Several veteran wrestlers, including some of the biggest names in the industry, could be looking to hang up their boots in the coming years. Many of these competitors are living proof of the toll that decades in the wrestling business can have on one's body, and they have wrestled less frequently in recent years as a result.
Some competitors, such as Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan, have wrestled into their 60s, but most competitors retire in their forties. Many wrestlers on this list will one day be inducted into the Hall of Fame, while a few already have.
10 Edge
Edge made a name for himself on the independent circuit before making his WWE debut in 1996. He was a main event competitor with the company for 15 years before being forced to step away from the business in 2011 after suffering from complications resulting from a neck injury.
The Rated-R Superstar shocked the world when he returned to the ring at the 2020 Royal Rumble, where he eliminated three wrestlers but did not come out victorious in the bout. The 47-year-old returned once again after another brief hiatus just in time for the 2021 Royal Rumble, which he won. He has experienced somewhat of a career renaissance since making his return but expecting him to last another five years seems like a long shot considering his previous injury history.
9 Natalya
Natalya Neidhart, who is the daughter of the late Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart and a proud member of the Hart family, is one of the most decorated female competitors in wrestling history. She was destined for a career in the wrestling industry, as she began working as a ring announcer at the age of 18 and began her wrestling career with Stampede Wrestling less than three years later.
The 38-year-old began wrestling for WWE in 2007 and is the longest-tenured female competitor on the roster. She will surely have options to continue working for the industry in some fashion following her in-ring retirement, and it is fair to wonder if she might hang up her boots soon.
8 Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho, who burst onto the scene in 1996 when he received a push as a brash and confident upstart on WCW's Cruiserweight division, has remained a fixture in the industry ever since. His unmatched level of charisma and in-ring talent has allowed him to hover around the main event scene throughout his entire career.
Jericho was one of the first stars in the wrestling industry to sign with AEW after the company was founded in 2019, and he remains one of their top performers today. The 50-year-old, who recently got chosen as the narrator for the third season of the Dark Side of the Ring series, is a popular figure in the wrestling industry and it is conceivable that he could be looking to take the next step in his career in the coming years.
7 Rey Mysterio
Rey Mysterio, one of the most beloved figures in wrestling history, became a star shortly after making his WCW debut in 1996. Not only is the surefire future Hall of Famer considered one of the greatest Cruiserweights in wrestling history, but he is also one of the hardest-working performers the industry has ever seen.
Mysterio has already passed the torch to his son Dominik. The two men recently made history by becoming the first father-son duo to win the Tag Team Championship in wrestling history. It is fair to wonder whether the 46-year-old, who has been proving people wrong his entire career, will soon hang up his boots as he no longer has anything left to prove.
6 Goldberg
Goldberg was an unstoppable force immediately after making his professional wrestling debut in 1997. The former face of WCW had one of the most impressive (and almost surely embellished) winning streaks in wrestling history and found himself on the center stage of the famous Monday Night Wars.
The 54-year-old was thrust into the main event scene after making a surprising return to WWE in 2016. He has wrestled sporadically since 2018, with his most recent bout coming at the 2021 Royal Rumble, where he lost to Drew McIntyre. Goldberg's doppelganger hung up his boots in 2020, so it's fair to wonder if the 2018 Hall of Fame inductee could be on borrowed time.
5 Triple H
Triple H, who began his professional wrestling career in 1992, is considered one of the greatest wrestlers in WWE history. The Cerebral Assassin has made a seamless transition into his role of Executive Vice President of Global Talent Strategy & Development for the company, and he has wrestled sporadically in recent years as a result.
The 51-year-old could be looking to hang up his boots for good in the coming years as his responsibilities as an executive continue to grow. The company will go all out for the boss if he ever does get a grand retirement celebration, and many of his former peers would surely be in attendance for the monumental ceremony.
4 Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy, who is considered one of the greatest high-flyers in wrestling history, is one of the most exciting competitors of his generation. The Charismatic Enigma began wrestling with WWE in 1994 and received the first big push of his career when he formed The Hardy Boyz with his brother Matt in 1998.
He began using his signature Swanton Bomb less in 2018 due to the frequency in which it caused him to have lower back issues. The 43-year-old still looks spry in the ring, but it is fair to wonder how much left he has in the tank after injuries have taken their toll on his body throughout his career.
3 Big Show
Big Show, who burst onto the scene after making his debut as The Giant with WCW in 1995, is one of the most accomplished performers in wrestling history. He made his debut with WWE in 1999, where he remained (besides a short stint with Memphis Wrestling in 2007) until his departure in 2021.
The 49-year-old recently accepted a position with AEW, where he would be providing commentary for their new YouTube series, AEW Dark: Elevation. While his contract also stated that he would eventually make in-ring appearances with the company, it is conceivable that The World's Largest Athlete could be looking to transition into The World's Largest Full-Time Commentator in the coming years.
2 Daniel Bryan
Daniel Bryan was one of the biggest stars on the independent scene throughout much of the 2000s. He has been a fan-favorite since making his debut as a full-time competitor with WWE in 2009. Bryan was forced to retire in 2016 after suffering numerous concussions throughout his career but returned to the ring once he was cleared by neurologists two years later.
Bryan lost a Championship vs. Career Match against Roman Reigns on April 30, and his contract expired earlier this month. While many expect WWE will make a strong push to resign the star, it is conceivable that the 39-year-old could opt to hang up his boots after a successful career.
1 Kane
Kane has wrestled with WWE since 1995 and is one of the longest-tenured wrestlers in the business today. He has wrestled sporadically over the past few years, as he has shifted his focus to his political career. Jacobs has been the Mayor of Knox County, Tennessee since 2018 and announced that he would be running for a second term in March 2021, one month after wrestling in the Royal Rumble match.
The Big Red Monster, who recently got inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as a member of the 2021 class, is one of the most underrated wrestlers in company history. The 54-year-old rarely gets the respect that he deserves as an all-time great, but his eventual retirement ceremony will surely be one to remember.