The career of a WWE Superstar can last two years or it can last 20 years – it really depends on how successful somebody is with the audience or, in some cases, if they want to get out of the wrestling business early to pursue other interests.
The Rock, for example, only had a seven-year run as a full-time performer with WWE before he swapped the squared circle for the silver screen, while the likes of Chris Jericho and John Cena had lengthy full-time runs and now combine their wrestling schedules with other work.
On the flip side, AJ Lee spent four years on WWE’s main roster and retired in 2015 when she felt like she had achieved all of her goals in the industry, while popular Superstars including Edge and Paige have had their careers cut short due to injury.
It’s never easy for somebody in the wrestling business to officially call time on their career, which is why so many people end up having multiple retirement matches.
In this article, let's take a look at five guys who already have a pretty good idea about when their time in WWE will come to an end.
#5 Batista
The future of Batista in WWE is often discussed by fans and interviewers. It’s clear from what “The Animal” has said in recent years that he would like to return but, for several reasons, he still hasn’t appeared on WWE programming since mid-2014.
The closest he came to making an in-ring return was at WrestleMania 34, where he was sounded out about teaming with Ronda Rousey against Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, with a view to having a one-on-one retirement match against HHH at WrestleMania 35.
However, as the six-time world champion recalled on 106.7 The Fan earlier this year, he was “really excited about the opportunities” but never heard back from the company after three weeks of discussions.
He remains keen to work for WWE again but, at the age of 49, says he will “officially hang it up” next year, so his last realistic opportunity to compete again inside a WWE ring will be at WrestleMania 35.
#4 Baron Corbin
Baron Corbin made an instant impression on his WWE main-roster debut, winning the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 32, and he has since gone on to become a Money In The Bank holder and the United States champion.
Asked in the build-up to SummerSlam 2018 by Raute Musik how long he plans to stay in the wrestling business, the former NFL player said it would be “awesome” if he can have a total of 10 years on the main roster.
The acting Raw General Manager is currently two-and-a-half years into that 10-year run, so we can expect to see a lot more of him on WWE television between now and 2026.
#3 Randy Orton
When a sportsperson starts their career early, it usually means their abilities begin to wane at an earlier age than their fellow pros.
In the case of sports entertainment and Randy Orton, however, that has not proven to be the case and the 38-year-old – the youngest holder of a World Championship in WWE history at the age of 24 – believes he still has a lot left in the tank.
He told Inquisitr before his match against Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania 33, where he won his 13th WWE World title, that he is in better shape than ever and that he has “another 10 years left” performing for WWE.
#2 The Big Show
The WWE rumour mill has been full of reports over the last couple of years that The Big Show is set to retire, with many expecting him to call time on his 23-year career when his contract expired in early 2018.
However, as he revealed on The Steve Austin Show in May, “The World’s Largest Athlete” signed a new three-year deal with the company in January, allowing him to combine his work as a WWE Superstar with his ambassadorial roles with the Special Olympics.
Show said on several occasions before his contract was renewed that he was set to finish wrestling in 2018, so it’s safe to assume that the 7-footer will hang up the singlet and boots for good when his latest deal expires in 2021.
#1 John Cena
John Cena dropped a huge hint that he could retire from WWE following his defeat against Roman Reigns at No Mercy in September 2017.
However, it has become clear since then that it was merely the start of a storyline where “Big Match John” went on to question whether he still had what it took to compete with younger talent on the roster.
In reality, the 16-time world champion sees himself remaining a part of WWE for the rest of his life, even though he has taken a step away from the ring over the last year to work on his movie career.
Asked by TMZ Sports in late 2017 if he plans to retire, Cena said, "No, never. They're family."
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