It's hard for fans to take the retirements of professional wrestlers seriously, because they seem to come back more often than not.

Shawn Michaels stayed true to retirement for eight and a half years before returning in 2018. Ric Flair retired after receiving a nice sendoff from WWE in 2008, only to head over to the TNA promotion.

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Well, these 10 former superstars retired earlier than many of us expected, but they actually stood by their word and never went back to the ring.

10 10. Corey Graves

Some superstars retire early due to injuries, but some like Daniel Bryan work extensively to get cleared again for a return. But in the case of former NXT star Corey Graves, the retirement was legitimate.

In Dec. 2014, Graves announced his in-ring retirement after unfortunately suffering numerous concussions during his career. He then took up a job as a WWE analyst, and Graves would move to Monday Night Raw in 2016. It was announced at the end of September that Graves will join the SmackDown commentary team.

9 9. AJ Lee

Lee certainly enjoyed a Hall of Fame-caliber career during her time in WWE. She was a three-time Divas Champion and displayed world-class in-ring skills. Lee was arguably the top female superstar throughout her WWE tenure.

After competing at WrestleMania 31, Lee took part in one final match on the March 30, 2015 episode of Raw. She then retired from WWE, citing concerns about her cervical spine injury as well as the awkward situation stemming from her husband, CM Punk, quitting WWE in bitter fashion.

8 8. John Bradshaw Layfield

John Bradshaw Layfield saw a major push in mid-2004 after winning his first WWE Championship, and he held onto it for 280 days before losing to John Cena at WrestleMania 21.

JBL faced Rey Mysterio in an Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania XXV, but the Master of the 619 scored a pinfall victory in 20 seconds. An angry JBL picked up a microphone and screamed "I quit."

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Turns out, he truly meant it. JBL announced his retirement from in-ring wrestling and never went back. He moved to commentary in 2012 and stayed there up until Sept. 2017, before leaving for other endeavors.

7 7. Michelle McCool

Michelle McCool began regularly appearing on WWE in 2006, and she quickly emerged as an elite talent in the women's division. McCool went on to win two Divas Championships and a pair of Women's Championships during her somewhat short but sweet career in WWE.

McCool faced former ally and best friend Layla at the 2011 Extreme Rules pay-per-view, with the loser being forced to leave WWE. McCool lost the match and followed through with the stipulation, retiring from wrestling following the defeat.

McCool has made sporadic appearances in WWE; she participated in the first all-women's Royal Rumble in 2018 as well a battle royal at the Evolution pay-per-view.

6 6. Christian

Christian and Edge were one of the three hardcore duos that revolutionized the WWE tag team division in the Attitude Era - along with The Hardy Boyz and The Dudley Boyz. On top of that, Christian was a two-time World Heavyweight Champion and four-time Intercontinental Champion.

But unfortunately, the future Hall of Fame had to retire in 2014 due to a series of concussions This came just three years after a serious neck injury forced Edge to retire. Christian has wisely prioritized his long-term health first, having stuck to his retirement word.

5 5. Scott Hall

Scott Hall enjoyed historic success in both the WWE and WCW. Widely regarded as the greatest wrestler to have never won the WWE Championship, Hall changed history when he and Kevin Nash moved to WCW - later forming the New World Order alongside Hulk Hogan.

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Hall returned to WWE (along with Nash and Hogan) in 2002, but the former was released just several months after his return. He later joined the TNA promotion and stayed there until 2010. Hall has been retired for nine years now - and he earned a WWE Hall of Fame induction in 2014.

4 4. The Ultimate Warrior

After Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage, you can argue that The Ultimate Warrior was the top superstar of WWE during the '80s and early '90s. The wrestling icon left WWE in 1996 and headed to the rival WCW promotion in 1998 - but he chose to retire from professional wrestling later that year.

10 years later, Warrior returned to the squared circle to face Orlando Jordan for the Nu-Wrestling Evolution in a World Heavyweight Championship. Warrior emerged victorious, but that marked his final wrestling match, and he stuck to retirement for good.

Ultimate Warrior was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2014, but he tragically died of a heart attack three days after the ceremony.

3 3. Sting

WWE fans were surprised and let down when Sting didn't sign with the promotion following WCW's demise in 2001. Instead, he signed with the brand new TNA company and embarked on a Hall of Fame career there.

But Sting finally debuted for WWE at Survivor Series 2014, and he'd face Triple H at WrestleMania 31. Unfortunately, Sting's career in the WWE lasted only a few matches; he suffered a neck injury during a 2015 Clash of Champions bout against Seth Rollins.

Sting was advised to retire following the injury, which he did. The Icon was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2016, and though Sting continues to tease that he's fully not done, it's hard to imagine the 60-year-old going back on his word at this point.

2 2. Edge

There's an argument to be made that Edge was the greatest heel of the Ruthless Aggression Era. He was a seven-time World Champion, a Grand Slam Champion and the 2010 Royal Rumble winner.

Edge could do it all as both a babyface and a heel, and few could match his phenomenal work in the ring. The Rated-R Superstar defeated Alberto Del Rio at WrestleMania XXVII to retain his WWE Championship, but that marked his final match singles match in WWE.

Edge addressed the WWE Universe on the Apr. 11, 2011 episode of Raw and revealed that he was forced to retire. Turns out, doctors wouldn't clear him after dealing with serious neck problems; they feared paralysis or death if something awry occurred in the ring.

So Edge took their advice and retired from professional wrestling. Here we are eight years later, and the Hall of Famer is still enjoying retirement.

1 1.'Stone Cold' Steve Austin

Widely regarded as the greatest wrestler of all-time, 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin walked out of the WWE in 2002, having grown frustrated from the creative team's plans for him. The Texas Rattlesnake eventually returned and faced The Rock at WrestleMania XIX in a losing effort.

After that, Austin retired from in-ring competition. Neck injuries were taking a toll on Austin, and doctors warned him about the risks of continuing his career. So Austin chose to hang up the boots on his legendary career, and he's managed to avoid the temptation of wrestling again for 16 years and counting.

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