There are a lot of WWE wrestlers from yesteryear that have retired but are still loved by the wrestling fans to this day.
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The world of wrestling is very big and the biggest entity in the sport is WWE. WWE has been captivating audiences for the best part of the last 40 years and all that is down to the great wrestlers.
The wrestlers have a very special bond with the fans as they work throughout the year. Apart from a few lucky ones, most of them work, from the small house shows to the big pay-per-view events. Due to that, they build a good rapport with the fans and that in turn motivates them to work even harder and put on great shows and classic matches.
There are a lot of wrestlers from yesteryear that have retired but are still loved by the wrestling fans to this day. While some of them rode into the sunset to live peaceful lives with their families, others have gone on to become larger than life characters and highest grossing movie actors.
In this article, we will take a look at some of your favorite wrestlers who have retired and see what they are doing these days.
The name Undertaker is synonymous with WWE. The Undertaker is to the WWE what Tom Brady is to football or what Cristiano Ronaldo is to soccer. The Deadman wrestled for the best part of thirty years and went on to win some of the biggest prizes in WWE history.
From winning multiple championships to having the famous undefeated WrestleMania streak, Taker has done it all. He retired in 2020 after successfully defeating AJ Styles in his last ever match at WrestleMania 36. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2022 and now leads a very happy and secluded life with his wife, Michelle McCool.
Shawn Michaels was one of, if not the most charismatic and successful wrestlers of all time. HBK or Heartbreak Kid as he is fondly known made his wrestling debut in 1984 and wrestled all the way until 2010 in a career that spanned 26 years.
During his time as an active wrestler, Shawn Michaels won everything there is to win and was the main attraction. He even formed the famous D-Generation X faction alongside his best friend Triple H. These days, HBK works for WWE as the Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative and is mainly responsible for what happens in NXT.
The Rock is by far the most well known wrestler that came out of WWE. Hailing from a family that has a rich wrestling heritage, The Rock started off in the WWE in 1996 and immediately won the Intercontinental title. After that, he had a character change and became known as The Rock and so began his rise to superstardom.
He wrestled at the top for almost a decade and departed for Hollywood in 2004 and just like in wrestling, Dwayne Johnson (which is his real name) is now the biggest name in tinseltown. His movies are loved by fans from all over the world and it is no wonder why.
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If there ever was a wrestler that lived, breathed and slept WWE, then it is Triple H. The Game was a household name in the company for more than 20 years. During that time, he went on to win major honors and is a 14 time WWE champion.
He overcame a lot of injuries and established himself as one of the greatest ever wrestlers to wrestle in WWE. Triple H was named as the Chief Operation Officer in 2011, a role that he held till 2013. He recently announced his retirement as he revealed that he was suffering from a heart condition. He was promoted to the role of Chief Content Officer after Vince McMahon left the company in 2022.
The heart and soul of the WWE in the 90’s was none other than Stone Cold Steve Austin. The Texas RattleSnake as he was fondly known was a rebel and epitomized the raw, rebellious culture of the 90s. He played his role so well that he became a cultural icon and was synonymous with people standing up to their bosses, such was his impact.
Austin won all the major titles in WWE and retired in 2003 because of a severe neck injury. He made his in-ring comeback for a one-off match against Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38 and did not miss a step as he put on one hell of a show. Austin is a media personality and appears on many shows.
The WWE saw its fair share of scary things but none were as scary as the debut of Kane in 1997. Kane appeared as the brother (kayfabe) of The Undertaker and made his WWE debut at Badd Blood: In Your House in 1997. He interfered in a Hell in a Cell match involving Taker and Shawn Michaels. The sight of Kane ripping the cell door off its hinges is one the most powerful images in WWE history.
Kane went on to have a very successful career in the WWE and won all the titles that were there to win and became the third grand slam champion in history. Since his retirement from in-ring competition in 2020, Kane has been actively involved in politics and now serves as the Republican Mayor of Knox County, Tennessee.
Hulk Hogan is probably the only wrestler that has influenced so many wrestlers since the last forty years. The Hulkster made his debut in 1977 and wrestled till 2013. During the course of his career, he wrestled for many companies like WWE, WCW, NJPW and TNA.
Hogan had lots of memorable matches with wrestlers from various eras and is responsible for a lot of great things that happened in the WWE. Hogan is also an actor and has acted in a lot of movies. He is also a reality TV star and is known for his outspoken personality.
Kurt Angle was WWE’s first Olympic gold medalist and he was signed amid a lot of fanfare. He made his WWE debut in 1999 and immediately made a name for himself for being one of the best technical wrestlers in the world. That was not a surprise as he was a great amateur wrestler.
He climbed the proverbial ladder and soon won the Intercontinental title and then the WWE title in 2000. He left the WWE for TNA in 2006 and wrestled there till 2016. Angle then returned to the WWE in 2017 after being inducted into the Hall of Fame. He served as the general manager of Monday Night Raw from 2017 to 2018 during which time he was involved in a few matches.
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Mick Foley was one of the most beloved wrestlers in WWE history. Foley was not the best technical wrestler but his ability to make the best of everything endeared him to the fans. One such instance of his ability to do anything for the fans was when he was thrown off the top of Hell in a Cell by the Undertaker. Despite the fall, he continued the match and won the hearts of many.
He wrestled in TNA after he left WWE in 2008 but he later returned and retired from in-ring competition in 2012. He was the general manager of Monday Night Raw from 2016 to 2017 and makes occasional appearances every now and then.
Booker T was one of WCW’s best wrestlers. During his time with WCW, he won the WCW title five times and moved to the WWE in 2001 after WCW went bust. Despite a slow start, he was involved in a lot of memorable feuds. He became the United States Champion in 2005 and later won the King of the Ring and became the World Heavyweight Champion.
Booker moved to TNA in 2007 and was a main event star during his time there. He returned to the WWE in 2011 as a commentator and part-time wrestler. Booker T is now part of the NXT commentary team and appears at all the major pay per views as a pre-show panelist.
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