Top five WWE stars who refused to return after retirement

WWE fans are still waiting for these stars to return to the squared circle for one final run

WWE superstars are some of the most captivating and hard-working athletes in the world. However, the years they spend in the ring and the physical toll they take on their bodies decide their time and future in the ring. While many stars have had short careers, others have been a part of the global juggernaut for a long time.

Even when their careers end, some superstars tend to return to the ring for one-off appearances or brief tenures. However, there are top five WWE superstars who refused to come back to in-ring action after hanging up their boots for good:

5. Layla

Layla was a top WWE star in the women’s division in the early 2010s. She came to prominence as one-half of the popular team alongside the 2025 Hall of Famer inductee, Michelle McCool, known as ‘Lay-Cool.’

Layla defeated Michelle in a Loser Leaves WWE match in 2011, and Layla then had a singles run in WWE, which lasted until 2015, when the company announced that she had decided to retire.

Layla has expressed reuniting with McCool for a one-off appearance but has not mentioned anything about returning to the ring since in WWE.

4. AJ Lee

AJ Lee was a big trailblazer at the time women did not receive significant opportunities in WWE. The former three-time Divas Champion was featured alongside top stars like John Cena and Daniel Bryan and featured in top storylines for years.

But she chose to retire from the ring in 2015 and has not returned to the ring since then, maintaining that she is retired for good. Although she has been asked to return after CM Punk‘s comeback in 2023, AJ Lee has chosen to stay away from the ring.

3. Batista

Batista emerged as one of the biggest WWE superstars, as did John Cena, since the Attitude Era. The Animal gained prominence as a WWE star and then transitioned to Hollywood as a bonafide A-lister.

Batista came back for one final run in 2019 to end his career on his terms with a match against his former mentor, Triple H, at WrestleMania 35. The Animal called it the perfect way to end his career and never considered returning to the ring as he believed that it would ruin his storybook ending.

2. Triple H

Triple H is one of the greatest WWE superstars of all time. The Game carved out an illustrious wrestling career in WWE with multiple titles and accolades. Following that, he slowly began to transition into a backstage role and became a member of the top management in WWE.

BREAKING: @TripleH announced his retirement from in-ring competition on @espn @firsttake with @stephenasmith. pic.twitter.com/qnyw9NVtv4

— WWE (@WWE) March 25, 2022

At the height of his corporate success, Triple H was away from the ring for the majority of that time. In 2022, The Game revealed that he had a serious heart issue due to which he could never return to the ring and officially retired at WrestleMania 38.

1. The Undertaker

The Undertaker made an illustrious WWE career with one of the longest and most accomplished tenures in the company. After three decades of destruction, The Phenom hung up his boots in 2020 following his WrestleMania 36 match against AJ Styles.

When asked if he would ever come back for one more match, The Undertaker claimed that he would not be able to deliver the performance the fans expect of him and not wanting to be a shadow of his previous self, Taker has chosen not to return to the ring.

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