3 AEW stars who could officially retire before 2025 ends

AEW currently employs an incredibly diverse roster of pro-wrestlers, including a mix of up-and-comers, contemporary stars approaching their prime, and long-established veterans proving they can still go toe-to-toe with the best. The latter form a rarefied group in the Tony Khan-led promotion, and some of them have gone on to retire from the sport after finishing their All Elite tenure.

Consider, for instance, Sting concluding his in-ring career at the Revolution pay-per-view last year, after retaining the World Tag Team Titles alongside Darby Allin against The Young Bucks in an unforgettable retirement match. Consider, also, Bryan Danielson wrestling his last bout as a full-time wrestler at WrestleDream 2024, dropping his AEW World Championship to former BCC ally Jon Moxley.

Another industry legend is seemingly closing the book on his career to start the new year, as Christopher Daniels reportedly worked his own retirement bout in the form of a Texas Death Match against Hangman Page at Collision: Maximum Carnage. As 2025 continues to unfold, AEW viewers could witness a few other prominent names step away from the squared circle.

Let us consider three such wrestlers:

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#1: Jeff Jarrett could retire in 2025

Addressing the live audience at Dynamite: Fight for the Fallen on New Year's Day, Jeff Jarrett revealed that he had signed his final talent contract with All Elite Wrestling, and declared his intention to become the promotion's World Champion.

This has brought him into conflict with MJF, who had a vitriolic exchange with Double J this week on Dynamite: Maximum Carnage. Although the rivalry has elicited some criticism, many speculate that it could be a crucial chapter in what seems to be Jarrett's retirement run.

It is unlikely that The Last Outlaw will fulfill his objective of winning the All Elite World Championship regardless of a section of the fanbase galvanizing around the idea. After all, he was eliminated from the Owen Hart Cup last year despite many viewers believing he could win the tournament owing to the way the company built up his participation in it.

That said, if 2025 is his last year as a performer, AEW could book Jarrett in a compelling and emotional storyline culminating in the Hall of Famer's retirement from in-ring competition.

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#2: MVP could step away from active competition this year

Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP) continues to excel as The Hurt Syndicate's mouthpiece every week. However, despite being on a lengthy hiatus from in-ring action since 2022, The Franchise Playa proved that he was still more than a manager after returning to in-ring competition last year.

Porter lost to Josh Barnett at Bloodsport XII but defeated Wrecking Ball Legursky at a Battleground Championship Wrestling event in December 2024. MVP made his All Elite debut this week on Dynamite: Maximum Carnage, teaming with stable-mates Shelton Benjamin and Bobby Lashley to defeat Mark Briscoe and Private Party.

In a recent Instagram post, Porter indicated that the time was coming for him to hang up his boots, writing that the "clock is ticking on [his] in-ring career". It should also be considered that The Ballin' Superstar is 51, and while he is still quite spry as a performer, his best days as a wrestler may be behind him.

To that end, MVP could retire from active competition in AEW, and focus his efforts exclusively on managing, expanding, and coaching The Hurt Syndicate. The Jacksonville-based promotion could build a proper story around MVP's retirement, and potentially have a name like Swerve Strickland ending Porter's career.

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#3: Kota Ibushi retires after a Golden Lovers reunion in AEW?

Despite making his first All Elite Wrestling appearance in July 2023, and revealing a few months afterward that he was officially signed with the company, Kota Ibushi has wrestled only four matches in the Jacksonville-based promotion so far. All of which, incidentally, were multi-person bouts.

Fans have since raised questions regarding the somewhat diminished quality of The Golden Star's work in AEW, likely owing to a slew of injuries that the Japanese grappler has been dealing with for many years now.

In an interview from December 2024, Ibushi claimed that his "legs are at their limit and it could end at any time", surely implying that he would soon draw the curtain on his decorated career. Tony Khan and Co. could allow the former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion to enjoy a worthy sendoff in AEW in 2025.

They could achieve this by booking Ibushi safely in singles matches against names like Swerve Strickland, Will Ospreay, Konosuke Takeshita, etc, and ideally in a memorable, climactic tag team run with his long-time ally and partner, Kenny Omega.