You know there is a reason that they run the “Don’t try this at home" advertisement before the show begins. Yes, we mean pro wrestling events. The wrestlers, however strong they are, take real risks and are often exposed to serious physical injuries which lead to a lifetime of pains.
As a result, many of our favourite superstars have to leave the wrestling ring even earlier than they should.
There are certain retirements that just leave a scar in our hearts because to a few of us, wrestling is a little more than just a sport, it’s a religion. Here are 5 untimely retirements of our beloved superstars that just shouldn’t have taken place so early!
1) Edge
The “Rated-R Superstar” debuted in 1992 and became a part of the WWE around 1996 before becoming a part of the renowned tag team with his best friend, Christian. Later, he broke out as a singles star and went on to become one of the biggest superstars in WWE history.
His exciting jumps from ladders at TLCs, perfectly timed spears and much talked about affair with Matt Hardy’s then girlfriend Lita are a few of the events that certainly cannot be forgotten.
It was only after WrestleMania XXVII (where he defended his World Heavyweight title), that he dropped the bomb about him retiring from the WWE, due to spinal stenosis. His farewell was heartbreaking as the wrestler broke into tears while delivering his emotional speech, in the presence of thousands of fans, his friends, colleagues and mother. He retired at the age of 37.
2) Bret Hart
Probably the greatest wrestler in pro wrestling history had to give up an excellent career following a few concussions, Bret Hart was known for his time in the WWE but his move to WCW led to his retirement.
After a welcoming start at WCW , “The Hitman” won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship in 1999. It was after Goldberg struck Hart in the neck with a stick that contributed majorly in Hart’s retirement in late 2000 when he was left with no other choice but to retire from wrestling. He was 42 years old at the time of his retirement.
3) Lita
One of the most popular female superstars in WWE, Amy “Lita” Dumas decided to leave the WWE in the autumn of 2006 after she lost the Women’s Championship to Mickie James at the Survivor series pay-per-view.
She had a huge fan base, more so after she defeated Stephanie McMahon for the Women’s Championship in the first ever female main event in 2000. The former champion was also part of Team Xtreme where she along with the Hardy Boyz made regular appearances on Raw and SmackDown.
She left because she wanted to retire and that, in our opinion, is reason enough to leave. She was about 30 years old when she bid goodbye to the world of wrestling, however, it would be such a treat to see her make a comeback, for a match or two.
4) Daniel Bryan
The man who stood victorious in the main event of WrestleMania XXX and had his fans chant “YES” out loud in support of their hero is the most recent victim of retirement due to bodily injury.
The former WWE World Heavyweight Champion was put on the shelf with a concussion about a year ago. His doctors though gave him a thumbs up to continue with his passion.
But It was only a few days prior to his abrupt retirement when tests showed that his brain had suffered a number of concussions and that it would be best for him to not wrestle again. Thus, he had to retire at the age of 34.
5) Stone Cold Steve Austin
Undoubtedly one of the toughest and equally cherished men from the classic Attitude Era. The Rattlesnake did everything that fans loved, for instance, drinking beer, beating the stuffing out of Vince McMahon and not caring about how his boss wanted him to act.
It was only after he broke his neck in a match against Owen Hart that he had to undergo neck surgery. But he rushed back to television soon after his surgery since the profits of the company depended solely on him.
He continued ascending the throne and broke many records record. It was only around mid-1999 when his neck started troubling him again and he went through another spinal fusion surgery.
He couldn’t continue wrestling much after his surgery, his last actual match being against The Rock at WrestleMania XIX, and soon walked out in 2002, unfortunately, breaking the hearts of his millions of fans from across the world. He was 38 at the time of his retirement.
