10 Worst Ever Wrestling Retirements

Wrestling retirements are so rarely definitive, which may be why WWE chose not to overtly promote The Undertaker's WrestleMania 33 exit as such in the weeks leading up to his blockbuster clash with Roman Reigns.

Though the two were incapable of an iconic match to send the legendary performer home to Death Valley, both 'The Big Dog' and 'The Deadman' created an sizeable aura around themselves in the closing stretch of the show-closing encounter that seemed to signpost Undertaker's ultimate farewell.

Symbolically leaving his hat, coat and gloves behind to signify the goodbye, the message was loud and clear at the conclusion (if not during the performance), and the spectacle may be enhanced in the generations to come should Undertaker not decide to re-lace his boots for future WrestleMania paydays.

The return from retirement is a well-worn sales pitch in the wrestling industry, but it's just one of the tropes that harms what should be a hugely evocative plot point in the lifespan of a performer or character.

Like most stipulations, the consequence has been used and abused, which often creates little interest in a potentially career-threatening bout.

Picking through farce, falsehoods and fails, here are the 10 worst wrestling retirements.

In WCW's insane latter days, the concept of a stipulation being adhered to was unthinkable, but of all the possible angles to see full fruition, Bill Goldberg's storyline retirement actually stuck for real.

After a catastrophic heel turn and idiotic worked shoot babyface turn in the summer months of 2000, Goldberg became the sworn enemy of token villain authority figure Vince Russo.

Russo issued an ultimatum to big Bill - Lose, and you're gone. Challenging him to replicate his famed undefeated streak from less than two years ago when he was the biggest star in the industry, the lesser of two Vinces stumbled into a good idea for a change.

Goldberg was winning again and winning well, with a slim chance his aura may return as 2001 approached.

Then he lost to Buff Bagwell and Lex Luger and was forced out of the company forever.

The underwhelming end came during a lousy tag team match at January 2001's Sin pay-per-view, pitting the 'Totally Buffed' muscle-heads against Goldberg and his WCW 'Power Plant' trainer Sarge DeWayne Bruce.

Maced in the face by a planted fan, Goldberg was hammered with a steel chair by Lex before Bagwell hit his Blockbuster from Luger's shoulders for the victory.

In real life, Bill needed shoulder surgery, but before he could return, WCW folded. It ended up his actual WCW swansong.