5 WWE legends who will never return to the ring
The WWE Superstar coming out of retirement seems like a tired trope. But working for a big promotion can be financially lucrative, and it's also difficult for a wrestler to forgo the adrenaline rush that comes from performing in front of a live audience.
For years, promoters have put their biggest stars in retirement matches to draw a house or further a narrative, only for the performer to return to the ring after a certain period of time.
WWE Hall of Famer Terry Funk, for instance, had the first of several retirement matches in 1983 but he continued to wrestle until 2017 when he was 73 years old. Even Ric Flair, who had the perfect match to end his in-ring career with Shawn Michaels, couldn't resist a return to the squared circle with Impact Wrestling.
Predicting that a performer will stay retired can be a dangerous game. After all, you never say never in professional wrestling. With that being said, here are five WWE legends who won't return to the ring.
#5 Two-time WWE Champion Batista
Batista's full-time run as a WWE Superstar came to an end in 2010 after he put John Cena over in an "I Quit" match. He then went on to have a successful acting career, most notably portraying Drax the Destroyer in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The Animal returned in 2013 to headline WrestleMania 30 with Randy Orton, but he was forced to turn heel after the audience turned on him. Batista eventually submitted to Daniel Bryan in what turned out to be The American Dragon's crowning moment before reuniting with Evolution to work with The Shield.
However, Batista always wanted to retire with a match against Triple H, the man who played a pivotal role in his ascent to the main event scene. He finally got to have his dream match with the nine-time WWE Champion at WrestleMania 35 and announced his retirement soon after.
When there was speculation about Batista signing with AEW after comments made by Paul Wight in reference to a debut, he emphatically stated that he had permanently left professional wrestling.
They’re going to have to come up with another word thats used specifically for professional wrestlers who actually mean it when they say they’re retired. Currently the word “retired” has zero credibility by professional wrestling standards. 🤦🏻 twitter.com/StephenVandell…