5 Former WWE Superstars who have vowed to never wrestle again
WWE legend Ric Flair recently announced that he is set to return to the ring for a one-off match at 73-years-old. The two-time Hall of Famer was released by the company last year and recently confirmed what will be his final match in July.
Flair isn't the only WWE legend who has found it hard to walk away from the only life he has ever known. Retirements are fickle in the wrestling world, and only a select few superstars have ever been able to stick to their word and walk away from the business.
The following list looks at just five former WWE Superstars who have recently vowed never to wrestle again.
#5. William Regal
It’s been my honour.x https://t.co/GVQhpe6jhM
William Regal was surprisingly released from WWE earlier this year after becoming a familiar face as the General Manager of NXT for eight years. He has since moved on to become part of the AEW roster and a member of The Blackpool Combat Club. While he is in an on-screen role, the veteran has made it clear that his active career is over.
As part of a recent interview with Metro, Regal noted that he has been struggling with a severe neck injury, which means he has already had his final wrestling match.
No, never. No. My last official match was against Cesaro. My last few years, I didn’t realise – it’s come out recently, I had a serious neck problem for 20-odd years. It finally caught up with me. All I ever wanted was a 20-year wrestling career when I started – I ended up with a 30-year wrestling career. I couldn’t have asked for any more. If you’re not me and you’re just looking from the outside, “Oh he should have been this, he should have been that” – no.
Regal noted that he was pleased with what he achieved coming from Blackpool, England, and amassing a lengthy career with WWE.
‘I was very happy with what I achieved. If I’d have never come to America, I had an incredible career. By the time I was 24, I’d been to 19 countries. In 20 to 24, I’d been to all the best places you could go to, wrestling all the best wrestlers." via Metro.
Suggested: Like William Regal, here are five other superstars who have suffered a severe neck injury forcing them on a break. Watch to know more.
#4. WWE Legend Triple H
Triple H has been the measuring stick in WWE for several decades, and even though the former 14-time world champion had transformed into one of the suits of the company in recent years, he was still The King of Kings inside the squared circle.
The Game was the standard-bearer, but heartbreakingly he was forced to walk away from in-ring competition earlier this year after recent heart problems. Triple H himself made the announcement while speaking to ESPN and made it clear that he could never wrestle again after having a defibrillator installed.
"For me, as far as in-ring, which I get a lot, I’m done. I will never wrestle again," he said. "I have a defibrillator in my chest, which, it’s probably not a good idea for me to be zapped on live TV," via ESPN.
#3. Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan's name has been synonymous with the wrestling business for decades, and the former world champion has made numerous comebacks against the odds. It was believed that the Immortal One would be wrestling forever, but at the age of 68, the veteran has been forced to admit that he will never wrestle again,
As part of an appearance on The Two Man Powertrip podcast earlier this year, Hogan admitted that after 23 surgeries over the past decade, he would never be able to wrestle again.
"In the last 10 years, I've had 23 surgeries, 10 back surgeries, both hips, both knees -- forget it." via TMZ.
#2. Batista
Batista is a former WWE Superstar who has been able to make a name for himself both inside and outside of the ring. After being seen as a James Bond Villain and a member of the Marvel Universe, Batista announced back in 2019 that he had retired from the business. His final match was against Triple H back at WrestleMania 35, and he was happy to bow out.
Batista did tell Chris Van Vliet that he would return to WWE in a non-active role but stated that his in-ring career was over.
"This is a real wrestling retirement. I am done. My in-ring career is over. I would love to go back on the show because I love the company, I believe in the product, so I will go back on the show, and if they ask me to go in the Hall of Fame, I will."
Batista went on to claim that he would go broke before ever having another wrestling match.
"But I will not have another wrestling match. I will go broke before I have another wrestling match, and I will not go and wrestle for another promotion. It's not going to happen." via Skysports.
#1. Gail Kim
Gail Kim is a controversial name in WWE circles after the former Women's Champion opted to walk out of a live episode of Monday Night RAW back in 2011 and failed to return. Kim has since been one of the women who have pushed forward the Women's Evolution and has been a key element behind the rise of IMPACT Wrestling's Women's Division.
After shattering her own glass ceilings, the IMPACT Wrestling Hall of Famer has now announced that her in-ring career is over. As part of an appearance on Busted Open Radio back in March, Kim revealed that she was happy with her final match and content to walk away.
"I don't know what's going to happen. I was very happy with my last match and the way it happened. How many people can just quit and still be happy? It's a very rare thing. So I'm not really willing to ruin everything, even if I miss it very much." via WrestlingWorld.
IMPACT Wrestling's Women's Division success has led to a revolution worldwide, and WWE has also been bitten by the bug, with the Women's Revolution becoming a hot topic of conversation in the company in recent years.