5 surprising WWE in-ring retirements

Over the past few years, several top WWE Superstars have surprised wrestling fans by announcing their retirement.

Retirement is natural and inevitable. Even early retirements are not uncommon in sports. When a wrestler retires, it doesn't generally come as a surprise to the fans who have followed the careers of these talents.

Shawn Michaels, for example, put his career on the line in a match against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 26. As a result, the then-44-year-old hung up his boots after losing the bout.

However, some wrestlers took fans by surprise when they announced their retirement in the prime of their careers. One of these wrestlers hung up his boots only a few days after successfully defending his world title. Meanwhile, another superstar won a championship on the night of her retirement.

In this list, we'll explore five surprising WWE in-ring retirements.

---

#5. WWE Hall of Famer Edge

Edge joined Vince McMahon's company in the mid-1990s. The Rated R Superstar spent nearly a decade and a half as a regular competitor in WWE, during which time he won many championships, including 11 world titles.

Nevertheless, he surprised the WWE Universe on the April 11, 2011, episode of Monday Night RAW by announcing his retirement from in-ring action due to injury.

Eight days before his announcement, Edge had successfully defended his World Heavyweight Championship against Alberto Del Rio at WrestleMania 27. Fans were absolutely stunned by the news. RAW's camera crew even captured a few fans in attendance as they looked on in disbelief during Edge's retirement speech.

In explaining why he had to hang his boots up, Edge said:

"Eight years ago, I broke my neck. I had spinal fusion surgery (...) but because of that surgery I knew I that I was wrestling on borrowed time from that point on. So fast forward, and the last little while I've been in a lot of pain. I've been losing feelings in my arms. So, I passed strength test and all of those things and I made it through WrestleMania but the WWE wanted me to go get more test and thankfully I did because the MRI showed that I have to retire."

Edge remained retired for nearly nine years before making his shocking comeback at the 2020 Royal Rumble. The Rated R Superstar is currently an active competitor on RAW and is scheduled to go head-to-head against AJ Styles at WrestleMania 38.

---

#4. Former Divas Champion Paige

Paige made her main roster debut on April 7, 2014, and defeated AJ Lee to capture the Divas Championship on her first night on RAW. Over the next few years, the Anti-Diva became one of the faces of the company's women's division.

Nevertheless, the 29-year-old went absent from in-ring action for nearly a year after undergoing neck surgery in 2016. Paige then returned to RAW in November 2017 as the leader of Absolution alongside Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville.

However, Paige's in-ring return did not last long. Less than a month after her comeback, the former Divas Champion suffered another injury during a match at a live event. Although she continued to accompany her Absolution teammates to the ring over the next few months, she was not allowed to compete.

While many fans waited for her return to action, Paige surprised the WWE Universe on the April 9, 2018 episode of RAW by announcing her retirement from in-ring competition due to injury:

"I have to come clean with you guys. It was really hard on me to sit on the sidelines yesterday at WrestleMania. I love this ring. I was born to be in this ring. This is my heart, this is my soul, and this is my blood. But unfortunately, due to neck injuries, I can no longer perform as an in-ring competitor. This is one of the hardest things I'll ever have to say in entire career," Paige said in her retirement speech.

Since her retirement, the former Divas Champion has played several roles in the company, including becoming SmackDown General Manager. Nevertheless, she has been absent from television for nearly two years now.

---

#3. Four-time WWE Champion Bryan Danielson

Bryan Danielson (FKA Daniel Bryan) had three runs in Vince McMahon's company. He first joined WWE in 2000, but was released after nearly a year and a half. After competing for several years on the independent circuit, he returned to WWE in 2009. However, the company let him go again in June 2010.

Later that same year, Danielson made his second comeback to Vince McMahon's company. His third run was much more successful than his previous two. He competed regularly for nearly six years, during which time he won multiple world titles.

In March 2015, the 40-year-old captured the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 31. Nearly a month later, the company canceled Danielson's scheduled title defense against Bad News Barrett at Extreme Rules because he was ruled medically unable to compete.

After nearly a month of absence, Danielson relinquished his title and announced that he would be out of action for an unknown period due to injury. Though he assured fans that he would return, the former Intercontinental Champion surprisingly announced his retirement from in-ring competition in February 2016:

"I had gotten EEGs and brain MRIs and neuropsychological evaluations, and all of them said this, that I was fine, and that I could come back and I could wrestle, and I trained like I would come back and I would wrestle (...) But a week and a half ago, I took a test that said that maybe my brain isn't as okay as I thought it was (...) So, it is with a heavy heart and the utmost sadness that I officially announce my retirement," he said in his retirement speech.

Nearly two years later, Danielson came out of retirement. He competed for another three years in WWE before leaving in May 2021 after his contract expired. The former WWE Champion is currently active in All Elite Wrestling.

---

#2. WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus

Trish Stratus signed with WWE in 2000 and became one of the company's biggest stars over the next few years. Throughout 2006, the former Women's Champion had a historic feud with Mickie James. That same year, she also started a romantic angle with Carlito. The on-screen couple then briefly feuded with Edge and Lita.

In August 2006, Lita broke the news to WWE.com that Stratus was planning on retiring from professional wrestling after Unforgiven. The Canadian wrestler later confirmed the news.

The announcement came as a big surprise for WWE fans as Stratus was only 30 years old and was in the prime of her career. A few superstars, including Candice Michelle, were also shocked by the news:

"I was really surprised. She's at the top of her game, and I guess she's just leaving on a good note. In her mind, it's her time to retire, and I'm just happy for her," Candice told WWE.com.

Stratus retired at the 2006 Unforgiven pay-per-view after defeating Lita to capture her seventh Women's Title. Since her retirement, the 46-year-old has made several sporadic WWE appearances.

---

#1. WWE Hall of Famer Triple H

Triple H is one of the greatest superstars in WWE history. He spent many years as a regular competitor, during which time he won many championships, including 14 world titles. However, over the past few years, he has transitioned into a part-time schedule.

In January 2021, The Game went head-to-head against Randy Orton in a street fight on Monday Night RAW. Nearly eight months later, he suffered a cardiac arrest and underwent a successful procedure at Yale New Haven Hospital. Since then, several reports have discussed his future as an in-ring competitor.

In a recent interview with ESPN, Triple H announced his retirement from in-ring action:

"As far as in ring, which I get [asked about] a lot, I'm done. I would never wrestle again. First of all, I have a defibrillator in my chest so it's probably not a good idea for me to have to get zapped on live TV," he said. (H/T: Yahoo Sports)

Although The Game will no longer be competing inside the WWE ring, he is still the company's Executive Vice president for Global Talent Strategy & Development.