10 WWE Wrestlers Who Retired In Their Prime

9. Trish Stratus

Lita Mickie James
WWE Network

The fleeting Trish Stratus comebacks over the past few years have solidified one thing - she was bang right to retire in 2006 with her health and wellbeing in tact.

A gifted, natural talent during a period in which much of her skillset wasn't even valued in the way it should have been, Stratus' appearances amongst the women of the current era have been a joy to behold. Not short a step for her decade-plus away, the former Women's Champion has managed to enjoy the fruits of her labour and that of those that followed in her footsteps.

The decline following her exit was sharp and unpleasant, but she missed virtually all of it starting her own business and a family with the time and financial freedom she'd accrued as a battle-worn WWE star. That last word being the operative one - few women from her era or now carried with them the respect and reactions she'd been able to harness.

A lesson to all wrestlers and promotions, Trish's Unforgiven 2006 farewell match is a masterclass in making nice with a departing star rather than the usual horror shows spitefully deployed. Such as...

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett