BY MICHAEL GOODPASTER
Professional Wrestling runs on a cycle. New talent comes up and old talent takes steps back. A big problem has been that older talent just doesn’t know when to call it quits. It’ll never work out nicely. The wrestler’s health will be in question and the quality of their work brings down the standard of the product. Some of the older guys bow out gracefully and retire or take on a non-wrestling role while others will cling on to their spot like their lives depend on it. No matter how much we’re a fan of someone, we should understand they need to retire. It’s harder to admit some guys should go than others, but it’s just part of the cycle.
Here’s who I think should retire in 2013…
Just Missing The Cut] Rey Mysterio, Triple H
According to wiki, Rey is only 37. He can still put on good matches and add to a show. I only considered him retiring for preservation and so he could take his skills to training a new crop of cruiserweights. Triple H would make sense to most people at 43, but it’s not like he’s going anywhere. If he retired from active wrestling I would imagine his last match would come at a big event like Wrestlemania 30.
10.] Kane
Kane has had great rejuvenating run with Daniel Bryan as “Team Hell No”, but I would think he’s getting closer to retirement. Ideally, he and Daniel Bryan would break up and have a long and fun hateful feud that ends with a “Loser Leaves” Match.
9.] The Great Khali
I’m not sure Khali knows where he’s at when he’s in there. He just seems really lost all of the time. He’s not bringing in any crowds and the novelty of him being “a giant man” loses its luster as soon as the viewer sees him awkwardly move around. He’s 40, he’s got bad knees, and he has more potential elsewhere.
8.] Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle has nothing left to prove. He’s 43 and in a short time in the WWE made a huge impact. He left there for TNA and did some great work too. Now the only thing we ever hear about him is that he had a “great” 7,000th match with AJ Styles or his “Twitter was hacked” and the crazy things he tweeted wasn’t him.
7.] Sting
Just leave TNA. Go to the WWE for one big match, go in the Hall of Fame, and get a great DVD collection out of it.
6.] Matt Hardy
I’m always nervous that the next Matt Hardy headline I read will be about his death. He’s out there on the independents and hopefully taking it easy. He’s only 38 but his personal life, or what has leaked into the internet, is always more notable than any of his ring work.
5.] The ECW Originals
Outside of RVD and the Dudleys, if you wrestled on ECW’s first PPV then I would hope you’d be retired by now. RVD and the Dudleys are close, but still contribute to TNA in entertaining and respectable ways. Everyone else? No thanks. I want to specify that I will always love the original ECW, but its memory has been shoved down our throats in excess. It pains me to see some of these guys who I was so excited to see perform still out there clawing at the hustle. Taz is an okay commentator, but I just don’t like him and TNA. It’s a bad combo. Shane Douglas is the one who should be commentating in TNA. Raven is a great mind and should be running shows. The one that hurts the most is Sabu. He was almost like a mythical figure to hardcore wrestling fans in the mid to late 90s. I wish these guys all the best, but let’s never use the words “Hardcore”, “Extreme”, “ECW”, or “Reunion Show” again.
4.] Ric Flair
Flair should never ever EVER wrestle again. He is one of the best of all time. To judge a wrestle’s career you have to look at their WHOLE career. There isn’t a grading curve so every time he comes back and has a slow and miserable match it should be taken into account. The thing is that his charisma and personality is meant for wrestling. He should have an announcer or manager role for sure. Just no more matches, please!
3.] Hulk Hogan
I’d be cool with Flair still sticking around, but I don’t even want to see Hogan at all. He has grown to be such a joke and a big hassle that it takes away from any show I’m watching. He’s 59, how much more do we need to see? I get he’ll always be attached to wrestling, but if he’s gone maybe it’ll be easier to grow some fondness for his past efforts. He needs a focus and a job away from wrestling that is not a reality show or something for TMZ to fodder on.
2.] Jerry Lawler
His heart attack on a live RAW was really scary. Lawler has done a great job at balancing his wrestling endeavors. He’ll do commentary on WWE TV, but still get in spot shows all over for independent shows. Jerry has been a fixture in the WWE for years and him popping up every so often would be cool. With guys like JBL, Booker T, and Foley in the wings he can retire and leave the spot in good hands.
1.] The Undertaker
At WrestleMania XXVIII Taker beat Triple H in a Hell in a Cell match to go 20-0. The streak is alive and at a great round number of 20. The Undertaker is one of the best characters of all time. On top of the character, the ring work has been pretty great too. There are some great matches and moments to Taker’s credit. He has done plenty for wrestling and I think has to be the most respected wrestler of all time. You just don’t hear anyone say anything bad about him. It’s impossible to not respect him. I don’t want to see a broken down version of an icon tarnish the awe-striking aura of this living legend. If “The Streak” is broken or gets one more notch, I don’t care. I just want this character to “rest in peace”. Pun intended.
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