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It is rare for a WWE Superstar's career to end exactly when they want it to, and even rarer for them to have their final match at WrestleMania. More often than not, an injury causes a superstar to step away or the company decides to go in a different direction and the talent is released.
There have also been examples of a superstar having an incredible retirement match, only to return a couple of years later for more money. However, some wrestlers have accomplished a lot in the business and deserve the opportunity to hang up their wrestling boots on The Grandest Stage of Them All.
Listed below are five superstars who deserve a WWE WrestleMania retirement match.
#5. Goldberg deserves a WrestleMania retirement match in WWE
Goldberg is a legend in the wrestling business, but WWE hasn't found much use for him as of late. He hasn't wrestled in a WWE ring in over a year but has noted that he feels like the company owes him a retirement match.
During a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, the Hall of Famer claimed that the company owed him a retirement match, but he may opt to do it independently.
"You never say never, especially in wrestling, and they owe me one. That’s all I can say. I made a deal with the devil and I did my job, and they owe me a retirement match. At the end of the day, at 56, it’s not something where I’m sitting by the phone waiting for a call. I’ve got a few ideas of how to do it on my own, possibly in Israel. So never say never,"said Da Man. [H/T SI.com]
#4. Kane
Kane's last match in the Stamford-based company came was an entrant in the 2021 Royal Rumble. He has made sporadic appearances for the promotion in recent years, particularly when the company travels to the Nashville area.
The Big Red Machine now goes by his real name, Glenn Jacobs, and has been the Mayor of Knox County in Tennessee since 2018. The 55-year-old still looks to be in great shape and deserves a WrestleMania match to end his career.
#3. Rey Mysterio could be retired by his son at WrestleMania
Rey Mysterio was the first superstar announced for the 2023 Hall of Fame but has not been booked for a match at WrestleMania 39 in Los Angeles. Dominik recently challenged his father to a match at the biggest show of the year but the 48-year-old refused to battle his son.
It seems likely that Rey and Dominik will wind up battling each other next weekend during the premium live event. If the former WWE Champion is getting ready to call it a career, his son retiring him at WrestleMania would be a great way to make Dominik into a bigger star on his way out the door.
The future Hall of Famer would likely love the opportunity to say goodbye to the WWE Universe at WrestleMania while ensuring that his son is in the best position to succeed moving forward.
#2. Mickie James
Current Impact Knockouts World Champion Mickie James had a legendary career in WWE and it appeared that she was going to retire from the promotion. However, the company decided to release Mickie in 2021 and the 43-year-old has since joined Impact Wrestling.
The 5-time WWE Women's Champion deserved a better ending in the company but now may have the chance to retire on her terms. Mercedes Moné (formerly known as Sasha Banks in WWE) has issued a challenge to Mickie and recently claimed that she wants to send her back to the rodeo.
Mickie may not have received the ending she deserved in the company but could be in line for a marquee match against Mercedes Moné elsewhere. However, the promotion continues to bring back legends like Lita and Trish Stratus, so the potential for Mickie to return down the line for a WrestleMania match is still there.
#1. CM Punk
Two-time AEW World Champion CM Punk remains a polarizing figure in the professional wrestling industry to this day. He won the AEW World Championship for the 2nd time at All Out 2022 but proceeded to unleash a verbal tirade against the management of the company and several wrestlers in the locker room.
The disgruntled star has not appeared in the promotion since his now infamous rant during the All Out media scrum. If AEW decides they can no longer work with CM Punk, the option for WWE to bring him back is available.
The 44-year-old has a lot left to give the wrestling business if he chooses to do so, and would already have a rival in Seth Rollins if he were to return to the company down the line. CM Punk versus Seth Rollins at a future WrestleMania event would be something that the majority of wrestling fans would want to see.
