There is a point in time where a wrestler can retire from the professional wrestling business and keep their integrity and legacy intact. Going way beyond your prime isn’t always the worst thing in the world, but for some wrestlers it does threaten to either damage their legacy, or even put their health on the line.
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The following wrestlers are still not retired from the professional wrestling business, but arguably should have hung up the boots a while ago. Whether it be due to a worn-down body or simply just being way too old, it is interesting to see the ages of those who needed to bow out a while ago.
11
Tatsumi Fujinami
Age: 71
|
Date Of Birth |
Date Of Debut |
|---|---|
|
December 28, 1953 |
April 21, 1971 |
Any wrestler who is wrestling at the age of 71 is doing themselves no favors. Tatsumi Fujinami may be a legend of the business, winning six IWGP World Championships and being so influential in Japan that it earned him a spot in the WWE Hall Of Fame, but he should have retired a long time ago.
He can no longer move like he used to. Fujimani doesn’t do as much any longer and he is protected, but that doesn’t mean he should still be mixing it up between the ropes at this point in his career.
10
Chris Jericho
Age: 54
|
Date Of Birth |
Date Of Debut |
|---|---|
|
November 9, 1970 |
October 2, 1990 |
Chris Jericho can still wrestle to a decent level at 54 years old, but the fan response to his recent gimmicks and matches in AEW is so negative that all signs point towards his legacy benefiting from an earlier retirement. Had Jericho retired in 2021 or 2022, then many fans may point towards him having an absolutely perfect career.
Instead, Jericho has gradually become more of a parody of himself, threatening a career full of world titles and great matches.
9
Bubba Ray Dudley
Age: 53
|
Date Of Birth |
Date Of Debut |
|---|---|
|
July 14, 1971 |
June 22, 1993 |
Bubba Ray Dudley has been competing on the independent scene for many years now, and although his level of performance is still fine, he should probably have ended his career on a high note alongside D-Von a while ago.
Dudley is one of the loudest voices in wrestling media, so any time he steps foot in the ring he is the subject of scorn, whether that be rightly or wrongly. Dudley’s time in the spotlight should have come to a close some time ago, but he is still sporadically making in-ring appearances at 53, even in NXT!
8
Hiroshi Tanahashi
Age: 48
|
Date Of Birth |
Date Of Debut |
|---|---|
|
November 13, 1976 |
October 10, 1999 |
There are many wrestlers much older than Hiroshi Tanahashi, but his body is in such a noticeably bad state at the age of just 48 that it feels very awkward and uncomfortable to watch him go in the ring. He is an icon of NJPW, but that doesn’t excuse the fact that the perfect time to bow out on a high note would’ve been a few years ago.
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Tanahashi is set to retire very soon, but this retirement should’ve been in the past where he could have a show-stealing match and still move like he used to, rather than someone ten years his senior.
7
The Hardys
Age: 50 & 47
|
Date Of Birth |
Date Of Debut |
|---|---|
|
September 23, 1974 & August 21, 1977 |
May 23 1994 |
In 2025 at the ages of 47 and 50, The Hardy Boyz can still wrestle to a decent level, but there is no denying that they are years beyond their prime and have done more damage to their legacies in recent years because of it.
There would have been a sweet spot over the last few years to make one big final splash and bow out as the iconic tag team that they are, but in truth they have surpassed that moment. They can still go to a degree, but it would have been better for their legacies in the business if they’d retired at a higher level.
6
Jeff Jarrett
Age: 57
|
Date Of Birth |
Date Of Debut |
|---|---|
|
July 14, 1967 |
June 25, 1985 |
Jeff Jarrett can surprisingly wrestle well for a 57 year old, but there is an argument to be made that he should not be taking TV time away from the younger and talented AEW roster, and would’ve done better to have retired already.
It looks as though Jarrett’s career is finally winding down, but given his age, he may no longer be able to steal the show one last time.
5
Too Cold Scorpio
Age: 59
|
Date Of Birth |
Date Of Debut |
|---|---|
|
October 25, 1965 |
April 15, 1991 |
Too Cold Scorpio found success in the likes of ECW, WWE and WCW during his career, but given that he wrestled in WCW, you’d be correct in thinking that he is now getting much older at 59.
Somehow, he is still competing in the present day, but like most wrestlers his age, he is far below his former talented self. He won a title on the independent wrestling scene as late as 2024!
4
El Canek
Age: 72
|
Date Of Birth |
Date Of Debut |
|---|---|
|
June 19, 1952 |
March 19, 1973 |
El Canek is a lucha libre legend, serving as a major draw in the 1980s and winning so many titles during his prime. He was a major draw for UWA, but did compete in other promotions throughout the course of his career.
His schedule may have wound down quite a lot, but El Canek has still been wrestling into the present day, wrestling several times in the year 2024. No one the age of 72 should be putting their body on the line, and he should have retired many, many years ago.
3
Rock N’ Roll Express
Age: 68 & 66
|
Date Of Birth |
Date Of Debut |
|---|---|
|
September 21, 1956 & July 19, 1958 |
January 14, 1979 & January 25, 1974 |
Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson have been defying age… somewhat. Although they have still been able to have halfway fine matches into their 60s, they also very much look their age and have slowed down a great deal.
At 68 and 66, the Rock N’ Roll Express need to let the past go and retire – something they probably should have done some time ago in order to fully keep their legacy as an all-time great tag team intact.
2
Tommy Dreamer
Age: 54
|
Date Of Birth |
Date Of Debut |
|---|---|
|
February 14, 1971 |
February 22, 1991 |
Tommy Dreamer was never an in-ring general, even during his pomp in ECW, therefore it is easy to see why a 54 year old Tommy Dreamer isn’t exactly a great version to behold.
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Dreamer focuses more on brawling than clinics, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t have retired some time ago. His run in TNA was one which left many fans rolling their eyes at what he was doing in the ring.
1
Goldberg
Age: 58
|
Date Of Birth |
Date Of Debut |
|---|---|
|
December 27, 1966 |
June 23, 1997 |
Goldberg’s second run in WWE had some ups and downs, but fans mostly got sick and tired of him stealing the spotlight and beating modern day stars such as Kevin Owens and Bray Wyatt. He kept coming back, having some terrible matches and damaging his legacy.
In an ideal world, Goldberg would’ve retired at WresteMania 33 after his fun chapter with Brock Lesnar came to an end, as nearly everything after that moment was pretty poor.