10 Wrestling Retirement Matches Where The Loser Came Back
9. Atsushi Onita Vs. The Great Sasuke - THE LIVE
With his hardcore antics and willingness to keep fighting into old age, Atsushi Onita has drawn many comparisons to obvious influence Terry Funk. Like Funk, Onita has retired on many occasions, and none of them have stuck - at age 58, he competes regularly for the revived Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling Promotion.
Onita's first retirement came in 1985, but the star - who had been suffering from injuries - was able to come back a few years later. He became a pioneer of FMW and a nationwide star, and eventually, a representative in Japan's House of Councilors. With that new responsibility, it was time to hang up the boots once again. His retirement match came on September 23, 2003 at Michinoku Pro's THE LIVE, where he was defeated by The Great Sasuke in a no ropes, barbed wire, explosive mine board death match.
Despite the beating Onita took in the bout - and his career as a politician - he was soon back in action (his previous failures to stay retired earned him the name 'Mr. Liar' with the Japanese fans). He had another retirement match in 2005, and when his political career ended due to a sex scandal, he found his way back to the ring once more.