4 wrestlers who had to retire prematurely due to injury and 3 who came back

#2 Returned: Sting retires from wrestling in WWE but then steps back in the ring for AEW

Sting

Sting's retirement in WWE came after an incredibly disappointing run with the company. The Icon coming to WWE was hyped up as a major deal and rightly so, after weeks of speculation that it would be happening, he appeared at Survivor Series 2014 attacking Triple H and hitting him with a Scorpion Death Drop. It was the first time he had ever set foot inside a WWE ring and it was something fans had wanted for years and years.

However, Sting's WWE run was tragically cut short as his feud with the Authority saw him come to blows with Seth Rollins. During a subsequent match against Rollins, Sting found himself on the receiving end of a Buckle Bomb which unfortunately injured the legendary wrestler.

Congratulations @TripleH on your 25 year career! 🦂 #HHH25 pic.twitter.com/LuFTnbz0Pr

— Sting (@Sting) April 28, 2020

Sting was due to undergo surgery to recover from cervical spinal stenosis but because he felt no ill-effects he decided not to, and after being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2016, announced his retirement from wrestling.

pic.twitter.com/vCy8XCTt4r

— DARBY ALLIN (@DarbyAllin) May 31, 2021

However, in 2020 Sting would shock everyone once again by showing up in AEW and then he'd shock people even more by setting foot inside a ring again, competing in a Street Fight with Darby Allin against Team Taz. He'd then wrestle again in a straight tag-team match, again with Allin, against Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page at Double Or Nothing in May 2021. Sting coming out of retirement has been a welcome surprise for fans, and we hope to see the legend in the ring for more years to come.