Every wrestler’s dreams of having a great career that ends with them still being able to perform at a high level. That doesn’t always happen, but the dream is still to end a career with a great match. The final match of a wrestler should provide the memory of why you enjoyed them and feel the sadness of knowing they will never wrestle again. It is the art of a bittersweet story that should be portrayed in a final match. Unfortunately, not every wrestler gets to leave in perfect fashion. Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair each were given perfect retirement matches by WWE, but both would come out of retirement in regretful matches.

We will look at some instances of potential great ‘final’ matches in the wrestling world today. There are many full-time wrestlers, part-time wrestlers, and wrestlers worthy of a return that could realistically get sent off in an ideal way. The companies they work for could celebrate their careers with the stage for a great farewell. Fans are more aware than ever, so the investment from those knowing a career is ending will add to the appeal. The combination of great matches, great stories and emotional moments would be shared from the ideas here. Find out which wrestlers could get their storybook endings. These are 20 potential farewell opponents these wrestlers could face in their final match.

20 The Undertaker: Braun Strowman

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Many pundits expected The Undertaker to have retired a very long time ago. Old interviews of Undertaker suggested he wanted to retire at a young age and never become an over-the-hill veteran hanging on for the spotlight. It appears Undertaker has gone back on his word with a few years of embarrassing performances.

WWE still must plan for the ideal final Undertaker match since it must happen at some point. There are rumors it will come as soon as WrestleMania 35. Braun Strowman seems like a solid pick given the push he has received from WWE, his importance to the future of the company and his size. Undertaker putting over a big man in a short match before heading off in the sunset is the ideal farewell for him.

19 Lita: Sasha Banks

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Lita’s return to WWE has seen her add excitement to the Women’s Division during the time of the Evolution event. The team of Trish Stratus and Lita received huge ovations and had a couple of fun matches that tapped into their nostalgia. Lita is expected to return for WrestleMania season.

Someone getting to face Lita in her last match before leaving again could benefit her hugely. Sasha Banks stands out as someone that could benefit from big matches. The dream match could add more importance and momentum to Banks for the rest of her career. Their styles would also mesh for a fun match to give Lita a solid farewell.

18 R-Truth: Daniel Bryan

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Not all wrestling fans realize R-Truth is already 47-years-old. The veteran is clearly towards the end of his run as an in-ring performer. R-Truth mostly shines in comedic segments outside of the ring, so there will be room for him to do more work with WWE once he stops wrestling. However, his farewell must come at some point soon.

Daniel Bryan has worked with R-Truth in small matches and segments on SmackDown in recent months. The heel heat of Bryan could rise even more if he was the one to retire a fun veteran. Bryan beating R-Truth in a retirement match would make R-Truth’s absence more important and add more credibility to Bryan’s new character.

17 Goldust: Cody Rhodes

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Dustin “Goldust” Rhodes is still a part of the WWE roster despite not working much in the ring on television. Most of Goldust’s matches take place on live events and he often extends his skills to helping younger wrestlers train on the road.

Goldust becoming a trainer at the Performance Center would make sense, but he has stated he doesn’t want to move to Florida for it. Enter his brother Cody Rhodes’ new promotion, All Elite Wrestling. Cody has revealed he wants Goldust to work with him again. The final match for Dustin would make the most sense, opposing Cody in a big match at AEW after his time in WWE is over.

16 Matt Hardy: Bray Wyatt

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The future of Matt Hardy is unknown as he has been on the shelf since August dealing with an injury. There have been rumors that Hardy has already retired since he has dealt with quite a few injuries in his career and has started working as a producer for WWE during the time away from the ring.,

Matt has gone on the record that he has not retired but the clock is ticking. It would make the most sense for Hardy to get a more meaningful farewell where fans know it’s his last match. Former tag partner Bray Wyatt would make the most sense to get a win over Matt if he ever does come back. Wyatt clearly will need the momentum once WWE decides to give him another chance.

15 Batista: Triple H

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One of the worst kept secrets in wrestling is that Batista wants to return to WWE with the idea of having a retirement match against Triple H. Batista developed a huge respect for Triple H when the two worked together in the legendary Evolution faction.

Triple H not only mentored Batista on screen, but he helped Batista figure out the wrestling world outside of the ring. The match seems to be getting the green light after WWE had a moment of tension between the two on SmackDown 1000. Many pundits are speculating that Triple H vs Batista will take place at WrestleMania 35 if Batista’s filming schedule allows it.

14 Big Show: Lars Sullivan

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Big Show’s main role in WWE these days is to come around for a month or two occasionally and get into a storyline with the new big men on the roster. Braun Strowman benefited immensely from Big Show putting him over in a couple of memorable matches. Big Cass did not, as his matches with Big Show just hurt him, so they can go either way.

Lars Sullivan is the next hoss in line expected to get a monster push. There are already rumors of Sullivan facing John Cena at WrestleMania 35. Big Show putting him over seems like a given. There have been quotes from Big Show expressing that retirement is nearing. His final match putting over Sullivan could really help the young man’s career.

13 Rey Mysterio: Andrade

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The return of Rey Mysterio to WWE has a few motives behind it. Mysterio is a legend and wants to have his final run with the company that made him a huge star. He also wants his son Dominick to get a foot in the door with WWE after he completes his training with various wrestling schools all over the world.

Mysterio’s final match could see a few interesting opponents, but one stands out among the others. Andrade Almas has a chance to become a huge star in WWE. The tie-in of both wrestlers having similar upbringings of luchadors in Mexico would create a great story, especially with Almas removing his mask by choice. Almas getting a win over Rey in his final match would cement him as a top star.

12 Shane McMahon: The Miz

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Many wrestling fans have nostalgia for Shane McMahon due to his past crazy matches. The aging process has slowed down Shane as he can no longer dive off a tall structure every time out which makes him pick his spots. It may be the best for all involved if Shane just stops wrestling altogether like his father and sister.

The current storyline as the tag team partner of The Miz would be best served as the final storyline for him as an in-ring competitor. Most expect Shane and Miz to break up before having a singles feud. This should be the final match for Shane as he puts over Miz and works solely as a personality rather than a wrestler moving forward.

11 Mickie James: Lacey Evans

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Mickie James does not get as much love as Trish Stratus or Lita, but she is a future Hall of Famer as well that is currently full-time working on the WWE roster. The career of James will end at some point sooner than later which could create a great opportunity for a younger wrestler to get some momentum with a win over her.

Lacey Evans is clearly someone that WWE wants to push. Evans' heel work is her bread and butter. A win sending home a respected legend like James could add to her persona. Evans could get to the next level if such a win is executed the right way.

10 Triple H: Drew McIntyre

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We don’t know how much gas Triple H has left in the tank to continue wrestling nor do we know how long he wants to keep going. Triple H is important to the business side, but he does still love having a handful of matches per year. The person for his final match would have to be relevant now with a chance to be a huge star moving forward.

Drew McIntyre fits the bill as WWE wants him to be a focal point of the company for the foreseeable future. Triple H was one of the first people to believe in McIntyre during his first run in WWE which could be added to the story. They also happen to have wrestling styles that would fit well together for a great match.

9 Randy Orton: Tommaso Ciampa

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Randy Orton is younger than most wrestling fans think at 38 years old. The reason most think he is older is due to him being around for about sixteen years in WWE now. Orton does not have many successful projects outside of wrestling that could lead to retirement, but he also has stated he doesn’t want to continue working too much longer.

The best person to face Orton in his final match would be a younger star with potential since most of Orton’s rivals are also old. Tommaso Ciampa presents a great option as someone with the chance to become a massive heel star for WWE. A win for Ciampa retiring Orton would pass the torch to make him the new sadistic heel for the company.

8 Kane: Kevin Owens

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Kane is in a weird spot for his eventual final match. The Big Red Machine's rivals are all close to retirement as well, so they have no real purpose facing him one final time. Kevin Owens is a popular main roster star that could benefit from having a win over a legend in his final match.

There are many interesting wrestlers on the roster that need a few big wins to get to the next level. Kane’s retirement should be used to elevate someone. Owens started in WWE as a prizefighter looking to go face to face with anyone before eventually becoming another cowardly face. The win to retire Kane would get back to the better days for KO and give him momentum.

7 Chris Jericho: Adam Page

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Chris Jericho is one of the few relevant legends that is still wrestling full-time outside of WWE. It was huge news for Jericho to appear at All Elite Wrestling and reveal that he has signed a contract to become a major part of the company. It has been reported that Jericho received the biggest contract of his year when he signed with AEW.

The expectation is that Jericho will spend the next five years with AEW, which means that it is more likely than not he’ll have his final match there. Adam Page is one young star AEW wants to build around after already setting up a feud between him and Neville. Jericho is a fan of Page and would be willing to put him over since Page will likely be a bigger star at that point.

6 Jeff Hardy: Finn Balor

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The dream of Jeff Hardy to return to WWE has become reality over the past few years. Even during his successful days in Impact and ROH, Hardy was honest in interviews about wanting to have one final run in WWE before ending his career. This is taking place with Hardy mixing it up against the current stars on SmackDown.

One potential dream match in WWE would see Hardy face off with Finn Balor. Both men are known for their visually incredible face/body painting. Hardy’s final match would be a spectacle if he'll be going with a special face paint theme to face off with Balor as the Demon King.

5 The Rock: Seth Rollins

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There were rumors of The Rock and Roman Reigns having a match at some point in the future. It would have made sense for Rock to face Reigns in his final match. Not only do they have the story of being related, but the top star opposing an iconic legend is always a great story.

Reigns recovering means that the match will be off the table unless he returns before Rock retires. The best bet for a replacement to face Rock would be Seth Rollins. It appears Rollins will be the one to step up and become the face of WWE moving forward. Rock and Rollins don’t seem like an obvious fit on paper, but the match would likely deliver huge with Rollins as one of the best in the world right now.

4 Brock Lesnar: Matt Riddle

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Brock Lesnar’s future with WWE is unknown during his current run as Universal Champion. There are rumors of Lesnar leaving after dropping the title at WrestleMania 35, but that has been reported multiple times in recent years. Lesnar does want to return to the UFC, which could make it a reality.

The departure of Brock would give a huge win to the person that defeats him on the way out. Former UFC star Matt Riddle is currently one of the top stars in NXT. Riddle has stated one of his goals in wrestling is to retire Lesnar. A huge win like that would cement Riddle as a top star and attraction for WWE that has way more passion for the industry than Brock did.

3 Trish Stratus: Alexa Bliss

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WWE clearly believes there is money in a dream match between Trish Stratus and Alexa Bliss. It was the first match advertised for Evolution before injuries changed the plans. Bliss and Stratus showed some signs of chemistry with their promo battles on Raw.

The current health status of Bliss is a variable since she has not worked a match in months, but the expectation is that she can return soon. Bliss will always be a top star for WWE if healthy. Stratus’ final match would be a massive opportunity for any woman on the roster to get. Alexa establishing her status even more as a top heel for WWE would grow with a win over Trish in her final match.

2 John Cena: Adam Cole

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John Cena is only around WWE occasionally these days with his acting career taking off. The love for WWE is still there with the part-time stints, but Cena has made it clear that he does not want to continue wrestling when he loses a step. Cena plans to retire when he feels he can no longer perform at a high level.

The final match against Cena would be used to develop a young star with main event potential. Adam Cole is one of the top stars ready to make a huge jump. There’s a good chance Cole will already be a big star by the time Cena is ready to retire, but a win over such an icon would take him to the next level.

1 Shawn Michaels: Daniel Bryan

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One wrestler that needs to return for one more match is Shawn Michaels. The retirement of Michaels was perfect in 2010 when he lost to The Undertaker in the main event of WrestleMania XXVI. However, he briefly came out of retirement in 2018, teaming with Triple H to defeat Undertaker and Kane.

There is no way that Michaels can let his iconic career end with such an awful match like that tag bout at Crown Jewel. The best possible way to go out would be delivering the dream match of all dream matches. Daniel Bryan is a former student of Michaels. We would get the story of their past, along with the best wrestler of one generation facing the best wrestler of another generation.