"I was told not to wrestle again" - Ex-WWE champion says he was forced to retire at only 34 years of age because of health issues

A former WWE champion has revealed that he was forced to retire from the company. The star was going through several health issues and ended up having to hang up his boots once and for all.

Ryback addressed recent comments by Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens, where he talked about a variety of things. However, one of the things that he talked about was how he had to retire.

Even after leaving WWE, Ryback had many bookings and was ready to wrestle for three years straight after his career there ended. Unfortunately, at only 34 years of age, he had to have a full right shoulder replacement as well as a 5-disc fusion surgery. The star was then told he could no longer wrestle at all, and he needed to take time away from the ring. He decided to stay home and take care of his dog Sophie, who was also sick and even paralyzed.

The former Intercontinental Champion refused to put her down and instead cared for her. The star had to step away from the ring and has stayed away.

"I needed a 5-disc fusion and full right shoulder replacement at 34. I was told not to wrestle again. I had nerve damage that risked paralysis if I continued. I had to stop taking bookings entirely. Why? Because my doctors told me for the stem cells to work properly, I needed to stop wrestling. I also made the choice to stay home and care for my dog Sophie, who developed severe disc disease, had multiple ruptures and surgeries, and was paralyzed twice. I refused to put her down just to keep traveling and making more money—I already had what I needed."

The star has continued life after WWE and focused on other ventures.