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WWE is currently the most popular pro-wrestling company in the world. Many aspiring wrestlers around the world dream of competing for the top prize in WWE.
It is well known that being a WWE Superstar is a tough job. Performers are on the road for more than 300 days a year and they have to constantly hit the gym to maintain their physique, as well. With a schedule like this, there is a significant chance they could get injured or feel burnout.
After years of hard work and overcoming all these obstacles, wrestlers get the chance to be in the spotlight. Unfortunately, some of them had to step down because of their injuries and some shockingly chose to retire during the pinnacle of their career. In this article, we will look at five WWE Superstars who retired in their prime.
#5 Former WWE Champion CM Punk
CM Punk was one of the most decorated and popular Superstars of all time. His following was so strong that even years after his retirement, fans continue to chant his name loudly at arenas all over the country.
A few months after his departure in 2014, CM Punk cited various reasons for leaving WWE in the prime of his career on Colt Cabana's podcast.
He said one of the major reasons he left WWE was his health. Punk revealed that the treatment he received from WWE's doctors was not up to standards. They once ruled a staph infection as a fatty deposit which could have been fatal for Punk if he didn't get a second opinion.
He was also unhappy because he was being paid less than other Superstars. The Second City Saint also stated he was unsatisfied with the storylines he was involved in.
Punk's exit from WWE in 2014 was one of the most hotly discussed topics in the pro wrestling world. Fans still debate about what would have happened if Punk remained the company.
#4 WWE commentator Corey Graves
Unfortunately, Corey Graves had to retire at the age of 30 because injuries from his independent wrestling days caught up with him. During his days in the indies, Graves wrestled all over the world and won various championships, which put him on WWE's radar.
The company gave Graves an opportunity to wrestle on NXT. He competed as a singles wrestler and battled various Superstars like Seth Rollins and Alex Riley before heteamed with Neville to win the WWE NXT tag team titles.
The duo dropped the titles a few months later to The Ascension and shortly afterward he suffered a concussion, rendering him inactive.
He returned a few months later but unfortunately, he suffered another concussion that put him out of action indefinitely. As a result, Graves followed the doctor's order and retired.
On Dec. 11 2014, he announced his official retirement from in-ring competition and immediately became a part of the NXT's commentary team. Since then, he has worked his way up as a part of both Raw and SmackDown's commentary team.
#3 Former WWE Divas Champion AJ Lee
AJ Lee was at the top of the women's division when she decided to leave WWE and retire from pro wrestling. She was amongst the most popular and influential women's wrestlers of this decade.
PWI named her Woman of the Year for three consecutive years from 2012 to 2014. Lee's extraordinary talent helped her win over the fans. She enjoyed a lengthy WWE Divas title reign for a total of 295 days. Furthermore, she was the first woman in the company in a decade to have her own merchandise line.
So, she was at the peak of her career when she decided to retire. One of the major reasons for her retirement was that her husband CM Punk's fell out with WWE.
As mentioned earlier, Punk left WWE on bad terms, which made the situation awkward for her. Furthermore, she was dealing with injuries as well that also played a role in her retirement.
She retired at the age of 28, One has to wonder what she could have achieved if she would have stayed in WWE with all the years left in her.
#2 The inaugural WWE NXT Women's Champion Paige
Paige was the inaugural WWE NXT Women's Champion. She had some exceptional matches with the likes of Sasha Banks and Natalya and paved the way for the Women's Evolution.
She also made an instant impact on the main roster, defeating AJ Lee for the Divas title. The Anti Diva became the first and only woman to simultaneously hold the WWE Divas and NXT Women’s Championships.
At the prime age of 25, Paige's WWE career was unfortunately over. She suffered a serious neck injury in a six-woman tag team match at a house show in New York during the last week of 2017, which forced her to retire from in-ring competition.
Paige officially announced her retirement from in-ring on the Apr. 9, 2018 episode of RAW after WrestleMania 34. However, she didn't leave WWE entirely; she is still a part of the organization.
Considering her massive fanbase and extraordinary talent, Paige has become one of the most tragic what-ifs in WWE history.
#1 WWE legend Stone Cold Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin impacted the pro wrestling business like no one else. He was the face of WWE during The Attitude Era. He helped the company become a household name again in the 90s. Stone Cold retired from pwrestling in his prime at the age of 38 in 2003.
Austin's career was nearly over when Owen Hart botched a piledriver to Austin at SummerSlam 1997 that seriously injured his neck. Thankfully, it wasn't severe enough to end his career and he made a return after a few months.
After his return, Austin created some of his best matches but his neck started give him problems again. Because of this Austin, retired in 2003 after he sustained a loss against The Rock at WrestleMania 19 to avoid any subsequent injury.
Austin later returned to WWE but he limited himself to a non-wrestling role. The Texas Rattlesnake definitely had some fuel left in his tank and he could've continued wrestling but he made the right choice to retire and protect his health.
