5 WWE wrestlers who were forced to retire at the peak of their careers

The life of a professional wrestler is anything but easy. From being on the road for 300+ days, to having to maintain their physique round the clock, burnout and injuries are bound to happen.

WWE is a live show, and a wrong move can shorten, or even end one's wrestling career. Wrestlers like Tyson Kidd and Daniel Bryan have been victims of career-threatening injuries, and not many are as lucky as the latter, who made a successful comeback to the ring.

With Paige officially announcing her retirement earlier this week, we take a look at five other Superstars who had no option but to retire at the peak of their wrestling careers.

#5 Rick Rude

Retirement Year: 1994

Retired at: 35

What I'd like to have right now is for all you fat, out of shape, San Francisco sweathogs to keep the noise down while I take my robe off and show all the ladies what a real man is supposed to look like.

How many wrestlers can cut a promo like the "Ravishing" Rick Rude? One of the best heels of all time, Rude is regarded as one of the greatest wrestlers to have never won a world title in WWE/F.

His feud with Jake the Snake Roberts was second only to the greatest of rivalries like The Rock-Stone Cold. It's remarkable how Rick Rude was able to carve such a reputation in a relatively short career.

Rude had successful runs in both WWF and WCW. During one of his matches in WCW in Japan, the WCW International World Heavyweight Champion injured his back after receiving a suicide dive from Sting. Rude did win the match, but due to the severity of the injury, he was forced to retire shortly after.

In 1997, Rick Rude returned to WWF and formed a stable with Shawn Michaels and Triple H, which later became D-Generation X. He died in 1999 due to heart failure and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2017.