5 WWE retirements that left fans in tears

Pro wrestling is similar to other sports in that the shelf life of a professional wrestler isn't long. Injuries suffered over several years, plus the bumps taken in and out of the ring, collectively make sure that a wrestler would be forced to retire before they end up in a wheelchair.

Some Superstars are smart enough to call it quits when they are on the top of their game. On the other hand, some did because their injuries had worsened. Interestingly, some of these Superstars ended up coming back for the last hurrah (Shawn Michaels, Edge), or another long stint (Daniel Bryan), but their retirements were still a big deal.

In the following list, we'll take a look at 5 WWE retirement that left fans in tears.

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#5 Ric Flair

Ric Flair

The road to WrestleMania 24 saw Vince McMahon putting WWE legend Ric Flair in a perilous position. Vince declared that the next match Flair would lose, would be the final match of his career. Over the next few weeks, Flair somehow managed to defeat Superstars one after the other and keep his job.

Vince's ultimatum:

As WrestleMania approached, Flair got into a feud with Shawn Michaels and the two-faced off in a huge match at The Show of Shows. Flair, who had been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on the previous night, lost the match, and his career came to an end. The next night on RAW, Flair was given a grand sendoff by WWE, with the entire locker room coming out to thank him. There was a long string of fans in the arena that night who couldn't control their emotions over one of the biggest Superstars in the business finally hanging up the boots. Unfortunately, Flair returned to the ring soon after, in Impact Wrestling, but the sendoff he received on that night would always be remembered as one of the most emotional moments in RAW history.

#4 Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan

At WrestleMania 30, Daniel Bryan's Yes Movement was at its peak, as he defeated Triple H, Batista, and Randy Orton in the same night to become WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Bryan was getting heavily cheered by fans for the past six months or so, and the Yes Movement had gained major mainstream attention. Bryan had to relinquish his title soon after, due to injury. He came back later and went on to win the Intercontinental title at WrestleMania 31. The injuries kept getting the best of him though.

Bryan retires:

On February 8, 2016, Bryan finally addressed the WWE Universe on an episode of RAW and announced that he was done with wrestling. The fans couldn't believe that one of their most beloved Superstars was leaving the squared circle for good. Bryan's emotional retirement speech was followed by the WWE locker room coming out to thank him for his efforts, and an amazing career. Bryan would miraculously make a comeback two years later and is still an active Superstar in WWE.

#3 Shawn Michaels

Shawn Michaels

By the time 2010 came around, Shawn Michaels had decided that he was going to give another shot at The Undertaker's WrestleMania streak. He had previously lost to The Deadman at WrestleMania 25, in what many fans regard as the greatest match in the show's history. Michaels cost The Phenom the World title inside Elimination Chamber, and the match was set for The Show of Shows. At WrestleMania, The Undertaker emerged victorious again after a hard-fought match.

HBK hangs up the boots:

The next night on WWE RAW, Michaels gave his farewell speech, as the stipulation of the match made sure that he had to retire. An emotional Michaels addressed thousands of equally emotional fans who had been there throughout his illustrious career and had watched him steal the show on numerous occasions. Michaels left for backstage and was greeted by his best friend Triple H, who hugged him in an incredibly moving visual. Michaels would come back in 2018 for a Tag Team match pitting The Undertaker and Kane with DX.

#2 Paige

Paige

After a successful neck surgery in October 2017, Paige returned to WWE TV on the November 20, 2017 edition of RAW. Paige was accompanied by the debuting Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville, and the trio launched an attack on Sasha Banks, Alexa Bliss, Mickie James, and Bayley. Mere days later, Paige got injured at a WWE house show after being on the receiving end of a kick from Banks. The match was immediately stopped, and the injury later prevented her from competing in the Royal Rumble match.

Paige's farewell:

Paige took on announcing duties for the first-ever WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal. The next night on RAW, she announced that her injuries had forced her to retire. The fans were taken aback at what they had heard. Paige was 26-year-old at the time she retired and many couldn't believe that a promising career had been cut short at the very beginning, due to an injury. Paige went on to take on the role of SmackDown GM, and later became a manager for Kairi Sane and Asuka. She currently works for WWE Backstage, as a panelist.

#1 Edge

Edge made a shocking return at the 2020 Royal Rumble match

At WrestleMania 27, Edge met Alberto Del Rio in the opening match of the night, with the World title on the line. Del Rio had won the 40-Man Royal Rumble match to bag an opportunity at Edge's title. The Rated-R Superstar managed to retain his belt when all was said and done. Little did fans know that this was his final match at the time. A few days later on RAW, Edge gave an emotional speech, revealing that a recent MRI result had forced him to retire from active competition.

Edge retires:

A sea of dumbstruck fans chanted "Thank you Edge" in unison, as Edge addressed them while trying his best to control his tears. Edge remained retired for almost a decade, before making his huge return at the 2020 Royal Rumble PPV. He had a strong showing in the free-for-all and was the 28th wrestler to be eliminated. Edge went on to wrestle Randy Orton at WrestleMania 36 and was victorious in the end.