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WWE Superstars often find it hard to leave their in-ring careers behind. It's an industry where stars just cannot seem to let go, and Ric Flair is a prime example of this. The Nature Boy is reportedly set to return to the ring once again, 14 years after his first attempt at retirement.
Flair isn't the only star to struggle in retirement though. There have been numerous instances of wrestlers from yesteryear continuing to return to the ring, despite having officially retired in the past.
The adrenaline one gets from being in the ring is an addictive one, and it seems to be a high that many in the business just cannot let go, and on that note, here are five WWE stars who simply refused to stay retired.
#5 Trish Status returned to WWE numerous times
Trish Status' rise from manager to one of the greatest women's wrestlers of all time was an astounding one to watch unfold. The former Women's Champion was in the miidst of an all-time great career in WWE, when she decided to retire at just 31 years of age.
Since then, the now 46-year-old has come out of retirement on numerous occasions. After first wrestling alongside John Cena in a tag team match on RAW in 2008, she eventually returned again to wrestle at WrestleMania 27 in a six-man tag match.
Since then, she has featured in numerous Royal Rumble matches, as well as wrestling in the only all-women pay-per-view in WWE history, Evolution. Her most high-profile return, though, was during her rivalry with Charlotte Flair in 2019, where she faced the Queen at SummerSlam in a losing effort.
Stratus may not be finished either, recently teasing future meetings with both WWE star Sasha Banks and AEW's Britt Baker on social media.
#4 Terry Funk has come out of retirement more than anyone
Terry Funk has become synonymous with just how many times he has come out of retirement.
The former ECW World Champion has retired on more than a handful of occasions throughout his career, but has never stayed away from the ring for too long.
After first retiring in 1997 at the age of 53, Funk would return in WWE, retire again, return and retire again numerous times over the next 20 years. He eventually stepped away from the ring for good in 2017 at 73 years old.
#3 Mick Foley has returned to the ring numerous times following his initial retirement
Mick Foley initially retired from in-ring action back in 2000 at No Way Out as a result of a stipulation in his match with Triple H. He soon returned at WrestleMania 2000 in a fatal-four-way match for the WWF Championship in a match that also included Triple H, Big Show and The Rock.
Following the match, the Hardcore Legend once again retired, but returned four years later in 2004 to ignite a feud with Randy Orton. Beginning with an appearance in the Royal Rumble, Foley reunited with The Rock at WrestleMania XX against Evolution, before his run culminated with a hardcore match against the Viper at Backlash for the Intercontinental Championship.
Foley retired again after the bout, but would return for brief runs in 2005, 2006 and 2007 before departing WWE and joining TNA.
While in TNA, Foley again came out of retirement and spent three years with the company before finally returning to WWE in 2011. He officially retired in 2012, after doctors refused to medically clear him for a match against Dean Ambrose at that year's SummerSlam.
#2 Hulk Hogan couldn't stay away from the ring
Once the biggest star in wrestling, Hulk Hogan struggled to step away from the ring, and he returned from retirement several times over the years.
After initially announcing his retirement in WCW, it soon proved to be a work and he returned not long after. He then returned to WWE in 2002 and would wrestle sporadically over the next few years.
After leaving in 2007, he showed up in TNA in 2009 and had a brief spell as an authority figure.The Hulkster once again returned to the ring in March 2010 in a tag team match alongside Abyss vs AJ Styles and Ric Flair.
Hogan wrestled numerous times during his run in TNA, but after departing the company in 2013, and returning to WWE in 2014, he seems to have finally called a day on his in-ring career.
#1 Ric Flair's return ruined the perfect retirement
Similar to Hogan, Ric Flair was once one of the biggest names in the entire wrestling industry, and as such, he found it hard to let that go.
Wrestling for over 40 years, Flair was 59 years old when he was given the perfect retirement from the ring in WWE. Losing an emotional match against Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 24, Flair was given the perfect send-off, and it was about as special as any wrestler's retirement could be.
Unfortunately, he returned to wrestling not long after. Having left WWE in 2009, Flair joined TNA, and effectively ruined the sendoff, wrestling numerous times in the company. All wasn't lost though, and while Flair's second retirement wasn't as glorious, he wrestled his final ever match against long-time rival Sting.
The two have been synonymous with each other for the majority of their careers, and Sting was an ideal final opponent for Nature Boy. Itt seems Flair still isn't done though, and following his WWE release last year, recent news suggests he's planning on returning to the ring once again.
