Getting a retirement match right and saying a final goodbye to a professional wrestler before sailing off into the sunset can be extremely difficult. Whether it’s WWE or AEW, every once in a while they get it right and give their legends a match that will live on in fans’ memories forever and celebrate their legacy in the right way.
When we think of “retirement matches,” we look at this term quite broadly. This evaluates matches that were billed as retirement matches (even if the wrestler eventually returned in the future) and matches that were the true last match of a wrestler’s career. For these reasons, a wrestler may appear more than once on this list. TheSportster’s ratings are compared to those of Cagematch.Net and Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
10. Undertaker vs. AJ Styles (WWE WrestleMania 36 Saturday)
Overall rating from TheSportster: 7.5/10
storytelling
2.25/2.5
technical ability
1.5/2.5
Character work/psychology
2.25/2.5
crowd reaction
1.5/2.5
Dave Meltzer Rating: N/A Cagematch.net Rating: 7.75
One of the most unique and bizarre retirement matches of all time took place at WrestleMania 36, when The Undertaker and AJ Styles fought in a cinematic boneyard match. Due to the pandemic, the match was held behind closed doors and was instead given an alternate venue, with Undertaker and Styles battling it out outdoors, a fun spectacle enhanced by great character performances from both men. It was cheesy at times, brutal at times, but most importantly it was a great farewell to The Undertaker, who rode off into the sunset on his motorcycle, finally ending his wrestling career. The crowd reaction score comes from WWE’s use of the environment to make up for the lack of fans.
9 Steve Austin vs. Kevin Owens (WWE WrestleMania 38 Saturday)
Overall rating from TheSportster: 7.75/10
storytelling
1.75/2.5
technical ability
1.5/2.5
Character work/psychology
2.25/2.5
crowd reaction
2.25/2.5
Dave Meltzer Rating: 3.5 stars Cagematch.net Rating: 7.53
After 19 years, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin returns to the ring for what will be his final match as of this writing. It was certainly a spectacle as Austin stood up for an entertaining main event against Kevin Owens. It felt like a classic Attitude Era style brawl heading into the crowd, some brutal suplex spots, and a nice nearfall as Owens nearly stuns his way to victory. It wasn’t a technical masterpiece by any means, as Austin’s age was obvious, but both he and Owens overcame those hurdles to ensure a well-constructed match.
8 Lita vs. Trish Stratus (WWE Unforgiven 2006)
Overall rating from TheSportster: 7.75/10
storytelling
2/2.5
technical ability
1.75/2.5
Character work/psychology
1.75/2.5
crowd reaction
2.25/2.5
Dave Meltzer Rating: 3.25 stars Cagematch.net Rating: 7.84
Trish Stratus’ break from full-time wrestling was a match against her biggest and best rival, Lita. The WWE Women’s Title match at Unforgiven 2006 was far better than most Women’s Title matches from that era, and these two always had a knack for achieving it. The audience was hooked on these two legends and the pace of the action was great. The match wasn’t completely smooth and well executed, but it was still an accomplishment. Stratus won the match, ending her record as WWE Women’s Champion.
7 William Regal vs. Cesaro (WWE NXT 2013/12/25)
Overall rating from TheSportster: 8.5/10
storytelling
1.75/2.5
technical ability
2.25/2.5
Character work/psychology
2.25/2.5
crowd reaction
2.25/2.5
Dave Meltzer Rating: N/A Cagematch.net Rating: 8.64
This is a low-key retirement match that doesn’t get much buzz, but William Regal’s final match against Cesaro in his career was amazing. It was technically beautiful and featured great in-ring work and psychology, with Regal performing in the ring without letting his age or tired body hold him back. It’s a classic match where Cesaro played a strong heel, and he played that role perfectly here. Cesaro went over, which was the right decision and a great way to pass the torch to Regal’s exit.
6 Steve Austin vs. The Rock (WWE WrestleMania 19)
Overall rating from TheSportster: 8.75/10
storytelling
2.25/2.5
technical ability
1.5/2.5
Character work/psychology
2.5/2.5
crowd reaction
2.5/2.5
Dave Meltzer Rating: 4 stars Cagematch.net Rating: 8.38
At WrestleMania 19, Steve Austin faced his greatest rival (minus Mr. McMahon) in the third match of the Grand Test Stage of Them All against The Rock. The match was a great brawl, a fun finisher fest, and a perfect representation of everything that makes this rivalry so special. The crowd treated this like a huge deal and showed great respect to both legends. Austin entered retirement after this match, but this was unknown to fans at the time. However, this was still classified as a retirement match and was a great match. He was away from the ring for 19 years before returning for his second farewell match.
5 Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels (WWE WrestleMania 24)
Overall rating from TheSportster: 9/10
storytelling
2.5/2.5
technical ability
1.5/2.5
Character work/psychology
2.5/2.5
crowd reaction
2.5/2.5
Dave Meltzer Rating: 3.5 stars Cagematch.net Rating: 9.07
The match was an emotional spectacle as Ric Flair fought to save his career against Shawn Michaels, but Michaels nailed him with the final Sweet Chin Music, ending his WWE career in the ring. In the end, it was not as good as it could have been. The match wasn’t perfect by any means, but it had the feel of a big brawl and the crowd went wild for these two men. The song featured all of Flair’s biggest hits, classic Cheating and more, and Michaels served as the perfect dance partner to bring out the classics from an aging Flair.
4 Randy Savage vs. Ultimate Warrior (WWE WrestleMania 7)
Overall rating from TheSportster: 9.25/10
storytelling
2.5/2.5
technical ability
1.75/2.5
Character work/psychology
2.5/2.5
crowd reaction
2.5/2.5
Dave Meltzer Rating: 4.25 stars Cagematch.net Rating: 8.37
The Ultimate Warrior wasn’t known for his in-ring exploits, but Randy Savage worked brilliantly with him to create this classic. Savage’s career was on the line, and he lost to The Ultimate Warrior in a match that perfectly demonstrated how to accomplish too much without trying too hard. Although Savage didn’t get a full-fledged retirement match, it was still advertised as a “retirement match,” which earned him a place on this list as one of the greatest matches of all time. Of course, the reunion between Savage and Miss Elizabeth after the match made it even better.
3 Sting & Darby Allin vs. The Young Bucks (AEW Revolution 2024)
Overall rating from TheSportster: 9.25/10
storytelling
2.5/2.5
technical ability
2/2.5
Character work/psychology
2.25/2.5
crowd reaction
2.5/2.5
Dave Meltzer Rating: 4.75 stars Cagematch.net Rating: 9.45
AEW’s biggest retirement match took place at Revolution 2024, where Sting teamed up with Darby Allin to take on the Young Bucks for the AEW World Tag Team Championship. From Sting’s special entrance, to the involvement of his sons, to a sea of wild spots that are harsh and sometimes scary to witness. This match perfectly summed up Sting’s wild AEW career, portraying him as a superhuman, larger-than-life presence. Winning the match and ending his career as champion worked well in this scenario, preserving his legacy and unstoppable winning streak in AEW.
2 Triple H vs. Cactus Jack (WWE No Way Out 2000)
Overall rating from TheSportster: 9.5/10
storytelling
2.25/2.5
technical ability
2.25/2.5
Character work/psychology
2.5/2.5
crowd reaction
2.5/2.5
Dave Meltzer Rating: 4.5 stars Cagematch.net Rating: 9.31
During this period, Cactus Jack was a thorn in the side of the powers that be, so this brutal, violent, and highly entertaining Hell in a Cell vs. Triple H match at No Way Out in 2000 I was forced to put my career on the line. He was scheduled to return a month later at WrestleMania, but his career was greatly diminished after that night. The most memorable moment of the match was when he received a crazy impact that sent him through the ceiling of the cell. It was a great match filled with crazy spots and world-class psychology, and you could feel the hatred between the two competitors. .
1 Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels (WWE WrestleMania 26)
Overall rating from TheSportster: 10/10
storytelling
2.5/2.5
technical ability
2.5/2.5
Character work/psychology
2.5/2.5
crowd reaction
2.5/2.5
Dave Meltzer Rating: 4.75 stars Cagematch.net Rating: 9.50
One year after their classic match at WrestleMania 25, Shawn Michaels put his career on the line against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 26 to try to end his winning streak. This added huge stakes to the match and got the crowd very excited. The match was great, with beautiful wrestling, impactful finishers, great nearfalls, and a feeling and atmosphere that something special was happening. This is one of the biggest main events in WrestleMania history and the perfect retirement match for Shawn Michaels. (Let’s ignore his return in 2018’s Crown Jewel).
