5 Current WWE Superstars and their potential retirement plans

#1 WWE Royal Rumble 2021 winner Edge does not want to overstay his welcome as an in-ring performer

January 31, 2010: Edge wins the #RoyalRumble January 31, 2021: Edge wins the #RoyalRumble The journey continues and we couldn't be happier 🤘 pic.twitter.com/zMMadSldJd

— WWE on BT Sport (@btsportwwe) February 1, 2021

Edge's comeback story trail is the closest WWE has gotten in recent memory to present a babyface so sympathetic and relatable that he's almost universally beloved.

After making his triumphant return from retirement at WWE Royal Rumble 2020, the Rated-R Superstar won the following year's Men's Royal Rumble match and is heading to the main event of WrestleMania 37. He has made it clear that he'll be working a full-time schedule rather than showing up intermittently on TV.

However, Edge also knows that his time in the ring is limited and wants to contribute as much as he can during his current run. In a recent global WWE teleconference, he opened up about his retirement plans.

"I don't want to overstay my welcome and I want this run to help. I don't want it to hinder. I don't want to take away from the business, the industry, from a talent... I want to add. While I can do that, that's what I want to do. I have to be honest with myself, and I know that, but I also have my inner circle. My inner circle is brutally honest with me. I've had the discussion with Beth (Phoenix), she's gonna tell me, 'It's time. You're embarrassing yourself now.' And I don't want to get there. So, it'll be before that, but I don't know what that is."

Edge's contract reportedly lasts till 2023, which means he'll certainly be around in some capacity even if he isn't wrestling.

Most importantly, WWE and Edge have successfully given The Rated-R Superstar's comeback story a distinctly rousing appeal, and it doesn't at all come across as a nostalgic run that has arrived on discounted time.