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WWE Superstars live and breathe in the ring. They travel all around the world, performing for the fans and entertaining them to the best of their abilities.
However, one thing that is part of the job description is that any career is always on the verge of coming to an end. Whether it is a serious injury or a fallout with the company, there are myriad of reasons for a wrestler to end their careers before it is truly time to hang up their boots.
While many superstars retire well into their fifties, many have hung up their boots before they turned 40. They did what they did due to their own personal reasons, leaving their fans and admirers heartbroken.
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On the one hand, superstars such as Sting and Ric Flair can pull off exciting matches and stunts even in their fifties and early sixties, while on the other hand, there are examples of superstars who have to retire before their days are up.
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On this list, we will look at five superstars who have retired before they could fulfill their potential.
#5 On our list of WWE Superstars who ended up retiring before 40: Paige
One of the most heartbreaking wrestling retirements occurred when Paige announced that she would no longer be an active in-ring performer.
After taking a kick from Sasha Banks at a house show, she injured her neck and was not given medical clearance to continue.
The RAW after WrestleMania 34 saw an emotional Paige reveal that her injury was serious and that she would have to retire from in-ring competition. She was 25 years old at the time, and fans were saddened to see the brightest young talent in the business get the short end of the stick.
#4 Corey Graves is forced to give up his dream
Corey Graves now hones his craft as a color commentator in WWE. However, he was one of the most promising wrestling prospects in the company before injuries forced him into an early retirement.
Graves spent many years on the independent scene before being signed by the company.
He spent some time in WWE NXT and became a tag team champion. Unfortunately, his history with concussions took years off his career until the one in 2014 ended it altogether when he was just 30 years of age.
#3 AJ Lee hangs up her boots
AJ Lee was a big fan favorite during her WWE days. Even though her husband, CM Punk, left the company in 2014, she stayed on till April 2015. However, the RAW after WrestleMania that year saw her wrestle her final match in the ring.
Lee teamed up with Naomi and Paige in a six-woman tag team match against Natalya and The Bella Twins. The babyface team prevailed over the heels that night, helping to end her career on a high.
Fans were gutted to see the three-time Divas Champion leave wrestling for good at the age of 28.
#2 Ted DiBiase Jr. calls it quits early
Ted DiBiase Jr. was one of the most underrated stars to have appeared in WWE. Alongside Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes in The Legacy, they caused major chaos on RAW and were a force to be reckoned with.
The son of the Million Dollar Man, Ted DiBiase, left the company for the independent scene. Unlike Rhodes, however, he failed to make a big impact despite working in various promotions for four years.
Ultimately, he decided to retire at the age of 35.
#1 Stone Cold Steve Austin walks away for good
Steve Austin is one of the greatest WWE Superstars of all time. However, not many people know that he also stopped wrestling before his 40s, unlike most of his other peers.
Austin's neck injury first surfaced in SummerSlam 1997 after a match against Owen Hart. He was paralyzed for some time following the injury and it remained a persistent problem throughout his career.
It got so serious that he was forced to retire at the age of 39, wrestling his final match against The Rock at WrestleMania XIX.
The Rattlesnake was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009. He remains to this day one of the icons of the Attitude Era of WWE.
Who among these retired WWE Superstars is your favorite? Let us know in the comments section below.
