10 Best Retirement Matches In WWE History
3. Ric Flair Vs. Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania XXIV)
Ric Flair’s retirement match is the definition of a flawed masterpiece. It is a towering piece of storytelling, and its emotional conclusion will remain eternally burned in the minds of everyone who has ever sat down to watch the match. It was two masters of the art going all-out to draw a fitting line under the most glittering professional wrestling career of all-time, and while the actual work got sloppy at times, it barely mattered.
HBK talked a big game about wanting to retire Flair in the build-up, but when the time came to finally put the Nature Boy away, Michaels couldn’t stomach it. He choked on several occasions, even as Flair dived into every corner of his old bag of heel tricks, but he had no choice in the end. Flair and Michaels built to a stirring conclusion, and it ended with HBK finally overcoming his internal struggle.
Shawn’s “I’m sorry, I love you” has become an iconic WrestleMania highlight, and as Michaels put Flair away with one last Sweet Chin Music, the moment was absolutely perfect. Michaels cradled Flair afterwards, then left the ring with his head hung low. Flair, meanwhile, burst into tears as soon as he came to his senses. Only a heartless individual would deny the raw emotion flowing through the building that night, and even though Flair would sully the moment by wrestling in TNA later in his career, WrestleMania XXIV remains a masterful piece of wrestling storytelling.