10 Best Retirement Matches In WWE History

6. Trish Stratus Vs. Lita (Unforgiven 2006)

Trish Stratus Lita Unforgiven 2006
WWE.com

Few wrestlers get the opportunity to retire on top, but that’s exactly what Trish Stratus did in 2006. Having entered the company as a green fitness model, Stratus gradually became one of the best women’s wrestlers of her generation. Through sheer perseverance, Trish went from a valet pushed primarily on aesthetics and charisma to a standard-bearer for women’s wrestling in WWE, and her feud with Lita helped make stars of them both.

Trish’s WWE run was coming to an end by summer 2006. In a rare display of generosity, WWE decided to give her an almighty farewell in her hometown of Toronto, Canada, and granted Trish a title shot against WWE Women’s Champion Lita. If Trish was victorious, she’d retire with a hometown victory and a championship around her waist, and she emerged to a great pop at Unforgiven.

The action was a step or two behind Lita and Trish’s famous Raw match from 2004, but it didn’t matter. The stakes were far higher, and the conclusion couldn’t have been more fitting. After a lengthy back and forth bout, Trish put her opponent away with Bret Hart’s Sharpshooter, drawing a line under her career with one of her biggest wins since joining the company. She retired as a seven-time Women’s Champion, and has never looked like returning on a full-time basis.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.