8 WWE Wrestlers That COULDN'T Stay Retired

The roar of the crowd, the glamorous lifestyle and the constant attention combine to make one hell of a drug for pro wrestlers. However, as the sun begins to set on their glittering careers, not everyone is able to walk off into the sunset. Some of the biggest names to ever do it have set off into retirement, then the pull of the ring and a return to the life that they once had proves too much.

For someone like AJ Styles, it's easy to believe that they will stay retired after they hang up their boots for good. However, when Brock Lesnar seemed to say a surprisingly emotional goodbye to WWE fans at the start of WrestleMania 42's second night, it was no surprise that the lure of a few more paydays proved a little too tempting for 'The Beast' to turn down.

He's not alone, though.

These 8 superstars of the ring said a tearful farewell to their adoring public before returning to the limelight to entertain us, with some faring much better than others. These are the pro wrestlers who just couldn't stay retired.

Shawn Michaels is justifiably regarded as one of the finest pro wrestlers of all time. A true all-rounder, Shawn is a once-in-a-lifetime performer who is heralded by generations. When you're respected by your peers and loved by tens of millions of fans, the lure of the ring can prove too much, and that has happened for HBK a few times.

Michaels originally retired days after WrestleMania XIV, following struggles with 2 herniated discs in his back after landing on the titular prop during his Casket bout with The Undertaker at the 1998 Royal Rumble. Shawn had various stints as a commentator and Commissioner after that, all before his glorious return to in-ring competition in his classic 'Unsanctioned Match' with Triple H at SummerSlam 2002.

A superb final run in the company that included the resurrection of DX and great matches with everyone from John Cena to Batista then culminated in 'Mr. WrestleMania's' second retirement after a pair of iconic matches with 'Taker at WrestleManias XXV and XXVI.

Only this...wasn't the end for HBK (again). Fans everywhere try to forget that 'The Showstopper' came back from his retirement for a Saudi Arabian paycheque in a diabolically bad tag match with Hunter against Brothers of Destruction duo Undertaker and Kane at Crown Jewel 2018.

That really should be Michaels' final hurrah.