Johnny Stamboli Had Several Reasons For Leaving Wrestling Behind

Over the course of the 2000s, Johnny Stamboli weaved his way through multiple notable professional wrestling promotions, including WCW, TNA, and WWE. Upon his exit from TNA in 2008, Stamboli opted to explore the independent circuit. Eventually, his appearances in pro wrestling reduced significantly, until he decided to officially hang up his boots in May 2014 at the age of 37.

In a recent interview with "WrestleBinge by Sportskeeda," Stamboli admitted that he didn't intend for his IWF match with The Hurricane (Shane Helms) to be his last, but "it just ended up that way." When asked for the reason behind his decision to leave wrestling, Stamboli revealed numerous factors. 

"I didn't want to travel anymore, really, with wrestling. After I went to Mexico [for AAA], that was kind of a love-hate relationship. I was ready to just come home and chill out," he said. "There's a lot of different reasons — friends dying in the industry, the politics of it. I just got burnt out on it."

Luckily, Stamboli had a backup plan to fall back on, as he'd been involved in the banking industry, on and off, since 2007. In his new banking profession, Stamboli worked out loans for several of his squared circle colleagues, such as Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, and Gene Snitzksy. 

As he transitioned out of wrestling, though, Stamboli said the process wasn't easy. "You got to humble yourself. That's the first step."

Stamboli's most memorable performances came during his time in WWE, where he was a part of the Full Blooded Italians (FBI) faction alongside Nunzio and Chuck Palumbo.