5 Superstars who retired from WWE on their own terms and 5 who did not

Due to the physical nature of WWE and professional wrestling in general, the span of any Superstar's career isn't guaranteed.

While injuries have ended the careers of several WWE Superstars, there have also been a few legends who have been able to end their careers on their own terms.

This list highlights WWE Superstars on both sides of the spectrum:

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#5. Retired from WWE on his own terms: Batista

Batista has enjoyed a career in WWE that only a few have. Signing with WWE at the age of 31, he would spend a few years shaping his skills in Ohio Valley Wrestling, where he was a part of what many considered as the greatest developmental batch in the company's history.

Some of the names who trained alongside Batista at OVW were John Cena, Randy Orton, Brock Lesnar, and Shelton Benjamin, among others.

Batista enjoyed a great deal of success in his eight-year WWE run, becoming a six-time World Champion. Even in his 2014 return run, he headlined WrestleMania for the second time in his career.

Batista's first run ended in 2010 when he stated that he wasn't too happy with the direction that the WWE was going in. He would pursue a career in Hollywood, and by the time he returned four years later, he had his first big break with The Guardians of the Galaxy.

Despite losing out on his popularity in 2014, Batista made it clear that he only wanted to return to face Triple H. And he got his wish five years later, facing The Game at WrestleMania 35.

While it wasn't announced as a retirement bout or a farewell match, it seemed clear that Batista intended to repay Triple H for helping elevate him to superstardom over 14 years before. He lost to Triple H at WrestleMania 35, and it all came full circle.

Out of respect for Kurt Angle, who had his farewell match announced beforehand on the same show, Batista simply posted a message on Instagram stating that WrestleMania 35 was the end of his WWE career. He got the match he wanted and left on his own terms.

#5. Did not retire from WWE on his own terms: Stone Cold Steve Austin

Stone Cold Steve Austin had an impact second to none.

Stone Cold Steve Austin's importance in WWE history can't be understated. He led WWE into the Attitude Era, and it was him, alongside The Rock, who was at the forefront of what many consider the three greatest years in the company's history.

When Stone Cold Steve Austin was on top, ratings skyrocketed, and he became WWE's biggest mainstream star since Hulk Hogan. It certainly helped that he went up against some of the most elite talent in WWE history, but there was no babyface more suitable for his time.

Unfortunately, the reality was that Stone Cold Steve Austin was always on borrowed time. Owen Hart's botched piledriver to Steve Austin at SummerSlam 1997 led to The Texas Rattlesnake suffering a broken neck and temporary paralysis.

While he wrestled a more conservative style during his rise to the top, the years of bumps were always going to catch up to him. In 2003, Stone Cold Steve Austin wrestled his final match at WrestleMania 19 - losing to his greatest adversary, The Rock, and putting an end to their long-standing rivalry.

While Steve Austin spent his time until November 2003 as an on-screen authority figure, it was clear that he didn't end his WWE career on his own terms. In a Reddit AMA, Austin stated that he may have wrestled for five to six more years if it were up to him.

#4. Retired from WWE on her own terms: Trish Stratus

Trish Stratus brought it until the very end.

While Charlotte Flair seems destined to go down the track of being dubbed as the greatest Women's Champion in WWE history, Trish Stratus belongs in that category as well.

Trish Stratus' prime was long before the women's revolution, and she was one of the few big names to inspire an entire generation of women's wrestlers in WWE. Trish Stratus got two big retirement matches - both of which happened to be on her own terms.

The first retirement from WWE was in 2006, where she defeated Lita at Unforgiven in her hometown of Toronto. It was known well in advance that Trish Stratus was retiring, and she couldn't have had a more perfect setting. She would beat Lita to win her seventh and final Women's Championship, ending a legendary seven-year career.

However, she would make sporadic comeback matches in WWE, two of which happened in 2011 at WrestleMania 27 and the other at Evolution 2018. A dream match that many wanted to see was Charlotte Flair vs. Trish Stratus. That wish would come true at SummerSlam 2019, where Flair defeated Trish Stratus in Toronto, cementing herself as the present and future of WWE's women's division.

Trish Stratus got an apt farewell, and that seemed to be a fitting end, letting her once again end her WWE run on her own terms.

#4. Did not retire from WWE on her own terms: Paige

Paige was signed by WWE before turning 20, making her one of the youngest signings in the company's history. In the eyes of many, she, alongside Emma, spearheaded the small women's revolution happening in NXT. This was something that would pour onto the main roster in the coming years before WWE finally took wind of it.

This is perhaps the most tragic situation in this list because had it not been for her injuries, Paige would likely have had a long and successful WWE career. She would have slotted right in with all the emerging talent, and we can only be left to wonder what could have been.

In her last couple of years, she had to deal with major neck injuries, and a freak accident at a house show prevented WWE from ever clearing her for in-ring competition.

Just a few months before she turned 26, Paige announced her retirement from in-ring competition in WWE. It shortened what could have turned into an extremely promising career.

#3. Retired from WWE on his own terms: Shawn Michaels

Few Superstars in WWE history had a more storied career than Shawn Michaels. While he may not have as many accolades on paper as several fellow-WWE legends, there's one thing that everyone could agree upon - not a single wrestler could outperform him.

Shawn Michaels doesn't have a great WrestleMania record either. However, he's known as Mr. WrestleMania for putting on the most breathtaking in-ring performances at the Grandest Stage of Them All.

The fact that he had a redemption and returned after four years away from WWE only adds to his legacy. And his final eight years were spent helping elevate other Superstars while maintaining his mystique. He only won one World Championship in his second WWE run, but he was big enough and good enough where he didn't need to carry a title to stay relevant.

He had a fitting end to his WWE career at WrestleMania 26 - putting over The Undertaker in another classic at The Show of Shows. This time, it was the main event, and The Heartbreak Kid got to stand on the WrestleMania stage one last time, saying farewell to tens of thousands of people in the arena.

While he returned for a match in 2018 at Crown Jewel, we aren't taking that into account, especially since Shawn Michaels expressed a sense of regret for getting back in the ring.

#3. Did not retire from WWE on his own terms - Christian

Christian is a Superstar who many feel should have had more accolades in his WWE career. Despite this, he had some World Championship success with WWE. While Edge would have made this list, he didn't because he returned in 2020 and still has the chance to end his career on his own terms.

That doesn't appear to be the same with Christian. It's been six years since Christian last stepped in the ring. He won his final bout and was scheduled to challenge for the Intercontinental Championship.

However, the concussion was one too many, and it would mark the end of his 20-year career. Ultimately, the two decades of taking bumps and damage added up, and he was forced to call it quits on his in-ring career for WWE.

Christian couldn't end his WWE career on his own terms, though he did have a one-off match against Randy Orton in 2020. It was an unsanctioned match, and Christian didn't take any actual bump.

#2. Retired from WWE on their own terms: Kurt Angle

Kurt Angle was regarded as a natural professional wrestler. The Olympic gold medalist would pick up in WWE in just a year. His ability and talent were quickly recognized.

He became a main event-caliber Superstar and a World Champion quicker than most. Angle would enjoy nearly seven years as a WWE Superstar before various issues saw him depart from the company.

He didn't leave WWE on the best of terms, but he returned for a 2017 Hall of Fame induction, after which he became the General Manager of RAW. His run would ultimately last two years, and at WrestleMania 35, he had his farewell match, losing to Baron Corbin.

Angle told talkSPORT that in 2019, he decided to retire at WrestleMania on his own terms:

" I decided to retire at ‘Mania,” Angle said. “Vince didn’t tell me ‘Listen you’re done after ‘Mania.’ I went to him and said ‘Listen, I want to retire. I’m not able to do what I used to, and if I can’t be the old Kurt Angle, I want to be done now,’” he explained."

While Kurt Angle would undoubtedly have wanted to get more out of his two-year run in WWE, he made the right decision by calling it quits before his body took too much damage. He was able to retire from WWE on his own terms.

#2. Did not retire from WWE on his own terms: The Rock

The Rock might be a questionable addition to the list, but the reality is that WrestleMania 29 was never supposed to be his final match for WWE. On paper, his six-second win over Erick Rowan in the co-main event of WrestleMania 32 was his final match. But being more realistic, some circumstances forced his retirement.

By 2013, The Rock was already a big name in Hollywood. He had to face his own set of struggles post his WWE career, but his career in the silver screen was finally coming to fruition.

He had two back-to-back WrestleMania main events in 2012 and 2013 against John Cena. In the second bout, The Rock's abdominal and abductor tendons tore from his pelvis.

The Rock later admitted himself that he "quietly retired."

“Yes, I do…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.”

The Rock once stated on Twitter that he was approached to face Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 30 and Triple H stated that he was supposed to face The Rock in the main event of WrestleMania 32.

Ultimately, none of those panned out, and The Rock, despite missing wrestling, had to call it quits on his in-ring career against his own wishes.

#1. Retired from WWE on his own terms: The Undertaker

The Undertaker is a Superstar whose legacy in WWE is unmatched. While there have been many all-time greats over the generations, none have lasted the test of time the way The Undertaker is.

It's hard to argue against The Undertaker being the greatest character in WWE history. Though his 2014-2019 run saw fans desperately plead for his retirement, he decided to continue past his prime.

Despite this, he ended his career on a high. His final match in WWE was a cinematic one at WrestleMania 36, defeating AJ Styles in the incredibly entertaining Boneyard match.

WWE's respect for The Undertaker meant that he would continue when most signs indicated that he shouldn't have. But after The Last Ride documentary, he announced that he had no desire to return to the ring for WWE.

And at Survivor Series 2020 - 30 years after his WWE debut, he said his final farewell, putting an end to his three-decade-long career. He got to end his WWE career on his own terms.

#1. Did not retire from WWE on his own terms: CM Punk

CM Punk seemingly has no desire to return to the ring.

It's hard to believe that almost seven years have passed since CM Punk's WWE departure. His last appearance was at the Royal Rumble 2014, and a mix of factors, including burnout, dissatisfaction with his creative direction, and injuries, made him call it quits with WWE.

Had he not left, he was reportedly set to face Triple H at WrestleMania 30. But that never came to be. Years passed, and slowly, fans' hope for CM Punk's WWE return wore down.

On multiple occasions, CM Punk stated that he had no desire to return to the ring, and the closest association he had with WWE was during his time as an analyst on WWE Backstage on FS1.

While CM Punk enjoyed the most memorable WWE Championship reign of the decade and had several accolades to his name, he considered it a personal failure to have never headlined WrestleMania. His legacy will be remembered fondly by WWE fans, but he's perhaps one of the biggest names who never got to retire on his own terms.

Edited by Zaid Khan