5 WWE retirement matches that weren't exactly career-ending

#4 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin vs. The Undertaker (Fully Loaded 1999)

The WWE CEO vowed to leave the company forever after the Deadman was the first to bleed

This is an interesting one, as neither Austin's career, nor The Undertaker's was on the line. Instead, it was Vince McMahon who was risking it all. After being revealed as the Deadman's Higher Power, the First Blood match was made, where if Austin lost, he wouldn't just lose the WWF title, but would never again be able to compete for the gold, though if the Phenom lost, Vince would be gone 'forever'.

After Austin emerged victorious, McMahon was a man of his word, and left the WWF on-screen forever, if forever means about six weeks. Returning less than two months later, the newly-face Vince would even win the WWF Championship from Triple H that September, and can still be found appearing on WWE TV on occasion today.

#3 Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair (WrestleMania 24)

Michaels retired the Dirtiest Player in the Game in 2008

Ric Flair has had a career unlike any other Superstar. A star of the NWA and WCW, Flair would also make it big in the WWE but made plenty of enemies along the way. One such foe was Vince McMahon, who in late 2007 gave the edict that Flair would have to retire the next time he lost a match.

After several months, that loss came in March 2008 at the hands of Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 24. It was an emotional loss fitting of the legendary Nature Boy, but it wouldn't be long until Flair would lace his boots up once again, in a forgettable run in TNA Wrestling. Though Flair has remained retired in WWE, this brief stint in TNA didn't do much to help Flair's career, but instead hurt the emotional send-off he was given at WrestleMania.