When is the right time?

[Disturbed]

We have seen guys like Hogan, Flair, Duggan, and many more who just won't stop. So the question is, when is it time to hang up the boots? When is it time for a superstar to retire?

I wouldn't determine this by age. I think it is something that should be decided by you and the boss. If you get injured a lot then you might decide to retire earlier but other guys like Flair and Hogan, can you blame them for not wanting to quit? They have done it for so long, and it's there passion. Why should we stop them from doing what they love to do? That's why I think if the boss wants them to retire because they look bad then he should talk to the superstar personally. I think you should keep going as long as you still got it and you aren't likely to get injured. For example guys like Orton and Edge won't be able to keep going as long as the other guys who are less likely to get injured. I think that the superstar should decide when it's right and shouldn't be critisized for it when it's there decision and the bosses. So if Hogan and Flair want to keep going then let it be. It isn't your decision it's theres.

Now that's how I feel, so debate....

 

[Mitch Henessey]

It's not up to us to determine when a wrestler should hang up his boots. At first, I was kind of bothered by Ric Flair's decision to go to TNA, and I did become irritated when he decided to step in the ring again, but it's his life, and he's going to do what he has to do to make a living, so who am I to question his decision?

When your Ric Flair or Hulk Hogan, I don't think your legacy can be tarnished. These guys are considered to be the two greatest professional wrestlers of all time, and some people think these two men are Gods, so I don't think Flair and Hogan's legacies can be ruined. Other guys who aren't as big as Hogan and Flair might not get "the pass." They'll probably get the "he's one of those guys who stuck around too long" stuff. It's not fair, but this type of criticism will always occur.

A while ago on Impact, Ric Flair and Mick Foley wrestled a VERY brutal hardcore match. I did cringe sometimes, because I just kept wondering how long could Flair and Foley keep this up? We all know these two men have put their bodies through hell over the years, and when they do decide to retire from wrestling, they will surely have to endure some nagging injuries. They've put themselves in a position where they must rely on pro wrestling to make money. We might want them to stop, but most of these men have dedicated their lives to pro wrestling, and they might not have any other skills for different jobs, so they have to make a living somehow, and stepping inside the ring is the only way to do that.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I do not think age should come in to it. Terry Funk is one example of a wrestler who could continue to put on good matches until well into his fifties (his later years provided us with awful matches mostly). The time a wrestler retires should be when their body prevents them from performing at the level they want, and when their performance begins to slip. Noone wants to see a legendary wrestler keep on dragging their battered body to the ring, and putting on a show that is sad to watch and a pale comparison to the great matches of their glory days...Ric Flair I am looking at you here...

However, the flip side of the argument is that these guys wrestle for a living, it is their job. Many have not made enough money from wrestling to retire from work, and know nothing else, having been in the business their entire adult lives, so they need to keep going on the indie circuit to put food on the table for their families, even though they are no longer able to perform to their previous standards. It is sad to say but these guys will probably end up wrestling until they physically cannot anymore.

So, really it is impossible to say for sure when the best time is to retire. Everyone wants to go out on top after a great match, leaving at their peak before the decline starts, but most are unable to do this. Heath or physical condition is what causes most wrestlers to retire, not age.

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

As any sportsperson would tell you, the best time to retire is when you are no longer enjoying the game anymore. The same applies for a pro wrestler. If you are not enjoying yourself out there in the ring anymore, then that should tell you that it is time to move on in life. That lack of enjoyment can come from a variety of factors like fatigue, injury, or missing your family and so on.

Of course this is a highly idealized situation and comes true in only certain cases like in the case of HBK. Many a time a wrestler is forced to continue just to support himself and his family. Ultimately its up to the wrestler to decide when he wants to quit although I must add that it is painful to watch a wrestler who obviously does not want to be in the ring but is doing so only to support his family.

 

[Aeon Mathix]

Once you grow a passion for something you can never get it out. As I believe it was Harley Race who put it at his Hall Of Fame induction "There is not a better spot on earth than under those bright lights". Like Mitch said, it is not up to us to decide when it is time. There are millions out there who still love Hulk and Flair and as far as they are concerned as long as people still love them they are going to keep doing it and I have no problem with that. Mickey Rourke even said in a promo in "The Wrestler" that the only ones who tell him when hes done are the fans. Guys like Ric, Hogan, Foley will be loved forever and they will never quit until the fans turn their backs on them which we never will. This is their life, their passion and what they dreamed about doing when they were kids.