10 Wrestlers Who WILL Retire In 2023
2023 may well be the year that numerous wrestling legends decide to walk away from the ring.
2023 has just begun and one of the wrestling industry's longest-tenured legends has decided to call it a day, as Keiji Muto, aka The Great Muta, embarks on his retirement tour. Recently, it has become more feasible for stars in their 50s or even 60s to continue performing, but time eventually catches up to everyone in this physically demanding sport.
2022 was a relatively quiet year for retirements, with the only notable one being 'The Game' Triple H, who suffered a severe cardiac event in the previous year. There was also the ceremonial 'Last Match' for Ric Flair, which provided a surreal and somewhat unnecessary final look at the 'Nature Boy' inside the ring, where he teamed with his son-in-law Andrade against Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarret.
Wrestling needs to try and move forward into the next generation of stars, which may mean a number of renowned figures could retire from in-ring competition in 2023. Whether it be through one final match, or just deciding to stop performing, there are likely going to be a number of legendary careers coming to an end this year.
10. Billy Gunn
Billy Gunn had an incredible 2022 after aligning with The Acclaimed, but the veteran can settle into a managerial role for the duo in 2023 as his best in-ring days are certainly over. 'Daddy Ass' has had a deserved resurgence in AEW and should not be split up from the tandem that has made him immensely popular with the audience.
It is fair to say that Billy has not been as over with the crowd since he peaked as part of the New Age Outlaws in the '90s, which is a credit to his longevity. However, there have been far too many examples of Gunn performing on AEW television in singles action when he probably shouldn't be.
Whilst he has never been a top in-ring performer, and it is impressive he can still wrestle at the age of 59, Billy clearly can't reach the standard expected in AEW anymore. If he is not heading for retirement, it would be wise to limit his involvement to trios or tag action with The Acclaimed, who can do the bulk of the work for the 'Ass Man.'