5 Dream matches fans will likely never get to see

Major events in pro wrestling such as WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Bound for Glory, and Starrcade have show cased not only great in-ring matches and championship bouts, but have also provided fans with dream matches they never thought they would see in a pro wrestling ring. This continues today with All Elite Wrestling and modern WWE.

Matches such as Sting vs Triple H, Sting vs Seth Rollins, The Rock vs Hulk Hogan, The Rock vs John Cena, all fall under the "dream match" category. Many of these pit mega stars of the past and present against each other in classic rivalries and singles bouts.

There are also a handful of dream matches that will never take place due to factors such as retirement and injury. Those matches can only be fantasy booked during pro wrestling discussions, or played out in a video game.

Given the above, let's take a look at five dream matches that will likely never happen in pro wrestling.

#5 Hulk Hogan vs Steve Austin

When Hulk Hogan made his return to WWE following a lengthy and successful run in WCW, he returned alongside his nWo brethren Scott Hall and Kevin Nash, and the three Superstars were supposed to have a run as WWE's newest top heels.

Instead, fans were so excited to see 'The Hulkster' return "home," that they basically turned him babyface, by refusing to boo the man who is oftentimes considered the most recognizable face in all of pro wrestling history.

Hogan went on to face The Rock in a classic match at WrestleMania, leading fans to speculate that a Hogan vs Steve Austin dream match would follow, but that never happened, and according to recent comments made by Austin, he blames himself for the bout never taking place.

#4 Bret Hart vs Brock Lesnar

WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart has had numerous classic matches throughout his storied pro wrestling career, but he was unable to have a retirement match or proper WWE send off. This was due to health related issues, which have prevented him from making a return to the squared circle.

During a recent Q&A via Reddit, however, 'The Hitman' was asked about a potential dream match opponent for one last Bret Hart match. The Hall of Famer responded by naming former Universal Champion and #1 contender to the WWE title Brock Lesnar as his dream opponent.

"Bret Hart vs Brock Lesnar, in an Iron Man Match, and I would like to be at home watching it, not feeling it (laughs)," said Hart.

Bret Hart vs Brock Lesnar is probably a match fans haven't thought much of, but the two of them facing each other, in Bret Hart's prime, likely would have produced an in-ring classic. With Brock Lesnar now working as more of a Suplex City/MMA style dominator in the ring, fans often forget that Lesnar's technical wrestling ability is top notch. A bout pitting 'The Beast' against 'The Hitman' would have undoubtedly produced a mat classic.

#3 The Rock vs Elias

The Rock announced earlier this week that he will be returning to WWE for Friday Night SmackDown's big premiere on FOX Sports. The show also commemorates SmackDown's 20th anniversary. The Rock can take credit for putting the show on the map, as it named after his own catchphrase.

When news broke that The Rock would be returning on SmackDown, Elias, who is currently injured and off WWE TV, took a shot at The Rock's return and continued to fan the flames of a potential Rock vs Elias match.

However, earlier this year, The Rock announced on "Live with Kelly and Ryan" that he has quietly retired from pro wrestling, meaning a Rock vs Elias dream match will likely never happen, unless 'The Great One' decides to come out of retirement.

The Rock said,

"I quietly retired from wrestling because I was lucky enough to have just a really wonderful career and accomplish what I wanted to accomplish, but there's nothing like a live crowd, a live audience, a live microphone as you both know," said The Rock. "Plus, I grew up in wrestling. For a lot of you guys that don't know, my grandfather wrestled, my dad as well, my whole family."

#2 Ric Flair vs Brock Lesnar

This week on the WWE RAW season premiere episode, Hall of Famers Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan made their returns to TV. Not only did they appear in a special MizTV segment, but they announced a huge match that will be taking place at the upcoming WWE Crown Jewel PPV in Saudi Arabia.

The two Hall of Famers will appear in opposite corners for a big 5 on 5 tag team match pitting Team Flair against Team Hogan, with Randy Orton captaining Team Flair and Seth Rollins captaining Team Hogan.

During the MizTV segment, Flair made the claim that although Hogan might have been a bigger money draw throughout their in-ring careers, nobody can touch Flair when it comes to in-ring wrestling. Flair made it clear that he refused to play "second fiddle" to Hogan when it comes to in-ring ability.

Is The Nature Boy right? If he is, then a dream match that we will never get to see is Ric Flair vs Brock Lesnar in the prime of their careers. Many fans will argue that Flair is the greatest of all-time when it comes to in-ring ability, and a test against 'The Beast' would have no doubt been a classic.

#1 Sting vs The Undertaker

The Undertaker vs Sting is a dream match fans have demanded for years, but despite the opportunity to build toward the bout on numerous occasions, the match never happened, and likely never will.

When WWE Hall of Famer Sting was ruling the world as The Crow inspired character during the Monday Night Wars, The Undertaker was ruling the WWE world, and the two characters always felt like a natural fit for a dream match.

When Sting unexpectedly showed up in WWE following a lengthy run in Impact Wrestling, the table appeared to be set for the dream match fans have wanted for decades, but Sting vs Triple H was booked for WrestleMania instead.

Fans held out hope that Sting vs Undertaker would still happen in WWE, and Sting's next match following his bout against Triple H was against Seth Rollins. It was during the Rollins match that Sting suffered a neck injury, which WWE officials claimed would end 'The Icon's' storied career.

Sting is now officially retired from WWE in-ring competition, meaning the dream match against The Undertaker will likely remain just that - a dream.

What other dream matches are likely never to take place? Let us know in the comment section and be sure to follow SK on Twitter and Facebook!