History Main / RingOldies

* [[Wrestling/JerryLawler Jerry "The King" Lawler]] (72 years old at his most recent match against Wrestling/ScottSteiner in March 2022). Was thought to have wrestled his final match in September 2012, after which he suffered a near-fatal heart attack at the announcer table and spent over two months in recovery... but was later medically cleared to return to wrestling, and still worked occasional indy shows even after a mild stroke in 2018. He's since had a second stroke in February 2023. %% born November 29, 1949

* Wrestling/MickFoley made his final appearance in the 2012 Wrestling/RoyalRumble at 46. He quietly retired soon after when his doctors informed him that he can never wrestle again.

* Wrestling/{{Goldust}} (51 years old) is still going strong, wrestling his younger brother [[Wrestling/CodyRhodes Cody]] at AEW's '' Double or Nothing'' pay-per-view in 2020.

* Wrestling/BillyGunn is still working the occasional match at 58. His tag partner, Wrestling/RoadDogg, barely qualifies at 47.

* [[Wrestling/JerryLawler Jerry "The King" Lawler]] (72 years old). Was thought to have wrestled his final match in September 2012, after which he suffered a near-fatal heart attack at the announcer table and spent over two months in recovery... but was later medically cleared to return to wrestling, and still works occasional indy shows.[[note]] Lawler's heart attack was not due to a blocked artery, but was rather a sudden cardiac arrest. Because he received CPR while flatlined for nearly 20 minutes, he never lost circulation.[[/note]] %% born November 29, 1949

* [[Wrestling/KeijiMutoh TheGreatMuta]] still wrestles occasionally while nearing 60. Has announced his in-ring retirement in 2023, by which time he'll be 60. %% born December 23, 1962

* Wrestling/RickySteamboat looked like he was going to miss out, first retiring in 1994 at the age of 41, but he made an impressive return run in WWE 15 years later in 2009, feuding with Chris Jericho. He would return to the ring one more time 13 years later in 2022 at the age of 69. Teaming up with [[Wrestling/{{FTR}}} to face Wrestling/JayLethal, Nick Aldis and Brock Anderson.

* Wrestling/ScottSteiner (60 and still wrestling at indy shows. His brother, Rick, is mostly retired but still works occasional legends and indy matches at 61.) %% Scott: born July 29, 1962; Rick: born March 9, 1961

* Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin would come out of a 19-year retirement at age 57 to face Kevin Owens at Wrestling/{{WrestleMania}} 38.

* Wrestling/RandySavage wrestled his final match in [[Wrestling/ImpactWrestling TNA]] at the age of 52. His brother Wrestling/LannyPoffo is still occasionally wrestling in his sixties. Their father, Angelo, wrestled his final match at 59.

* Wrestling/BookerT and brother Stevie Ray wrestled one last match as Harlem Heat in Booker's Reality of Wrestling promotion in February 2015. Both men were 49 and 56 respectively. Booker would wrestle a few times since, most recently in 2020 at the age of 54, also in Reality of Wrestling.

* Wrestling/{{Ivory}} (Retired at 45, returned at 56 to compete at WWE's first Evolution PPV)

* Wrestling/RickySteamboat looked like he was going to miss out, first retiring in 1994 at the age of 41, but he made an impressive return run in WWE 15 years later in 2009, feuding with Chris Jericho.

* Wrestling/BrockLesnar (45 as of 2022, has yet to slow down in the ring probably due to his limited schedule)

* Wrestling/{{Kane}} (54 years old, semi-retired. He's probably working a very limited schedule from here on, as he was elected mayor of Knox County, Tennessee[[note]]Not of the city of Knoxville... although the county government is the exclusive provider of some services, including in Knoxville.[[/note]] in 2018.) %% born April 26, 1967

* Wrestling/TheGreatMuta still wrestles occasionally at 57.

* Wrestling/TitoSantana: Born in 1953; last worked a full-time schedule at age 43, but continues to work occasional shows, both in the indies and Wrestling/{{AAA}}, as of this writing (September 2022).
* Wrestling/RandySavage wrestled his final match in Wrestling/{{TNA}} at the age of 52. His brother, Wrestling/LannyPoffo, is still occasionally wrestling in his sixties. Their father, Angelo, wrestled his final match at 59.

* Wrestling/AlSnow (58 years old) works matches in TNA now and then and in the indies, though he abused steroids heavily in 2014 and thus physically doesn't look his age anymore. Also runs a wrestling school.

* Wrestling/ScottSteiner (59 and still wrestling at indy shows. His brother, Rick, is mostly retired but still works occasional legends and indy matches at 60.)

* Wrestling/ArnAnderson despite retiring at 43 in 2000 would sporadically bust out his signature spine buster every now and then.

* Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin would come out of a 19 year retirement at age 57 to face Kevin Owens at Wrestling/{{WrestleMania}} 38.

* Wrestling/ShawnMichaels originally looked like he was going to avoid this. He retired in 2010 just before his 45th birthday. However, in 2018 he made his in-ring return at age 53 in WWE's Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia. Only time will tell if this was a one-off match or if he'll return for special matches in the future.

* Wrestling/TripleH: Worked what proved to be his last match in June 2019, about a month before turning 50. He announced his in-ring retirement in March 2022, having had a defibrillator implanted in his chest several months earlier after a bout with viral pneumonia led to near-fatal heart damage. Even before his final match, he had semi-retired due to his duties as head of Talent Relations and eventual successor to the WWE empire.

Yes, ProfessionalWrestling is predetermined. There is no denying that, but it comes with quite a few advantages. For example, [[LongRunners pretty long careers]]. ([[CareerEndingInjury In]] [[DentedIron some]] [[AnyoneCanDie cases]].) The planned structure of matches allows wrestlers to still keep going in their 40s, 50s or even longer,[[note]]Keep in mind that in most other forms of athletics, a professional athlete is considered old at 35![[/note]] making wrestlers living LongRunners. Overlong careers are mostly a result of wrestling being the only income for most wrestlers, either because they don't have anything waiting for them after wrestling or for other reasons, such as the love they have for the profession. Advancements in medical technology are also allowing many wrestlers to continue performing even after acquiring injuries that would have been [[CareerEndingInjury career-ending]] even a decade ago.

Yes, ProfessionalWrestling is predetermined. There is no denying that, but it comes with quite a few advantages. For example, [[LongRunners pretty long careers]]. ([[CareerEndingInjury In]] [[DentedIron some]] [[AnyoneCanDie cases]].) The planned structure of matches allows wrestlers to still keep going in their 40s, 50s or even longer,[[note]]Keep in mind that in most other forms of athletics, a professional athlete is considered old at 35![[/note]] making wrestlers living LongRunners. Overlong careers are mostly a result of wrestling being the only income for most wrestlers, either because they don't have anything waiting for them after wrestling or for other reasons, such as the love they have for the profession. Advancements in medical technology are also allowing many wrestlers to continue performing even after acquiring injuries that would have been [[CareerEndingInjury career-ending]] a decade ago.

Yes, ProfessionalWrestling is predetermined. There is no denying that, but it comes with quite a few advantages. For example, [[LongRunners pretty long careers]]. ([[CareerEndingInjury In]] [[DentedIron some]] [[AnyoneCanDie cases]].) The planned structure of matches allows wrestlers to still keep going in their 40s, 50s or even longer,[[note]]Keep in mind that in most other forms of athletics, a professional athlete is considered old at 35![[/note]] making wrestlers living LongRunners. Overlong careers are mostly a result of wrestling being the only income for most wrestlers, either because they don't have anything waiting for them after wrestling or for other reasons, such as the love they have for the profession. Advancements in medical technology are also allowing many wrestlers to continue performing even after sustaining injuries that would have been [[CareerEndingInjury career-ending]] a decade ago.

* {{Wrestling/Edge}} was forced to retire at 37 due to a serious neck injury, but he returned at 46 in the 2020 Royal Rumble match, and won the 2021 Royal Rumble match.

* Johnny Saint (only semi-retired as of 2011, aged 70), in Wrestling/{{CHIKARA}} managed multiple 'this is awesome' and 'we love wrestling' chants. Fellow Brit Johnny Kidd was only 55 in the same weekend. Saint finally retired for good as an in-ring performer in 2015 at age 74, but even after that was a trainer, and is still an authority figure for NXT UK at age 80 in 2022. %% born June 29, 1941

* Wrestling/TitoSantana: Born in 1953; last worked a full-time schedule at age 43, but continues to work occasional shows, both in the indies and Wrestling/{{AAA}}, as of this writing (March 2022).

Yes, ProfessionalWrestling is predetermined. There is no denying that, but it comes with quite a few advantages. For example, [[LongRunners pretty long careers]]. ([[CareerEndingInjury In]] [[DentedIron some]] [[AnyoneCanDie cases]].) The planned structure of matches allows wrestlers to still keep going in their 40s, 50s or even longer,[[note]]Keep in mind that a professional athlete is considered old at 35![[/note]] making wrestlers living LongRunners. Overlong careers are mostly a result of wrestling being the only income for most wrestlers, either because they don't have anything waiting for them after wrestling or for other reasons, such as the love they have for the profession. Advancements in medical technology are also allowing many wrestlers to continue performing even after sustaining injuries that would have been [[CareerEndingInjury career-ending]] a decade ago.

* Wrestling/JeffJarrett (54 years old and still smashing guitars over people's heads) %% born July 14, 1967

* [[Wrestling/LisaMarieVaron Victoria/Tara]] (retired in 2019 at 48 years old).

* Wrestling/TheBigShow (47 years old)

* Mil Máscaras taking bookings while pushing 80 (turned 79 in July 2021).

* Wrestling/RicFlair (was 59 at his last match in Wrestling/{{WWE}}, though he had a short run in Wrestling/{{TNA}} and various indie leagues until the age of 63). Officially announced his retirement in December 2012, citing Jerry Lawler (who's the same age as him) having heart attack a few months earlier as a galvanizing event driving home the dangers of even a physically fit man wrestling at his age. However, he's announced he will work one final match on July 31, 2022 at age 73.

Yes, ProfessionalWrestling is predetermined. There is no denying that, but it comes with quite a few advantages. For example, [[LongRunners pretty long careers]]. ([[CareerEndingInjury In]] [[DentedIron some]] [[AnyoneCanDie cases]].) The planned structure of matches allows wrestlers to still keep going in their 40s, 50s or even longer,[[note]]Keep in mind that a professional athlete is considered old at 35![[/note]] making wrestlers living LongRunners. Overlong careers are mostly a result of wrestling being the only income for most wrestlers, either because they don't have anything waiting for them after wrestling or for other reasons, such as the love they have for the profession. Advancements in medical technology are also allowing many wrestlers to continue performing after sustaining injuries that would have been [[CareerEndingInjury career-ending]] a few decades ago.

Yes, ProfessionalWrestling is predetermined. There is no denying that, but it comes with quite a few advantages. For example, [[LongRunners pretty long careers]]. ([[CareerEndingInjury In]] [[DentedIron some]] [[AnyoneCanDie cases]].) The planned structure of matches allows wrestlers to still keep going in their 40s, 50s or even longer,[[note]]Keep in mind that a professional athlete is considered old at 35![[/note]] making wrestlers living LongRunners. Overlong careers are mostly a result of wrestling being the only income for most wrestlers, either because they don't have anything waiting for them after wrestling or for other reasons, such as the love they have for the profession.

Due to the increasing awareness of the various long term physical and mental effects of wrestling on the body, more and more wrestlers are retiring from wrestling at younger ages (sometimes against their will), so it's possible that this may end up being a DiscreditedTrope in the future. However, there are still enough examples remaining that it probably won't happen for another decade or two.

* Wrestling/RandySavage wrestled his final match in Wrestling/{{TNA}} at the age of 52. His brother, Wrestling/LannyPoffo, is still occasionally wrestling in his sixties. Their father, Angelo, wrestled his final match at 66.

* Wrestling/BobbyFish (45 years old)
* Wrestling/BobbyRoode (45 years old)
* Wrestling/BobbyLashley (45 years old)

* Wrestling/RicFlair (was 59 at his last match in Wrestling/{{WWE}}, though he had a short run in Wrestling/{{TNA}} and various indie leagues until the age of 63). Officially announced his retirement in December 2012, citing Jerry Lawler (who's the same age as him) having heart attack a few months earlier as a galvanizing event driving home the dangers of even a physically fit man wrestling at his age.

* His father Wrestling/VinceMcMahon also wrestled on occasion, last doing so in 2012 at the age of 67. It should be noted that Vince ''started'' his in-ring career as a ring oldie, having wrestled his first match against Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin at 52.

* Wrestling/SeanWaltman (retired at age 47 in 2019; had been semi-retired for several years before) though in 2021 he announced a desire for a comeback.

* Wrestling/RonKillings (47 years old)
* Wrestling/AjaKong (49 years old)

* Wrestling/TripleH (52 years old, though he has semi-retired due to his duties as head of Talent Relations and eventual successor to the WWE empire.)