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The 2021 WWE Hall of Fame recently saw another crop of deserving talent take their place amongst the elite of wrestling.
This year's Hall of Fame was different from the previous years since the company made the decision to induct two classes at once given last year's COVID-19 restrictions surrounding WrestleMania week.
Over the years, some of WWE's biggest names from the past and present have been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. That has also included a handful of stars who were yet to retire.
Whilst this is rare, there are several WWE stars from recent years who were added to the Hall of Fame before they were able to hang up their wrestling boots. That being said, there have been several others who have come out of retirement since being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
The following list looks at just five WWE stars who had not officially retired from the business when they were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
#5. Former WWE Superstar X-Pac
X-Pac is perhaps one of the most overlooked WWE Superstars from the Attitude Era. Yet, the former D-Generation X star has been inducted into the Hall of Fame on two separate occasions.
X-Pac went into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2019 as a member of D-Generation X alongside Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Road Dogg, Billy Gunn, and Chyna. The star then made history by becoming the first WWE star to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame twice in two years when he was announced as a member of NWO in 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced WWE to cancel the Hall of Fame ceremony for 2020 but X-Pac, Kevin Nash, Hulk Hogan, and Scott Hall recently took their place in their class as part of the 2021 ceremony instead.
It's interesting that X-Pac initially joined the WWE Hall of Fame in 2019, months before he retired from the business. As part of WrestleMania weekend, following the ceremony, X-Pac wrestled for WWE as part of Axxess before announcing in July that he was hanging up his wrestling boots.
X-Pac did announce that he would still be open to returning for one-off matches for WWE in the future if needed.
#4. Former WWE Superstar Sting
Sting was an icon in the wrestling business long before he appeared at WWE's Survivor Series event back in 2014 and forced The Authority out of power. After stints with WCW and IMPACT Wrestling, it was only a matter of time before he made his way to WWE. Unfortunately, the dream match with The Undertaker was never on the cards.
Instead, Sting wrestled a handful of matches for the company which included a nostalgic encounter against Triple H at WrestleMania 31, before seemingly leaving the company in 2015.
A neck injury sidelined Sting but he refused to announce his retirement because many fans believed he was holding on for that dream match with The Deadman. Finally, Sting was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame back in 2016, and he decided that the ceremony was the perfect time to announce his retirement from in-ring competition.
This retirement didn't last long though, since the former WWE star recently made his debut for All Elite Wrestling and is now an active member of their roster.
#3. Former WWE Champion Goldberg
WWE star Goldberg originally made a name for himself in WCW where he was an undefeated beast throughout the '90s, but decided to take a break from the wrestling business in 2004.
Despite spending 12 years away from WWE, the legend didn't make any announcement regarding his retirement from the business. Instead, he shocked the world by returning in 2016.
The former World Champion has since won the Universal Championship on two occasions and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018. It was clear that Goldberg wasn't done with WWE when he was the headliner of his class three years ago, and he has since returned numerous times.
Most recently, Goldberg returned to challenge Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship at The Royal Rumble, where was the first man in more than a year to kick out of The Claymore.
As of this writing, Goldberg is yet to express an interest in hanging up his wrestling boots, and it seems the 54-year-old is currently eyeing a match against Roman Reigns.
#2. WWE Legend Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle was an Olympic wrestler before switching mats for wrestling rings when he signed with WWE and interestingly brought his Olympic gold medals along with him.
The Wrestling Machine then went on to become one of the best technical wrestlers of the past generation, before personal issues forced him to take time off from WWE in 2006. He later returned to the ring for IMPACT Wrestling and continued his impressive career outside of the company for several years.
A decade later, WWE contacted Angle for a Hall of Fame Induction, following which he returned to Monday Night RAW as the General Manager. This role led to several matches for the former World Champion, which included his final wrestling match at WrestleMania 35.
Angle took on Baron Corbin in a losing effort before officially hanging up his wrestling boots, though it wasn't the retirement the WWE Universe expected. Angle was able to leave the business on his own terms and has made several one-off appearances for WWE since.
#1. WWE's Big Red Machine, Kane
The most recent WWE Superstar to be added to the Hall of Fame is current star Kane. Despite Kane being the Mayor of Knox County in Tennessee since 2018, he has still returned to the company on several occasions.
The most recent occasion came in January 2021 when Kane was a surprise entrant in the men's Royal Rumble match. At the age of 53 and given the fact that The Undertaker announced his retirement from the company last year, many fans believe that Kane will follow suit in the near future. But the star is yet to officially decide on his future.
Kane was one of the names who was added to the 2021 WWE Hall of Fame and was inducted into the class this past week. It's unclear what the future holds for Kane inside WWE's squared circle, but judging by his appearance back at The Royal Rumble, the current star still has years ahead of him.
