Best way to retire

[Tastycles]

There are quite a number of ways to leave wrestling for good, and my question to you all is what is your favourite way for a wrestler to bow out? On the one hand, going out with a win may make the wrestler look like they retired on top, but it may also damage the product they left behind. On the other hand, a gallant defeat can resonate with the audience much more than another win. I've compiled a list of the common scenarios (the good ones, not things like death) to give you some inspiration.

Leaving on Top

This almost never happens in Wrestling, but is very common in boxing. This is where a wrestler keeps going until they get one big win, and then they jack it all in the next day. This is very rare in wrestling, but we have seen it recently, when Edge left as World Champion. Admittedly, it was a little bittersweet as he was forced out by injury, but he wasn't being carted out on a stretcher, he was standing in the middle of the ring and walked out with his head held high.


The Moral Victory

Sometimes a wrestler has been downtrodden, or unfairly treated and they finally deliver their revenge in their last match. Perhaps the best example of this is Andre the Giant. Though he continued to appear, and briefly wrestled in Japan, this was his last in-ring WWF performance. Having been lead astray by Heenan in 1987, Andre finally returned to his old self again at WrestleMania VI, and left a hero.

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The Petulant Quitter

This is a great way for heels to the end to go out. Batista is the most recent to leave like this, but he's not the one that illustrates it best, JBL is. JBL is a heel through and through, and unlike someone like Flair, the crowd were never likely to warm to him, even for five minutes to say farewell. What's the answer, then? To have him storm out in a childish way, thus delivering finality but also ensuring he is booed to the last, was a master stroke.


The Gallant Loser

Flair was the master of this, but he has somewhat tarnished it now by coming back, so we will focus on Shawn Michaels. The idea behind this is simple, the loser is an ageing legend who wants to prove himself one last time against a younger opponent. The legend invariably comes up short, but not before delivering their most gutsy performance for several years. This will often end with a show of respect from the winner.


So what's your favourite? One of these, or do you have your own?

 

[MrMojoRisin]

Kayfabe - going out on top. Being the absolute best and retiring at the top of your game to prove it.

Reality - There's only one proper way for a wrestler to go out... on their back. You've spent your entire career having other people put you over and build you up. You've done the same, but you never would have been as big as you were if you didn't have others making you what you were. You're not going to be around anymore, so it's your duty to return the favors you've received over your career and give back so the next generation can enjoy the same success you did.

There are many ways you can do this. You can have a story that gives your fans a happy ending, but you better be giving someone the rub on your way out... or else you're just a mark for yourself and you didn't deserve all the favors others did for you in your career.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Leaving on Top

This almost never happens in Wrestling, but is very common in boxing.

Rocky Marciano comes to mind. He was 49-0 and the heavyweight champion, but he was aging, his skills were starting to erode, and he had done pretty much all there was to do.....so he retired, and unlike many of the fighters before and after him, he stayed retired.

Of course, in pro wrestling, no one ever goes undefeated, largely because no one fights only 49 times. Everybody eventually loses and has to face the age-old problem: Why retire if you're on top?....as opposed to: How can you retire if your last match is a loss?

The best way to go out was Ric Flair's. Yes, he finished with a loss, but the WWE machine gave him a winning streak that lasted for months, which is something Flair hadn't enjoyed in a long time. The storyline was set that he wouldn't quit until he lost, and he eventually had to lose, so we knew what to expect; we just didn't know when.

To lose your last contest, but to go out with dignity, a winning streak that led to the finale, a long, distinguished career behind you, and honors after that last match seems to take care of all concerns and allows you to finish with a flourish.

That's the best way to go out.

 

[Davi323]

I prefer the gallant loser style, because it's the most meaningful to me. To this day, I still cannot watch HBK/Undertaker II because I know it's HBK's last dance. It was genuinely emotional. We knew he was retiring months ahead of time, knew he was going to lose that match, but even then, there was that little part of me that wished, that hoped, we were all wrong, and that he was going to end the streak...

The way that HBK retired Flair (even though it ended up not fully retiring him) and the way the Undertaker retired HBK were absolutely perfect Wrestlemania moments. As Mustang Sally mentioned, they were dignified, even in defeat.

 

[Peoples_Champ]

In my mind, there's nothing better than the Gallant Loser. It truly is a work of art when done properly (Flair, HBK).

I really think the Moral Victory category has so much potential, but it requires a lot of work to pull off successfully. The backstage story has to be as over as the character himself.

 

[King Patrick Star]

My answer is “Leaving On Top”.

The Moral Victory, the Petulant Quitter, and the Gallant Loser…what do these three have in common?? No matter how you look at it, they are all LOSERS in the end. Yes, it’s “What’s right for business” whatever that means, but looking up at the lights, hearing the ref count you down 1-2-3, is not the way I would want to go out. I don’t care if I justified myself for the fans and turned Face as I walk out. I don’t care if I sound whinny and just quit. I don’t care if I gave it 112% and still lost. Losing sucks, whether it’s your first match, last match, or anywhere in-between the beginning and end of your career.

Now, the way Edge left, that’s the way to go out with a smile. As the World Heavyweight Champion, putting the Belt down and walking away is, in my opinion the best way to retire. Granted, he was forced due to injury, and wasn’t in the Rated R “I’m the Ultimate Opportunist” mode, still was nice to see him leave with the Gold. I would have rather him say something like, “I’ve beaten everybody. I even beat the Royal Rumble winner. For someone who defeated 39 other SuperStars in one night, I was the ONE he couldn’t beat!!” or something along those lines. I would have loved to have seen Edge retire the World Title with him, but then again, the way things turned out for Christian, Randy Orton, Mark Henry, Big Show and Daniel Bryan worked out just fine.

 

[Paralyzer Z]

I'd say the Gallant Loser is the ideal way to go out with a bang.

Sure coming out on top is nice and all, but it's not very epic nor a history making in anyway. A great promo will be remembered for a long time, a great match is remembered for even longer.

I don't think that anyone really recalls the Guerrero/Kennedy match form Smackdown before Eddie's death right? I don't think many will associate Batista/Cena I quit match with Batista's departure. And nor do I think that the Edge/Del Rio match is synonymous with his retirement, the promo is the center of his departure. To go out with a match, let alone a great match is far more appropriate and rewarding in the end. Not only will you have put your opponent over, but at the same time created the match that most likely would hold a legend's legacy, The HBK/Taker match was an emotional masterpiece that will go down in the anals of WWE history as has Flair and Micheals done so as well. The industry in centered around wrestling and entertainment so take into account that it is the ideal way for a professional wrestler go out like a "fighting champion".

Leaving with a heartfelt promo is good and all, but going out and retiring with a Gallant match is even better.

 

[MrMojoRisin]

My answer is “Leaving On Top”.

The Moral Victory, the Petulant Quitter, and the Gallant Loser…what do these three have in common?? No matter how you look at it, they are all LOSERS in the end. Yes, it’s “What’s right for business” whatever that means, but looking up at the lights, hearing the ref count you down 1-2-3, is not the way I would want to go out. I don’t care if I justified myself for the fans and turned Face as I walk out. I don’t care if I sound whinny and just quit. I don’t care if I gave it 112% and still lost. Losing sucks, whether it’s your first match, last match, or anywhere in-between the beginning and end of your career.

Now, the way Edge left, that’s the way to go out with a smile. As the World Heavyweight Champion, putting the Belt down and walking away is, in my opinion the best way to retire. Granted, he was forced due to injury, and wasn’t in the Rated R “I’m the Ultimate Opportunist” mode, still was nice to see him leave with the Gold. I would have rather him say something like, “I’ve beaten everybody. I even beat the Royal Rumble winner. For someone who defeated 39 other SuperStars in one night, I was the ONE he couldn’t beat!!” or something along those lines. I would have loved to have seen Edge retire the World Title with him, but then again, the way things turned out for Christian, Randy Orton, Mark Henry, Big Show and Daniel Bryan worked out just fine.

You know, I hear about this attitude a lot these days among indy workers, and to be honest, it's a big problem in the wrestling world.

There is an art to losing, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with taking a loss. We are talking about a worked sport after all, and it's not like there's any official won/loss records, or rankings to be concerned with.

Losing in wrestling is absolutely nothing like losing in a legit competition.

But these days, you hear about all these indy workers coming into some promotion, refusing to put anyone over because they have these 'big' 20 member followings on Youtube, or hold some title in a small indy in rural Virginia, and it just seems that workers these days just don't get it.

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

Without a shadow of a doubt The Gallant Loser.

I see that video of Shawn leaving and it evoked memories of my childhood hero and how I would absolutely adore everything that man did. But coming on places like these and realizing that the world of pro-wrestling has/had a power hungry top, it is essential you get the next batch ready. And for the new crop to go over a bonafide legend or icon speaks volumes of the man who has decided to give them one last golden rub.

Here with Taker it may not apply because he is on equal footing with Shawn as far as stature goes, but Taker WILL still wrestle. Shawn will not. He wanted his last match to be against the best and it was. Their WM 25 match was better but there was much more emotional investment in this, and his final send off was truly amazing. And it closed the show.

I harken the memory of Chris Benoit losing to Kurt Angle at RR 2003 and for me that epitomizes what a last match/sendoff should be.

 

[Dagger Dias]

The best of all is the gallant loser. Someone who has had a legendary career and are on their last leg before finally calling it quits should try to steal the show one last time with a younger star and pass the torch to them in a terrific match. This is the perfect way to retire for the best guys in the business. The next best is to go out on top. Edge had a great ending to his career, which made up for it being cut short by injuries. Heels retiring by whining and quitting works for those who end their run as a hated villain, but it would not work for a face. A face screaming I QUIT while whining just comes off as him being a wimp, whereas a heel doing it gives the fans a better exit for someone they want offscreen. Gallant loser and going out on top are superior ways to retire for fan favorites due to that. If one wants to make the biggest impact, those are the two ways to consider going.

 

[Suibon]

I prefer the gallant loser, given that Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels retired that way, and because I prefer the Undertaker losing his last Wrestlemania to an upcoming heel (Rhodes, Ziggler, somebody, anybody).
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[Hollywood Naitch]

I prefer the gallant loser style, because it's the most meaningful to me. To this day, I still cannot watch HBK/Undertaker II because I know it's HBK's last dance. It was genuinely emotional. We knew he was retiring months ahead of time, knew he was going to lose that match, but even then, there was that little part of me that wished, that hoped, we were all wrong, and that he was going to end the streak...

The way that HBK retired Flair (even though it ended up not fully retiring him) and the way the Undertaker retired HBK were absolutely perfect Wrestlemania moments. As Mustang Sally mentioned, they were dignified, even in defeat.

This is perfect. A wrestler should go out on their back, as it brings a sense of closure to their career and after years of other wrestlers putting them over, to lose your final match as a legend is putting a stamp of approval on whoever pins you.

Flair and HBK had brilliant retirement matches, delivering their best performances in years, meaning that they went out giving fans a great memory of a wonderful match, rather than going out with a whimper and a poor match which shows their age.

Also, if you are worthy of it, where else would you want your last match to be other than at the biggest show of the year...WRESTLEMANIA

 

[MCMG]

For me losing and letting someone retire you is the best way to go out. In the way that Flair and HBK retired. However these two retirements were very different from the norm seeing that these two were possibly the best wrestlers ever.

Losing and letting someone else gain the benefits is a noble way to retire and will help to continue your legacy and make sure that you will not be forgotten quickly.

For example if Edge had lost to Del Rio at 'maina and then retired; every time Del Rio cuts a promo we will get a reminder of Edge and his career.

 

[¡Roján!]

I love the petulant quitter way of retiring. It really takes balls to do it, I suppose. Really, you have to actually be done with wrestling for ever to do it, because, at the end of the day, you are doing something so devilish that the fans don't actually ever want to see you again. It's brilliant, and it take a man of real honour, modesty and grace to take that route.

 

[HonkyDong Man]

Great post. Im torn between "On Top" and "Petulant Quitter". After careful considiration I'm inclined to go with "On Top". The ones you truly remembers are the guys that quit on top, not only in wrestling but showbiz as a whole.

Having said that, I can see that wrestlers like Ric Flair, are the exceptions. It's just in the mans blood. If Ric Flair called it quits when he was on top he wouldn't be Ric Flair...

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

I don't think my favorite farewell is actually covered, although Edge's does fall in the same category and that is the gallant warrior who is forced to retire through no fault of his own, but rather because their body just isn't up to it anymore after the years of devotion they gave to their craft.

My favorite was Arn Anderson's retirement. Heartfelt and, as was typical of the man's career as the 'Enforcer', not just about himself.

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[Tastycles]

I don't think my favorite farewell is actually covered, although Edge's does fall in the same category and that is the gallant warrior who is forced to retire through no fault of his own, but rather because their body just isn't up to it anymore after the years of devotion they gave to their craft.

My favorite was Arn Anderson's retirement. Heartfelt and, as was typical of the man's career as the 'Enforcer', not just about himself.

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I considered including injuries, and lord knows there's been a lot of them - people like Droz being the most extreme example. However, the reason I didn't include it is because nobody would ever book it to go down that way. They are worthy of thinking about in the bigger retirement picture, but I suppose you should also include those who just disappear without a trace, like Ultimate Warrior etc.

 

[Khalifa]

I think it really depends on who it is. I think for HBK it was the gallant loser, for someone like Taker it would be retire on top and for a heel it should be a quitter.

So for a face I have to go gallant loser because you know that the match is going to be fantastic and is going to show a lot of emotion. Both superstars will bring out there best match (Taker vs HBK and HBK vs Flair) and deliver to make it one of the most memorable nights in WWE history.

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

Going out as the gallant loser is definately the best way to retire and it is no surprise that most wrestlers prefer going out in that way. On the way out, you give to the fans a glimpse of what made you famous and you also give a rub to an upcoming talent thereby doing something good for the company on the way out as well. You stand nothing to gain by winning your last match and your opponent does look a bit weak. For that reason, going out on top isn't as great as it looks from a kayfabe sense. Going out as a petulant quitter may be the best way to go out for a heel but I would think that even a heel would want his last moments in a business he dedicated his life to to be nothing short of epic. Going out as the gallant loser pleases everybody, the wrestler, the fans and the company as well.

 

[Mustang Sally]

My answer is “Leaving On Top”.

That's a good way, if the guy can manage it. Mark Henry comes to mind. If the rumor mill has it right, he was making plans to retire sometime last year and it was decided he would finally get a world title run to finish a long career. Now that he's had the run, though, it seems his plans might have changed. There's no more talk about retiring, is there?

DISCLAIMER: Yes, all of that was the stuff of rumors and it could be he didn't have retirement in mind at all.

Still, you have to wonder if finally getting that world title changed his mind; perhaps he liked the attention and decided his career was worth continuing after all. If it's so, it makes me wonder all the more if performers truly are capable of retiring while on top. Maybe there are few who can really do it when the time comes.