Why Sable Really Walked Out of WWE Revealed

Sable was one of WWE’s biggest stars during the Attitude Era, but her abrupt exit in 1999 left fans with more questions than answers. Now, Jim Ross is peeling back the curtain—and he’s not sugarcoating anything.

During an interview with Inside The Ropes, the WWE Hall of Famer and former Head of Talent Relations laid out exactly why Sable left the company. According to JR, it had nothing to do with creative direction or locker room issues. The truth was a lot simpler: she wanted money and fame, not wrestling. Ross began by acknowledging how Vince McMahon treated Sable differently behind the scenes.

“Vince… she was a special case that he enjoyed tutoring.”

But as her popularity grew, so did her disinterest in being in the ring. Ross made it clear that while Sable played her role well, she was never passionate about being a wrestler.

“I had to have several talks with her. Look, at the end of the day, all Sable wanted to do was to make money. And she had an opportunity—through the Playboy covers, and merchandise—being exposed but not overexposed on our TV. Perfect job for her. Perfect game for her.”

Her unwillingness to continue wrestling after achieving popularity rubbed some people the wrong way backstage.

“She wrestles a little bit, yeah. And then when she gets really popular, she doesn’t want to wrestle anymore. That’s kind of a kick in the balls. But she never was a wrestler. She didn’t like being a wrestler. And to her credit, she became a decent hand. She could take bumps. She could execute a few holds.”

Despite her lack of love for in-ring work, Ross admitted she served her role perfectly when used in small doses.

“I enjoyed what little wrestling she did because she always dressed the part. She was an extremely sexual woman—very sexy. And she became a star in small intervals, as it should be done.”

He ended the segment with a label that puts everything into perspective.

“Sable was not an everyday talent. She was an attraction.”

Sable first joined WWE in 1996 and became a breakout star, especially with her Playboy cover in 1999. That same year, she left the company and later filed a $110 million lawsuit against WWE, citing unsafe working conditions and harassment. She would return years later in 2003 for a second run, but her legacy remains tied to her late-’90s superstardom and controversy.

Jim Ross didn’t hold back—and his words paint a much clearer picture of why one of WWE’s most talked-about Divas of that era walked away.

Do you think Sable could’ve had a longer WWE run if she embraced wrestling more? Or was she always meant to be a short-term attraction? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.