5 Superstars who ended their careers at WrestleMania

It is a common tradition to save the best for the last. This applies to the career of a professional wrestler as well.Although he or she might not be able to give their best effort in their last match, they could bow down from the squared circle on the biggest possible stage. And which is the biggest possible stage in the wrestling business? WrestleMania, of course.Ending their career at WrestleMania would probably be a dream scenario for many superstars out there, but only a handful could reach that dream. In the 31-year-old rich history of WrestleMania, there have been some emotional and heartwarming career endings and before we hit the Levi’s stadium on March 29, here is a blast from the past.

#6 Honorable Mention: John \'Bradshaw\' Layfield (WrestleMania 25)

If there is any wrestler out there whose career could be compared to a roller coaster ride, it would be John ‘Bradshaw’ Layfield. He was a mainstay back in the Attitude Era with his APA tag team, later pushed back into the crowd. In the mid-2000s when WWE didn’t have a credible heel in their SmackDown brand, they repackaged JBL as the evil billionaire and it turned out to be a big hit.

JBL went onto be a solid heel ever since and his last match came at WrestleMania 25. He faced Rey Mysterio for the Intercontinental championship and the match, well, it lasted only 11 seconds.

#5 Edge (WrestleMania 27)

Edge was responsible for some of the most insane spots in WrestleMania history. He was an integral part of the TLC series and all that bumps took a big toll on his body. Edge was suffering from numerous injuries by 2011 and the doctors warned him about wrestling again.

Without disclosing the same, Edge appeared at WrestleMania 27 and defended his World Heavyweight championship successfully against Alberto Del Rio. The fans treated it as any other ordinary match of Edge until he came down on Raw and announced his retirement from professional wrestling.

The emotional moment actually happened on Raw but for the fans, WrestleMania 27 will go down as a missed opportunity where they could have given Edge a final salute.

#4 Andre the Giant (WrestleMania VI)

Andre the Giant did wrestle some matches in Japan after his WrestleMania VI outing but on a WWE aspect, Andre had his last match at the granddaddy of them all. His retirement came just three years after the legendary showdown with Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania III.

Andre was the reigning tag team champion back then alongside Haku and the duo defended their title against the demolition at WrestleMania VI.

It was definetly not one of the best matches of Andre and to add some salt to the wound, he lost the tag titles as well. It wasn’t a farewell that you’d expect for a legend like him, but it happened at WrestleMania nevertheless and not everyone has the luxury you know.

#3 Steve Austin (WrestleMania 19)

The Texas Rattle Snake will always be remembered for how he revolutionalised the business during the Attitude Era. However, one thing that we always seem to forget is about the grand retirement match he had with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson at WrestleMania 19.

The Steve Austin – Rock rivalry was clearly one of the game changers for WWE in the Attitude Era and as far as Austin is concerned, What better way to end your career than having the last match with your best rival? The match lasted nearly 20 minutes and Austin lost out in his last match.

He went on to have an on-screen role afterwards, but Austin’s presence in the ring is still being missed by the WWE Universe and hopefully it will change at WrestleMania 32.

#2 Ric Flair (WrestleMania 24)

Just like Andre the Giant, Flair’s retirement is only with respect to his WWE career. He did go on to have a handful of matches in TNA afterwards but due to the heavy emotional burst that his WrestleMania 24 match had, the fans will always remember this as the final farewell.

Vince McMahon gave an ultimatum to Flair during the buildup and announced that Flair would have to retire the next time he lost. Flair managed to crawl through every hurdle that McMahon threw at him until the showdown with Shawn Michaels came. Everyone who tuned into the match knew it was Flair’s last outing and emotions were running wild.

Michaels crying before delivering his sweet chin music is still an everlasting image and Flair bowed out from WWE in the best possible way.

#1 Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania 26)

While Michaels was at the giving end in the Ric Flair case, he was at the receiver at WrestleMania 26. Michaels challenged Undertaker at WrestleMania 25 and came agonizingly close to breaking the streak. It ended up being the best match of the year and WWE wanted to cash in on the momentum next year as well.

Michaels soon began his efforts to get a rematch against Taker at WrestleMania 26 and after several desperate measures, Taker finally gave in. He however asked Michaels to put his career on the line and the match was set.

After another epic encounter, Taker won the match and marked the end of a legendary career. Michaels was fit enough to have a few more good years in the wrestling business but he stood by his word and never returned into the squared circle for a match.