As game-changing as the departure of the popular five-time WWE world champion CM Punk was for WWE earlier this year, there may be more notable names and stars on the horizon that could opt to exit the company.

The popular phrase coined by Vince McMahon when stars leave the company is that they "take their ball and go home." However, the problem is, when you're not given the ball all that much, or rarely get put on the court, could one really be blamed for wanting to go home? It was a reported frustration with creative's direction that led Punk -- and before him, Stone Cold Steve Austin and Batista -- to walk out on the company. And those were huge names on the WWE marquee.

That same problem -- the WWE's creative team lacking direction or strong roles for stars not named John Cena, Randy Orton and, these days, Roman Reigns -- has caused the company to stumble and fumble the ball on several promising stars during the last few years, while age and injury could play a factor in other established stars possibly cutting their time short with the world's most recognized pro wrestling brand.

That being said, WWE's once-talented roster could start looking pretty anemic in the way of seasoned competitors during the next few months. And if anyone has reason to leave, it's the following current -- possibly soon-to-be-former -- WWE Superstars:

Alberto Del Rio

Ever since his debut in 2010, the Mexican wrestling star and Pan American Games-medal winner in amateur wrestling has been ever-present in the world title scene. A former four-time WWE world champion-two WWE Championships and two World Heavyweight titles -- Del Rio has been one of WWE's best heels with his savvy ring work and ability to play the smarmy aristocratic heel, and his Latino crossover appeal certainly didn't hurt, either. But since losing his last World Heavyweight Championship to John Cena last year, Del Rio just hasn't had it. He got squashed by Batista in February and has largely toiled in the mid-card scene for months, and he's reportedly less than happy about it, having allegedly made it clear that he'll be leaving the company when his contract is up. Granted, Del Rio didn't get over as expected when he turned face last year, and his crowd reaction with the audience has been spotty as of late, but a time where WWE has been losing millions in a very short period of time, losing a star that can appeal to a coveted Latino demographic can't help the company, especially with an aging Rey Mysterio on his last legs.

Dolph Ziggler

Don't let the recent push against The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship fool you. Despite this title angle, few stars have fallen quite as far down as Ziggler has over the course of a year. It's sometimes easy to forget that Ziggler is a two-time World Heavyweight Champion who won the title on the biggest WWE Raw of the year the night after Wrestlemania 29 last year. Yet since that time, Ziggler has missed time due to a concussion, and he lost his momentum not too soon after that, reportedly stemming from some unfavorable comments given in an August 2013 interview. In spite of his solid mic skills and tremendous in-ring ability, Ziggler -- who debuted in the company in 2006 as "Nicky" with the often-ridiculed Spirit Squad cheerleading angle -- is nowhere near close to getting back to the main event scene, and he has had no bones about taking his grips to Twitter regarding the company's shoddy booking of his character. If anyone has reasons to tell the company to eat his contract and head home, it would be this decorated Triple Crown champion-Ziggler having won the Intercontinental, Tag Team and World titles. Which brings us to our next name on the list...

Zack Ryder

The term "missing the boat" isn't one to be used lightly, but a more apt term could not be more fitting for the debacle involving the popular fan favorite Ryder. In the last half of 2011, Ryder, who gained fame and a huge fan reaction thanks to his increasingly popular YouTube show "The Z True Long Island Story", was wildly over with the crowd, even receiving celebrity endorsements from Hollywood star Hugh Jackman and reality TV actress Snooki. His push culminated in an emotional first-ever U.S. Championship win for Ryder at TLC 2011 as legions of newly-won fans chanted "We Want Ryder!" and "WOO WOO WOO!" However, what should have been a feel-good "rags to riches" story went downhill from there. Kane spent the better part of two months destroying him, he lost his title -- which briefly attained more fan interest due to Ryder's growing popularity -- to Jack Swagger, he was left looking foolish in a love triangle featuring Ryder, Eve Torres and company star John Cena, and was just squashed into oblivion since that point until whatever credibility he built up over six months was barely a memory. Like Ziggler, Ryder also has taken to Twitter to take shots at WWE for basically burying his career, and for more than a year, he struggled to even get any decent TV time. Ryder took a wild gamble at getting noticed through creative use of social media, and it worked, only for the company to negate his work by turning him into a joke -- something that wrestling fans on chat boards have also taken umbrage to. It might be hard to walk away from WWE's lucrative salary, but after the way they've treated Ryder, could we really blame him if he decides to leave?

Christian

A product of one of the most celebrated tag teams in WWE history with Hall of Famer and best friend Edge, Christian has won nearly every major title WWE has to offer, including two World Heavyweight Championships. But the Grand Slam champion has also been battling several injuries over the last few years, the most recent being a concussion he suffered in March. At age 40, while the former NWA/TNA World Heavyweight Champion can still put on a pretty good match, his better days might be behind him, and between the rigors of the WWE's road schedule and the lack of main event prospects on the horizon, don't be too surprised if "Captain Charisma" decides to hang up his wrestling boots within the next few months. And after the decorated career he's had, he'd have nothing to be ashamed of.

Damien Sandow

When Sandow burst on the scene in April 2012, his loquacious mic skills and technically sound wrestling style made him seem like a lock for big things ahead. And that seemed almost certain after winning the Money in the Bank contract last year for a future World Heavyweight Championship shot. Instead, Sandow became only the second man to cash in his briefcase and lose his title match against the recently-returned Cena, and he's been stuck with a confusing comedic impersonations angle ever since. To this day, Sandow has not even touched gold in the WWE, singles or tag. The main event scene is also looking pretty crowded thanks to the perennial presence of Cena, Randy Orton and Brock Lesnar, along with the rapidly-rising Roman Reigns and the mesmeric Bray Wyatt. After what seemed to be a solid career trajectory, Sandow seems to be heading nowhere fast. Perhaps his best bet to reinvent himself could be found by hitting Ring of Honor or even New Japan Pro Wrestling; but anything at this point would be better than having him play dress up each week instead of establishing himself as one of the premier young stars in the business, which he had the potential to be.

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