We all look forward to when we call it a day in our respective careers and enjoy some private time doing what we love, whether it's playing Rise of Olympus or gardening at home. In the WWE, for example, retirement is inevitable when the body cannot take any more jumps or knocks inside the square ring. In this article, we want to make some bold predictions about WWE wrestlers who are most likely to take a bow in 2024. Note that this list includes former and current WWE stars.
Rey Mysterio
How many more years does the WWE Hall of Famer still have inside the ring? While this remains a personal and organizational decision, Mysterio recently revealed that he plans to retire in the next one or two years. Despite his advanced age, he is blessed with a youthful appearance and moves that even most upcoming young stars can find hard to match.
One of the primary motivations for Rey to call it a day is successfully turning Dominik into one of the most popular (hated) stars in the WWE today. Dominik cleverly used his father's career and name to climb up the ladder in pro wrestling. But surprisingly, Rey recently stated he sees a lot of 'young Mysterio' in Dragon Lee.
Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar is one of those names that you'll quickly think of when discussing professional wrestling. He is among the few active wrestlers from the famous Attitude Era, which included legends like Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, Kane, The Rock, and other stars.
As the 2023 calendar flips to 2024, most WWE fans cannot help but think of when the Beast Incarnate will throw in the towel. He is currently 46 years old, meaning his style of combative wrestling might demand more energy than his body could keep up. As a result, Brick might retire in 2024.
Big Show
Big Show (Paul Wight) is another big name at WWE who might hang up his boots in 2024. He has spent over two decades regularly featuring on WWE TV and capturing four World Championships. Big Show has also enjoyed reigns with tag team titles, Intercontinental, and the United States.
But at 51 years old, Wight is definitely past his prime, so we expect him to hang up his boots any time soon. In a recent podcast, Big Show, who now plies his trade in AEW, said he still has a year or two left in the tank. He further revealed that he plans to move into a permanent commentary role after retirement.
Sting
Sting (Steve Borden) has cemented his legendary status in professional wrestling. The 64-year-old has a career that spans nearly four decades after debuting at the Universal Wrestling Federation in 1986. A year later, Sting started his 14-year run at WCW (World Championship Wrestling) and is a member of Impact Wrestling, Wrestling Observer, and WWE Hall of Fame.
Sting initially went into forced retirement after suffering a back injury in 2014. But he would later make a comeback in All Elite Wrestling in late 2020, where he currently enjoys an undefeated streak. Sadly, Sting did permanently retire from professional wrestling in March 2024 after a match at AEW Revolution 2024.
John Cena
In November last year, John Cena suffered a devastating loss at the hands of Solo Sikoa at the Crown Jewel. This loss left most of his fans heartbroken, sparking speculation about Cena's potential retirement from professional wrestling. The 46-year-old later hinted in an Instagram post about imminent retirement after posting a photo of David Beckham in his retirement game against PSG in 2013.
But despite the growing speculation, there has been no official communication about Cena's retirement from WWE. This leaves the door open for another Cena match, with all indicators pointing at WrestleMania 40. Rumors say Cena might put his illustrious career on the line at this event after failing to deliver at Crown Jewel.
AJ Styles
AJ Styles (Allen Neal Jones) is currently signed to the WWE and performs under the SmackDown brand. Styles first joined WWE in 2002 but rejected a development deal from the company. However, in January 2016, he signed a multi-year contract to end his 14-year absence at the company and made his re-debut at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event.
That said, The Phenomenal recently revealed in a podcast that his current contract with WWE would be the last one. He also confirmed his intentions to retire at the company no matter what happens. This makes us believe Styles will retire from the ring this year, considering he only has a few months left in his WWE deal.
Big E
On March 11, 2022, fan-favorite WWE superstar Big E suffered a neck injury in a SmackDown episode. This was after a belly-to-belly suplex that went wrong, leaving the New Day powerhouse sidelined from the ring until today. He has been sighted around the company several times, even participating in numerous media rounds. But could we ever see Big E wrestle again?
The Powerhouse of Positivity has already revealed to the WWE Universe that his doctors have advised him never to wrestle again. This means the former World Heavyweight Champion might officially retire in 2024. The announcement could leave his tag team partners, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods, with no option but to disband the group. That's more likely if Big E continues to continue with his life away from the company.
Daniel Bryan (Bryan Danielson)
Daniel Bryan (Bryan Danielson) is one of the most gifted professional wrestlers worldwide after being trained by Shawn Michaels himself. However, the wildly popular superstar has endured several setbacks in his career, suffering from several documented injuries that led to early retirement. Against all odds, Bryan made a WWE comeback in 2018 before joining AEW in 2021.
After suffering defeat in the AEW Continental Classic, a passionate Bryan commented about his future, saying he is trying to cut down his matches. He made it clear that he would only wrestle a maximum of ten times a year after the end of his full-time run in 2023. This announcement means the American Dragon might quit in-ring competition in 2024 and focus more on backstage roles.
Conclusion
These are a few professional wrestlers who might lace up their boots one last time in 2024. This list can also feature notable names like Goldberg, who speculations say is looking for at least one more match, and Becky Lynch, who could join Hollywood. Time will tell!
