The term "final" is a pretty loosely-used one in the world of pro wrestling. I learned that the hard way as a kid, when I cried my eyes out during the video montage for Rowdy Roddy Piper's retirement. It was set to Frank Sinatra's "My Way", and even then, in 1987, the video package brilliantly told the story of Roddy's career. Even though he'd long been a heel, Hot Rod was overwhelmed by the fans' reception, that record-setting 93,000 at WrestleMania III. As he walked the seemingly-endless aisle to face his final opponent, Adorable Adrian Adonis, I was astounded that this was the last time we'd get to see Roddy Piper. Because I was only 9 years old, and twitter did not yet exist, I had no idea that Piper was merely on hiatus to film a movie. And while I was happy to see him return thereafter, even as a child I knew that the magical moment at WrestleMania III had been cheapened. It had all been for nothing. And so too, many wrestlers' retirement matches are either intended as a story-telling measure, or simply don't "stick". They always come back, to one ring or another, for one reason or another. What an interesting challenge, then, to identify which wrestlers' final matches were the most fitting ends to their careers! You can point to so many that were heralded as the final (Ric Flair, anyone?), and you can convince yourself that the wrestler him/herself even believed it to be true. But it was very tricky to choose this rare list of wrestlers who (I believe, at least) have wrestled their final match.
Follow me @kickyhick :) I hold a degree in English Rhetoric & Professional Writing from the University of Waterloo in Canada. I've done technical writing, executive presentations, and recruiting materials for BlackBerry, and I write for non-profit organizations. My favourite project so far has been combining my passion for writing with being a die-hard wrestling fan. It's a pleasure to write here for WhatCulture, and also for TJRwrestling.com.
