In professional wrestling, there are people who captivate the fans with their charisma, their mic skills and their ability to tell a story like no one else. If you add the aspect of them being great in-ring technicians, or being a master of in-ring psychology and storytelling, then the fans will remember them long after they’re gone. Their ability to connect with the audience, and make them believe in everything they say or do has a large part to play in them becoming legends in this business. These performers entertain us for 2-3 decades, giving us everything they have, and everything we ask of them, and when they reach the saturation point, that’s when we realise they are human. That is when the reality sinks in, the reality of the fact that someday, they will be gone, and we won’t get to see them any more, and that is one of the saddest days for a wrestling fan.
In this article, I look at five such retirements that have left the fans clamouring for more, and when these superstars retired, they left a huge void in the professional wrestling industry, and have went on to become the greats and legends in the business.
5. Ric Flair
Arguably the greatest legend there ever lived in professional wrestling, Ric Flair had some of the most legendary feuds and matches with the greatest of the greats. From North America to Japan to the United Kingdom, Flair travelled everywhere and faced all the biggest names in professional wrestling history.
He was the face of NWA and later the WCW, and was the reason for its success. The Nature Boy was involved in some of the most noteworthy instances, and was a well known adversary of Sting, and as every wrestling fan remembers, wrestled the most anticipated match on the last episode of WCW Nitro against the Stinger.
Flair wrestled his last match in the WWE against long time friend, Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania, although he came out of retirement for the Hulk Hogan tour, and later in TNA. Flair was also the first person to get inducted twice into the WWE Hall of Fame, first as himself, and the second time as a part of the legendary Four Horsemen. And because of that, he gets the number 5 spot, which would otherwise have been the top spot for the legendary Nature Boy.
4. Mick Foley
The hardcore legend Mick Foley gets the number 4 spot, and well deservedly so. Mick Foley has been in this business for a good part of two decades, and within that time, he has made a name for himself as the greatest hardcore legend in the history of professional wrestling, alongside Terry Funk.
Both these legends had legendary matches all over the world, and had nearly killed each other on many instances! Mick Foley is considered to be one of the greatest WWE superstars of all time! Not only was he prepared to put his health and body on the line every night, but he was one of the greatest talkers in the history of the business.
Mick Foley never had to use any provocative language or terms, but instead, he understood the psychology of the business and the mindset of the fans. Foley was one of the smartest people on the microphone, and everyone loved him because of his passion and desire for the business. Foley had to retire as his body started giving up, but keeps making sporadic appearances in the WWE. Foley also had a forgettable run with TNA, being a one-time TNA World champion. Foley was also inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in the class of 2013.
3. Shawn Michaels
At number 3 is perhaps the greatest performer this business has ever witnessed. The Heart Break Kid had one of the most illustrious careers in the business, and was involved in some of the greatest matches and feuds in the WWE. But perhaps, the stain of the Montreal Screwjob, which involved Shawn Michaels’s arch nemesis Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart will forever be present on the otherwise impeccable resume of the legendary grappler.
Shawn Michaels was also involved in some of the most controversial moments, thus leading the Attitude Era, and forming one of the greatest stables of all time, D Generation X! Shawn Michaels had his final match against The Undertaker at the grandest stage of them all, WrestleMania, where he put his career on the line against The Undertaker’s streak. True to his word, that has been the final match Michaels was involved in. Shawn Michaels also went into the WWE Hall of Fame, and is now rightfully known as Mr. HoF.
2. Edge
At number 2 is one of the greatest superstars of all time in the WWE, the ‘Rated R Superstar’, Edge. Edge has been a lifelong fan of professional wrestling and the WWE, and hence, his dream came true when he debuted in the WWE, and alongside his childhood best friend, formed one of the greatest tag teams of all time, Edge and Christian. Edge was involved in some of the most memorable tag team matches, especially the TLC matches E & C had along with the Hardys and the Dudley Boyz. And when all was said and done, E & C became one of the greatest tag teams in the division.
But Edge found great success as a singles performer, capturing the WWE and the World titles, thus cementing his legacy as a true legend in the business. Edge’s last match was also at WrestleMania, where he successfully defended the World Heavyweight title. A week after that, Edge had to retire due to complications stemming from the neck injury he suffered years ago. Edge was also inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, and since his retirement, Edge made a couple of appearances in the WWE. The fans to this day miss the presence of Adam Copeland, and his retirement came as a jolt to the WWE Universe.
When you write down the names of the greatest professional wrestlers in the history of the industry, there is one guy who will easily make the top 5 of every list. He not only grabbed professional wrestling by its throat and throttled it into a new era, but he was also responsible for the company beating its competition and achieving its greatest success in terms of gates, revenues and ratings. This one person defined ‘Attitude Era’ in the WWE, and is one of the most respected and sought after names even today, a decade after he retired. He is none other than the ‘Rattlesnake’, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin.
Austin suffered a major neck injury in the late 90s, and had to undergo a surgery, but he was never the same again. 5 years later, due to the complications from the neck injury, he finally hung up his boots, and the fans couldn’t believe their eyes. The fact that the greatest name in professional wrestling wouldn’t grace our TV sets any more left a huge void in the company, and in the wrestling world in general. Later, Austin took his rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame. This earns him the number 1 spot in my list, and rightfully so.
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