3 WWE careers that ended too soon and 2 that went on too long

In the annals of WWE history, there have been thousands of Superstars.

And though everyone who enters the company dreams of being the next top star, only few will ever claim that illustrious spot.

But even if a Superstar never holds a World Championship, there is still an accolade in having a long and lengthy career.

Unfortunately, there have been plenty of WWE Superstars who have had their careers ended too soon due to factors such as injury or problems with the higher-ups backstage.

And on the flip side, there have been Superstars who frankly have over-stayed their welcome, and have competed for far too long much to the chagrin of the WWE Universe.

Here are three WWE careers that were tragically cut short as well as two that fans thought would never end.

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#3: Ended too soon: Edge

After an incredible career and even World titles, Edge was forced to retire due to injuries in early 2011.

When Edge returned from neck surgery in early 2004, the Canadian knew he was on borrowed time.

But after 14 months away from the ring, the Rated-R Superstar came back with gusto, winning the first Money in the Bank ladder match, and amassing an astonishing eleven World Championships across five years.

Unfortunately, things came crashing down in 2011, as the old neck injury returned and Edge was instructed that he had to retire, or risk life in a wheelchair.

Competing in the opening of WrestleMania 27, the Rated-R Superstar successfully defended his World Championship against Alberto Del Rio.

Appearing on RAW the next night, Edge told the tearful crowd about what was happening, and vacated the title, going out on top, before being inducted into the Hall of Fame the next year.

#2: Went on too long: Kane

Kane became WWF Champion in 1998 and was still competing 20 years later.

When Kane made his shocking debut at Bad Blood 1997, few fans could have expected that over 20 years later, the big red machine would still be around.

Making his presence at the expense of The Undertaker, Kane's battles with his older brother have been a consistent story in his career, but not the only one.

Over the years, Kane has battled the likes of John Cena, Edge, Randy Orton, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and countless more huge names.

Unfortunately, Kane has clearly slowed down, and due to the longevity of his career, has been a part of some of the worst storylines.

Now the mayor of Knox County, Tennessee, it seems Kane's in-ring career may be behind him, perhaps for the best after his performance last year at Crown Jewel.

#2: Ended too soon: Daniel Bryan

Bryan was forced to retire for two years before being allowed to return to the ring.

Daniel Bryan's retirement from wrestling remains one of the saddest moments in WWE.

A huge star, former world champion and massively popular with the fans, Daniel Bryan was forced to retire by WWE in early 2016, as his body was too badly damaged and the company worried he'd be seriously injured (or worse) on their watch.

Though the Yes! Man did get a role as SmackDown Live general manager, this only reminded Bryan on what he was missing, as rumors began to circulate that he'd be leaving the company once his contract expired.

Fortunately, this story has a happy ending, as Bryan was able to return to the ring in early 2018, and has spent the past year as one of the top faces, and later heels in all of WWE.

#1: Went on too long: The Undertaker

The Deadman is still competing, nearly 30 years after his WWE debut.

Don't get me wrong, I love The Undertaker. Who doesn't?

Debuting at the 1990 Survivor Series, the demon of Death Valley has been digging holes and claiming souls ever since, and has had a truly Hall of Fame career.

But there's no denying the truth: The Deadman is old.

In recent years, it has almost been painful to watch the legendary star compete, as he moves much slower than he did a decade ago.

Personally, I saw the WrestleMania 28 bout in Hell in a Cell against Triple H as the ultimate out, but hindsight is 20/20.

And with the Deadman reportedly setting up to feud with Elias, perhaps facing off against the next WWE show in Saudi Arabia, it looks like this career still isn't coming to an end just yet.

#1: Ended too soon: 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin

The Rattlesnake's career came to a sudden end at WrestleMania 19.

There are plenty of what-ifs in wrestling: What if CM Punk returned? What if WCW had won the Monday Night Wars?

But here's one rarely mentioned: What if Stone Cold hadn't broken his neck at Summerslam 1997?

Suffering the devastating blow after a botched Piledriver by Owen Hart, Austin's career was forever changed, and though he'd go on to become one of wrestling's biggest stars, it wasn't the same Rattlesnake pre-Summerslam.

Having his last match at WrestleMania 19, neither his opponent The Rock nor WWE knew that this would be last calls for the Bionic redneck.

Though fans have hoped to see Austin have one more match, this has never transpired, as the WWE Universe now have to rely on the WWE 2K series to see the Rattlesnake compete with the stars of today.