Has a wrestler ever gone out with style?

[Guest jester]

Some recent talk about old wrestlers coming back well past their prime, how guys like Austin and Bret Hart left the fed has me wondering. Has ANYBODY ever left the business relatively on top, on a positive note, without dying or a screwjob? And most importantly, stayed gone. How many comebacks have guys like Hogan and Piper had? 300 each?

 

Can anyone think of any names of wrestlers who went out with some class and their dignity relatively intact?

[Guest bob_barron]

Foley

[Guest Nevermortal]

I'd like to say Bulldog.

 

He didn't leave the WWE on good terms and the last few years of his life sucked, but I'd say he went out with dignity, teaming with his son.

[Guest Jack Tunney]

Well all I can think of is Dibiase retiring after SummerSlam '93 and staying retired.But he was a heel and the WWF didnt advertise it as his last match.

[Guest J*ingus]

Foley is about as close as you're going to get to a "good" retirement: he actually stayed retired, except for one last match, and that was the main event at Wrestlemania.

 

Rick Steamboat and Shawn Michaels didn't do too badly, either.

[Guest Fook_Hing_Ho]

The thing with those two is that they were both forced to because of injuries, otherwise, I don't think they would have left.

[Guest Special K]

Satoro Sayama (Tiger Mask I), DiBiase come to mind. If Sting stays out (besides th occasional charity show, he will have gone gracefully, winning the last WCW match.

[Guest bob_barron]

I'd like to say Bulldog.

 

He didn't leave the WWE on good terms and the last few years of his life sucked, but I'd say he went out with dignity, teaming with his son.

Gotta agree with Bulldog- classy way to go out.

 

How bout Andre at WMVI? I know he wrestled in Japan and made some appearances in the WWF buti t was really great seeing him turn face and leave with cheers

[Guest Midnight Express83]

Andre, Steamboat, Foley, Debiase, and the only other person to come to mind is Davey Boy to an point.

 

But if he would have left in 87 and stayed gone. I go with Roddy Piper, but he didn't so its doesn' count. Runner up being Sting. the first Nitro started with Flair vs Sting, the last Nitro ended with Flair vs Sting. Sting wins the blow off to the fued of the decade, and leaves wrestling forever. That is about as classy as it gets in this sport.

[Guest BigTim2002]

It's just people posting the same people...so I'm gonna try and find someone no-one has mentioned yet...

 

Toshiaki Kawada

[Guest Human Fly]

If Savage would've never come back after WM 7 that would've been a great one. I was 11 when that happened and always wondered if he was always intended to come back after a few months of commentating, or was he seriously thinking about retiring from the ring?

[Guest Special K]

When did Kawada quit?

[Guest Downhome]

When did Kawada quit?

I second this question. I thought Kawada was still very much active.

[Guest PlatypusFool]

Kawada HAS NOT quit or retired in any way. He's injured at the moment, but is doing everything in his power to come back ASAP.

 

I think Foley is as close as you get to a great retirement, certainly the best in North American history, IMO.