3 former WWE Superstars who don't want to return, and 3 who are interested

A WWE Superstar's job certainly isn't an easy one, as they have to be on the road for the better part of the year and maintain their physiques to look presentable in front of thousands of fans on a weekly basis. Years of pro-wrestling is bound to take a toll on one's body and mind. Superstars who get to retire from the ring on their own terms are incredibly lucky, as not many get to do the same. That's why in some cases, a Superstar feels the itch to make a return for one last hurrah.

On the other hand, there are a bunch of former WWE Superstars who are content with what they have accomplished in the squared circle, and have absolutely no desire to return to the ring. In this list, we will take a look at 3 former WWE Superstars who have expressed interest in a return as in-ring performers, and 3 Superstars who have stated that they are done with wrestling.

#6 Trish Stratus (doesn't want to return to WWE)

WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus couldn't have received a perfect sendoff than the one she got at Unforgiven 2006. She defeated Lita for the WWE Women's title in front of her hometown crowd in Toronto, and got to leave the industry on a high note. She got another huge sendoff at last year's SummerSlam event, where she lost a dream match to Charlotte Flair.

Following the match, Trish made it clear that she has done everything she could in the business, and confirmed that she is retired.

It feels like a good ending to me - a real ending. I sort of feel like this is a good final match for me because I don't think that you could do anything more than this.

Trish was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013 for her contributions to the business, especially the Women's division in WWE. She is deemed by many as the greatest women's wrestler in WWE history.

#5 CM Punk (is interested in a return to WWE)

CM Punk exited WWE on a sour note in 2014, and it has been six long years since we last saw him wrestle. Punk has bashed his former employer several times since then. His appearance on WWE Backstage last year raised the hopes of many, and speculation ran wild in regards to a possible in-ring return.

Mere weeks before he made his way to WWE Backstage, Punk made it clear that he is down for a return to in-ring action, but only if the pay is really good.

Oh of course I'm going to get asked that, no need to apologize! It'd have to be a very big bag.

It was revealed a short while ago that Punk had demanded an astronomical amount of money to AEW for a return to the ring. Back in May, Punk sent out a tweet in response to a question put up by FITE TV, again hinting that he isn't ruling out a wrestling return. The former WWE Champion responded with "TBD", to the tweet that asked fans' about their favorite CM Punk moment of all time.

#4 Shawn Michaels (doesn't want to return to WWE)

There aren't many who got a sendoff as grand and iconic as the Heart Break Kid did. He lost to The Undertaker in the main event of WWE WrestleMania 26, and bid farewell to the business with 70,000+ fans applauding him and giving him a standing ovation.

Unlike many before him, Michaels stayed true to his word and remained retired, until WWE called him back for a dream tag team match at Crown Jewel 2018. Following the event, Michaels made it known that this was it for him, and he was done with wrestling.

I'm good with what I've done. I no longer want to do it anymore, the only thing better than having your own WrestleMania moment is watching and helping someone with theirs.

The match in question saw Michaels reforming DX with his best friend Triple H to take on The Brothers of Destruction (Kane and The Undertaker). The bout was heavily criticized by fans and critics alike, but Michaels did fine for someone who had been away from the ring for 8 years.

Now, Michaels serves as a backstage producer for NXT.

#3 Lita (is interested in a return to WWE)

WWE Hall of Famer Lita retired from active competition soon after her friend Trish Stratus called it quits in 2006. Lita lost a Women's title match to Mickie James at Survivor Series 2006, and was involved in an embarrassing segment with Cryme Tyme moments later.

Lita has made several returns to the ring ever since then, for one-off matches. The last time she wrestled in WWE was in a 10-Woman Tag Team match, alongside Trish Stratus, Bayley, Sasha Banks, and Natalya.

Lita recently revealed that she is interested in making a WWE return.

"I'm down. I can't say that if I was never in the ring again that something is missing from me, but I think that it would be a fun opportunity and a good short-term goal, and just something to add to the resume. But you guys don't need me, like, everybody is doing awesome there. So I can get by just watching how great everybody's doing. But if the stars aligned, I could be down."

Lita and Trish were instrumental in helping Women's wrestling get recognition, at a time when women weren't getting as many opportunities as they currently do. She is a 4-time WWE Women's Champion and her fans would want nothing but to see her step foot in the ring one last time.

#2 The Undertaker (doesn't want to return to WWE)

At WrestleMania 36, The Undertaker wrestled AJ Styles in one of the most unique encounters in WWE history. The Boneyard match ended with The Deadman burying AJ alive and leaving the spot on his motorcycle. Soon after, WWE presented "Undertaker: The Last Ride" on the WWE Network. The multi-part documentary gave us an inside look at The Undertaker's illustrious WWE career.

During the final moments of the last episode of the docu-series, The Undertaker revealed that he is done with wrestling.

"I believe I’m at a place now, post-Boneyard, which was a hellacious battle against one of the best in the business... It was a powerful moment. You don’t necessarily always get those. If there was ever a perfect ending to a career, that right there was it."

The Phenom also added that although one can never say never in the wrestling world, he has zero desire to get back in the ring at this point in his career. If The Undertaker stays retired this time around, he can take pride in the fact that he gave us an incredibly entertaining match before he rode off into the sunset.

#1 The Rock (is interested in a return to WWE)

It wouldn't be a stretch to call The Rock the greatest entertainer in the history of the WW. The Rock has done it all in the world of pro-wrestling, and is one of the biggest Hollywood stars today.

The Brahma Bull last wrestled Erick Rowan in a squash at WWE WrestleMania 32, four years ago. Recently, he surprised his fans by revealing that he is open to return to WWE to take on his cousin, WWE Superstar Roman Reigns. He added that the event venue would have to be right for a match of the caliber of The Rock vs Roman Reigns.

Sure, of course, I’m always open. That’s the cool thing about professional wrestling, there is adaptability to wrestling. You never say never in the world of pro wrestling.

You never say never to Vince McMahon, who has been one of my mentors in the business for a very long time. [He’s] a very, very close friend and confidant. You never say no. For something like that to happen, I think the venue would have to be right. The business model would have to be right. But I’m very close with Roman, he’s family to me, so we will see.

The Rock has had one of the greatest careers in all of WWE. Initially rejected by the audience for being a generic babyface with no charisma, Rocky Maivia changed his gimmick and thus The Rock was born. The Great One is dubbed by many fans as the greatest talker in the business, a skill that ultimately helped him secure a career in Hollywood.