5 most surprising WWE retirements
In case you haven't heard, former WWE Chairman Vincent Kennedy McMahon, the man behind the most successful pro wrestling company in history, has announced his retirement.
First off, proper respect is due. Love him or hate him (we're sure we'll find out which side of that you're on in the comments), McMahon's vision, ambition, drive, and ruthlessness molded the pro wrestling business into what it is today. So, hat's off, Mr. McMahon, and enjoy your retirement.
At 77, time for me to retire.
Thank you, WWE Universe.
Then. Now. Forever. Together. #WWE #thankful
You're not alone if you have found yourself saying, "I didn't see that coming" over the past couple of hours. However, he is hardly the first pro wrestling personality to retire out of the blue. There's been at least five.
So, let's look at five of them - ranked from "pretty surprising" to "I must be hallucinating. There's no way that happened."
#5. Former WWE Champion The Rock
One thing we have to get out of the way - if there's one thing WWE Hall of Famer Terry Funk has taught us, it's that retirements in pro wrestling are as permanent as Larry King's wedding vows were. That's right, a Larry King reference - we're that hip.
That brings us to Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, the Hollywood megastar and WWE legend. Not only does he hold these distinctions now, but he did back in 2013. That's when he defeated CM Punk at that year's Royal Rumble to win the WWE Championship for the 10th and, as of now, final time. So, being the world's biggest celebrity hasn't kept him from wrestling in the past.
It was a little shocking when he told Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest in 2019 that he had "quietly retired" from the sports entertainment business.
"I quietly retired from wrestling because I was lucky enough to have just a really wonderful career and accomplish what I wanted to accomplish, but there's nothing like a live crowd, a live audience, a live microphone as you both know. Plus, I grew up in wrestling. For a lot of you guys that don't know, my grandfather wrestled, my dad as well, my whole family," The Rock said.
This isn't to say he won't ever return for another match. But the fact that he announced it at all is worth mentioning.
#4. WWE Hall of Famer Triple H
It was announced in September of last year that Triple H was admitted to the hospital for what WWE called a "cardiac event." Thankfully, he pulled through - though, as he admitted to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, he wasn't entirely sure he would.
It was recently announced that the 14-time world champion would return to his executive role in WWE. However, the same couldn't be said for his role in-between the ropes. As he told Smith during the interview above, his in-ring career is over.
The main reason for his retirement is the defibrillator installed in his chest. Or, as he put it, he doesn't want to get shocked in the middle of the ring.
Plenty of stars have returned to the ring after dealing with severe medical conditions - which is why many of us held out hope that we might see The Game in action again.
However, heart issues are nothing to mess around with. Thankfully, Triple H seems to be at peace with the situation and ready to resume his role behind the scenes.
#3. Sarah Logan
Sarah Logan was possibly one of the most underrated female wrestlers on the WWE roster. Her in-ring skills were undeniable, for sure. However, she also showed a charisma that she never got the opportunity to build upon.
While a lot can be said for the budget cuts WWE made during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Logan's release seemed advantageous for her. Shortly after her departure, she announced that she was expecting her first child with her husband Raymond Rowe - better known to WWE fans as one-half of the Viking Raiders, Erik.
Their son, Raymond, was born in February of 2021. Less than a year later, Sarah made a surprise appearance in the Women's Royal Rumble match. While she didn't make much of an impact, she did have a beautiful reunion with Riott Squad teammate and current SmackDown Women's Champion, Liv Morgan.
Since then, Sarah has mainly focused on being a mother. That's not to say we'll never see her in the ring regularly, but for the moment, Raymond Cash Rowe's mother seems pretty happy.
#2. AJ Lee
For a few years, AJ Lee (now known by her real name, AJ Mendez) was the most talked about performer in WWE. She went from just another "Diva" to RAW general manager, circling back around again and becoming the longest-reigning Divas Champion at the time.
She then had a match at WrestleMania 31, where she teamed with one of her greatest rivals, Paige, against the Bella Twins. Following that bout, it was announced that AJ was retiring.
Now, speculation was that Mendez would announce her retirement due to conflicts between WWE and her husband, CM Punk. But it was revealed shortly afterward that injuries to her spine were the main factor.
Of course, none of us knew that at the time, which made AJ's retirement shocking. Since then, Mendez has done commentary work for the Women of Wrestling promotion but has yet to hint at a return to the ring.
#1. Edge
It's been two years since the Rated-R Superstar returned to the ring after nine years away. It's safe to say that we all realize how great his return is - everybody thought he could be paralyzed just by looking at him funny. What's not so clearly remembered is how sudden his retirement was back in 2011.
Before announcing that the damage to his neck was forcing him to call it a day, Edge had just defended his World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 27 against Alberto Del Rio. The following night, it was announced he would be making a major announcement on RAW. This was especially noteworthy considering he was the world champion of SmackDown.
The world knew Edge's history regarding injuries - his recovery from an ACL tear and return at the Royal Rumble in 2010 was legendary. But, while injuries had kept him out of the ring for months at a time, nobody expected them to keep him away permanently.
While the pomp and circumstances revolving around Edge's retirement were more than warranted, everyone was thrilled when he finally made his return almost a decade later.