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The career of a WWE Superstar can be longer than it used to be. However, some stars still won't end their careers on their own terms.
Edge wanted one final match in his hometown of Toronto before he hung up his boots. The jury is still out on whether he is officially retired since his match with Sheamus was the last one on his current contract.
There are a handful of current performers who might be nearing the end of their careers. The following six WWE wrestlers could be calling it quits in the ring within the next year.
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#6 Sheamus has always been a physical star
Sheamus, like the rest of the stars on this list, is over 40 years old. Before the medical advances of the last 20 years, wrestlers would often retire well before they hit 40.
Nowadays, someone wrestling well into their 40s is the norm. Chris Jericho, PCO, Minoru Suzuki, and others are over 50 and going strong. The Celtic Warrior has been rejuvenated as a member of the Brawling Brutes, but that luster might be starting to fade a bit.
He's the veteran of the group and has been working with Spinal Stenosis. It's a miracle he's been able to do so with that condition, so it might rear its head and force Sheamus to retire next year.
#5 The Queen of Harts is the longest-tenured female member of the roster
Natalya has the distinction of having a WWE career spanning almost 15 years. Many stars have come and gone in that time, but Nattie has been a constant in the women's division.
While she'll likely never be a top star in the division again, she has played a crucial role in helping stars along in their careers.
She doesn't have any children with Tyson Kidd but may retire soon to either focus on her family or perhaps move into a backstage role. Things have changed since she started in the ring as Becky Lynch, Ronda Rousey, and Lacey Evans all returned after giving birth. They, however, were all under 40 years old.
#4 AJ Styles still wrestles like he's 30 years old
The Phenomenal One has been one of the top wrestlers of the last 20 years. He proved to be more than a big fish in the small pond of IMPACT Wrestling, having won numerous titles as a WWE star.
Despite his standing, the last time Styles held a Championship was with Omos as the RAW Tag Team Champions. He's still among the top stars in the WWE but may be used differently going forward.
With younger stars like Santos Escobar, Grayson Waller, Gunther, and many others being featured prominently, he might be getting less of the spotlight. His children are getting older and he might want to spend more time with them.
#3 Rey Mysterio is still going strong
Rey wanted to continue wrestling to see his son, Dominik, become an active member of the WWE roster. The duo won the SmackDown Tag Team titles but soon parted ways after Dominik turned on his father.
The elder Mysterio has had a long run of success in the business, so much so that it's hard to find a performer whom he hasn't influenced.
If he is thinking of winding down his career, a simple retirement match with Dominik at WrestleMania 40 would be the perfect ending. Dominik could even save him and finish things on good terms. However it happens, it wouldn't be a shock to see Rey call it a career within the next year.
#2 Randy Orton has been out of action for over a year
He might be one of the greatest stars of the 2000s, but Randy Orton's career might be winding down. Orton has been out of commission since May of 2022. He is dealing with a serious back injury that could spell the end of his days in the ring.
Many specialists have reportedly told The Legend Killer to stay out of the ring due to the severity of his injury.
WWE stars have heard that before, but that didn't stop Edge, Paige, and Daniel Bryan from returning to action. Orton's injury, however, might be too serious to test.
#1 John Cena has been a loyal WWE star for 20 years
Ever since Money in the Bank over the summer, John Cena has been relatively active on WWE SmackDown. He was the guest referee for a match between The Miz and LA Knight.
Recently, however, he's been embroiled in The Bloodline drama. He's faced Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa by proxy since Roman Reigns hasn't been on SmackDown for weeks.
His appearances are leading to a match at Fastlane, but his partner, Styles, was sent away in an ambulance on the latest SmackDown. Could his final run be the one to dispose of The Bloodline for good? While Cena is still in game shape, it could lead to a retirement from WWE at next year's WrestleMania.
Which Superstar may retire soon in your opinion? Sound off in the comments section below.
