW stuck around for at least a couple more years before its unfortunate death in 2001. And while his legacy may be tarnished, there is no doubt that Luger's name belongs in the history books.

4 Tyson Tomko

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Tyson Tomko played the role of Christian's Problem Solver in his time with the WWE. But his real life probably could have used that wisdom as he had his fair share of problems, especially concerning an incident from 2011. Tomko's career never moved any forward, and he joined TNA after flopping with the WWE, but that ended up having the same destiny. Since then, he has wrestled for local promotions and has disappeared from the limelight.

It seems like he got his life together after having been on the downfall for some years, but sadly for Tomko, he will never be able to recover those WWE paychecks. And as good as they were at the time, they weren't enough to set up Tomko for the rest of his life. But then again, he barely lasted there and most wouldn't remember him if it weren't for Christian.

3 Perry Saturn

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Perry Saturn is a name that you don't hear very often these days. He has been away from the WWE for a long time, and is rarely mentioned by fans. Sadly, his life post WWE hasn't been as great as you may hope as Saturn has also struggled plenty. He was homeless for several years and faced some really tough times - but bounced back for a brief period. But as his health took a turn for the worse, his financial problems continued to pop back up.

Saturn looks very different from what fans would remember, as he has released a video asking for donations. Saturn's GoFundMe page was shared by some fellow wrestlers who wanted to help out their peer. After seeing how he has looked lately, we hope that Saturn is doing better these days since it was truly sad to see him that way.

2 Ric Flair

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Ric Flair may be the most eccentric performer to ever live and the greatest Superstar of all time, but one thing is for sure is that The Nature Boy is terrible with money. He worked for various top wrestling promotions for decades, and was one of the biggest draws in his prime. Flair also sold plenty of merchandise and made an impressive amount of money through sponsorships as he became an iconic figure even outside of the wrestling industry.

But Flair has lost most of his money through four divorces that have affected his pockets. He was also living the luxurious life that he always bragged about, and enjoying a very lavish lifestyle. Flair really hit rock bottom at some point, but he was helped through by his peers and family. Flair has surely made millions of dollars throughout his life but he doesn't have anything to show for it these days.

1 Dynamite Kid

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Dynamite Kid is a pioneer in many ways as he influenced some of the greatest wrestlers in wrestling history. But as good as he was in the ring, and as respected as he was as a talent, Dynamite Kid's personal life has overshadowed all his accomplishments. From verbal to physical abuse, Dynamite Kid has been accused of it all including some truly horrific things.

And while his reputation suffered, his health was getting equally bad and continued to deteriorate until he had to be in a wheelchair. All that has made it difficult for Dynamite Kid to be active and bringing in an income, creating further problems for him as he has been unable to cover some of his medical expenses. There has been requests on his behalf and those close to him to help him out by donating money since he was in bad shape.