History Main / RingOldies

* Wrestling/{{Sting}} was thought to have wrestled his last match in September of 2015 at 56 years old, officially retiring in April of the following year due to cervical spinal stenosis. However, he made his shocking debut for Wrestling/AllEliteWrestling in December of 2020 at the age of 61, returning to the ring three months later after turning 62. On the 18th of October 2023 episode of Dynamite he announced that he would have his final match and truly retire for good at AEW Revolution 2024, a few weeks before his 65th birthday.

* Wrestling/{{Tamina|Snuka)} (turned 46 in 2023)

* Fritz Wrestling/{{Von Erich|Family}} worked his final match in 1986 at age 57. He would sadly [[Outliv|ngOnesOffspring outlive five of his six sons]]; the one survivor, Kevin, would work ''his'' final match, a tag team alongside his sons Ross and Marshall, in 2017 at age 60.

* Fritz Wrestling/{{Von Erich|Family}} worked his final match in 1986 at age 57. He would sadly [[Outliv|ingOnesOffspring outlive five of his six sons]]; the one survivor, Kevin, would work ''his'' final match, a tag team alongside his sons Ross and Marshall, in 2017 at age 60.

* [[Wrestling/BrodusClay Brodus Clay/Tyrus]] wrestled his last match at age 50 in 2023, losing the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship to EC3 with a retirement stipulation. While wrestling retirements tend not to stick, Tyrus strongly implied in more than one later interview that his was most likely real.

* Wrestling/BillyGunn is still working the occasional match at 59, and claimed the AEW trios title alongside Wrestling/TheAcclaimed barely two months before turning 60. His longtime tag partner, Wrestling/RoadDogg, barely qualifies at 47. %% Billy: Born November 1, 1963

* Wrestling/{{Ivory}} (Retired at 45, returned at 56 to compete at WWE's first Evolution PPV) she would return four years later to compete in the 2022 royal rumble match.

* Wrestling/JeffJarrett (55 years old and still smashing guitars over people's heads; also took the pinfall in Ric Flair's "Last Match" shortly after turning 55) %% born July 14, 1967

* Wrestling/LaParka (turned 56 in November 2021 and still very much active in MLW. The other man who used the La Parka gimmick last wrestled at 53.) %% born November 14, 1965
* [[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 and more severe stroke in February 2023. Before the second stroke, Lawler had worked at least once every calendar year since his debut, meaning his career spans an impressive 53 years. %% born November 29, 1949

* Dr. Luther (53 years old, still wrestling in All Elite Wrestling)

* Wrestling/ShawnMichaels mostly avoided this. He retired in 2010 just before his 45th birthday, but he did returned in 2018 for an one-off at the age 53 in WWE's Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia. He has not stepped into the ring again since, preferring to stay retired and helping to build new talent in ''Wrestling/{{WWENXT}}'' as their head of creative instead.

* Wrestling/DiamondDallasPage started wrestling[[note]] Page had a very brief brush with becoming a wrestler in the late 70s, but he ultimately decided not to pursue it after injuring his knee. He also worked as a manger in his late 20s, before becoming a full-time wrestler.[[/note]] at 35, so he was pretty old when he started. Page retired from full-time wrestling in 2006 at 50, but has come out of retirement a few times, most notably in the 2015 Royal Rumble match at 58 years old, the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at [=WrestleMania=] 32, two days before his 60th birthday, and for Wrestling/AllEliteWrestling at 63, which he has claimed was the final match he'll ever do.

* Wrestling/MontelVontaviousPorter (46 years old, initially announced he has wrestled his final WWE match and intends to retire completely very soon. He would still continue wrestling a couple of years later)

* 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 (June 2023).

* Wrestling/AlSnow (59 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 (60 and still wrestling at indy shows. His brother Rick is mostly retired but still works occasional legends and indy matches at 62.) %% Scott: born July 29, 1962; Rick: born March 9, 1961

* Wrestling/TrishStratus retired from full-time wrestling in 2006 at the age of 30, but has been semi-active since, most recently teaming up with Becky Lynch and former rival Lita to face Damage CTRL (Wrestling/{{Bayley}}, Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky) at [=WrestleMania=] 39. 2023 at age 47, a run that eventually expanded into the Summer with a feud with Becky.

* Wrestling/MaeYoung (claimed to have wrestled across ''nine decades'', although this is dubious -- evidence suggests she first wrestled pro in 1941, not 1939 as she claimed, and as we'll see below, it's also doubtful whether her sole match in the 2010s counts. She said she wanted to wrestle against Wrestling/StephanieMcMahon on her 100th birthday - unfortunately, she died in January 2014 at 90.)

* Wrestling/ChristopherDaniels (51 years old) and is still doing '''THE BEST MOONSAULT EVER'''

* Wrestling/{{Edge|Wrestler}} 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.

* Wrestling/MattHardy (turned 48 in September 2022, been wrestling since he was a teenager.)

* Wrestling/ChrisJericho (turned 50 in November 2020, and the inaugural [[Wrestling/AllEliteWrestling AEW]] world champion)

* Wrestling/RonKillings (50 years old)

* Wrestling/ReyMysterioJr (48 years old, career spans over thirty years.) %% born December 11, 1974

* Wrestling/BobbyFish (45 years old in 2020)
* Wrestling/BobbyRoode (45 years old in 2020)
* Wrestling/BobbyLashley (45 years old in 2020)

* Wrestling/AJStyles (turned 45 in 2021)

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

* Wrestling/JohnCena turned 45 in 2022, he would team up with Kevin Owens to defeat Sami and Roman on the last Smackdown of 2022.

* Wrestling/{{Sting}} was thought to have wrestled his last match in September of 2015 at 56 years old, officially retiring in April of the following year due to cervical spinal stenosis. However, he made his shocking debut for Wrestling/AllEliteWrestling in December of 2020 at the age of 61, returning to the ring three months later after turning 62. On the 18th of October 2023 episode of Dynamite he announced that he would have his final match and truly retire for good at AEW Revolution 2024, at which point, he'll be at least 64 years old (the exact date of the event is unconfirmed as of this writing).

[[BrokenBase Fans are fighting over this theme constantly]]. Some people think that the old guard only take up space and TV time that could be used for younger wrestlers, while other fans enjoy the nostalgia and think that the oldies still have their place on the show and are not really to blame for younger wrestlers not being used. Fan reactions will also depend on how much talent and effort the wrestler will still put in the ring (i.e. Wrestling/RicFlair still pulled a lot of respect for his ring-work late into his career while others are often lambasted for still maintaining main event space despite a now deeply limited ring effort, such as Wrestling/{{Batista}} during his 2014 return.) Older wrestlers who go out of their way to make the young talent look good and help them get ahead in the business also tend to be better-regarded by fans than those who use their established fame to insist on being booked to beat the new talent.

* Wrestling/{{Sting}} was thought to have wrestled his last match in September of 2015 at 56 years old, officially retiring in April of the following year due to cervical spinal stenosis. However, he made his shocking debut for Wrestling/AllEliteWrestling in December of 2020 at the age of 61, returning to the ring three months later after turning 62. On the 18th of October 2023 episode of Dynamite he announced that he would have his final match and truly retire for good at AEW Revolution 2024.

* Wrestling/{{Sting}} was thought to have wrestled his last match in September of 2015 at 56 years old, officially retiring in April of the following year due to cervical spinal stenosis. However, he made his shocking debut for Wrestling/AllEliteWrestling in December of 2020 at the age of 61, returning to the ring three months later after turning 62.

* Wrestling/LouThesz (officially retired at 63, worked occasional special events until age 74, when he had a retirement match against student Masahiro Chono)

* Wrestling/DiamondDallasPage started wrestling at 35, so he was pretty old when he started. Page retired from full-time wrestling in 2006 at 50, but has come out of retirement a few times, most notably in the 2015 Royal Rumble match at 58 years old, the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at [=WrestleMania=] 32, two days before his 60th birthday, and for Wrestling/AllEliteWrestling at 63, which he has claimed was the final match he'll ever do.

* Wrestling/KurtAngle (50 at the time of his retirement match at [=WrestleMania=] 35)

* {{Wrestling/Raven}} (54 years old, semi-retired.)

* [[Wrestling/BobOrtonJr "Cowboy" Bob Orton]] (54 years old when he teamed with his son Wrestling/{{Randy|Orton}}. He also occasionally wrestles, mainly at legends shows, at the age of 68.)

* Wrestling/BillyGunn is still working the occasional match at 59. His tag partner, Wrestling/RoadDogg, barely qualifies at 47. %% Billy: Born November 1, 1963

* Wrestling/TerryFunk (73 years old)

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 deemed [[CareerEndingInjury career-ending]] just a decade ago.

* Dump Matsumoto, making rounds on the Japanese independent circuit at 57.

* Wrestling/TrishStratus retired from full-time wrestling in 2006 at the age of 30, but has been semi-active since, most recently teaming up with Becky Lynch and former rival Lita to face Damage CTRL (Wrestling/{{Bayley}}, Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky) at WrestleMania 39. 2023 at age 47.

* Wrestling/{{Kane}} (55 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, and was reelected in 2022.) %% born April 26, 1967

* [[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. Lawler has worked at least once every calendar year since his debut, meaning his career spans an impressive 53 years. %% born November 29, 1949

* Mil Máscaras taking bookings despite turning 80 in July 2022.

* 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 (May 2023).

* 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/GenichiroTenryu, at 65 lost his retirement match to 28 Wrestling/KazuchikaOkada.

* [[Wrestling/LisaMarieVaron Victoria/Tara]] (retired from full-time wrestling in 2019 at 48 years old. She returned for the 2021 Women's Royal Rumble a few months shy of her fiftieth birthday). She would make another return a couple years later on Impact as Gisele Shaw mystery partner.

* Wrestling/ExoticAdrianStreet retired at age 69 not long after Wrestling/{{N|ationalWrestlingAlliance}}WA Wrestle Birmingham, where he was Heavyweight Champion of Alabama, shutdown.

* Wrestling/BillyGunn is still working the occasional match at 59. His tag partner, Wrestling/RoadDogg, barely qualifies at 47. %5 Billy: Born November 1, 1963

* Wrestling/MattHardy (turned 47 in September 2021, been wrestling since he was a teenager.)

* Wrestling/HulkHogan (58 years old during his final match at TNA. [[https://www.screengeek.net/2020/01/07/hulk-hogan-new-look-wrestlemania-one-more-match/ Still attempting to come back for one final match as late as 2020.]])

* Wrestling/{{Kane}} (55 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/ShaneMcMahon is still wrestling part-time at age 51.

* [[Wrestling/KeijiMutoh The Great Muta]] 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/ReyMysterioJr (47 years old, career spans over thirty years.) %% born December 11, 1974

* 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 (November 2022).

* Wrestling/TheBushwhackers. Born in 1944, Butch retired in 2001 following a neck injury. He came out of retirement in 2018 at the age of 73 for one last tour with Luke. Luke, born in 1947, wrestling as of 2018 at 71.

* Wrestling/TripleH: Worked what proved to be his last match in January 2021 at the age of 51. 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]] just a decade ago.

* Wrestling/{{Sting}} was thought to have wrestled his last match in September of 2015 at 56 years old, officially retiring in April of the following year due to cervical spinal stenosis. However, he made his shocking debut for Wrestling/AllEliteWrestling in December of 2020 at the age of 61, returning to the ring three months later.
* Wrestling/TrishStratus retired from full-time wrestling in 2006, but has been semi-active since, most recently wrestling in 2023 at age 47.

* Wrestling/TrishStratus is still wrestling at 47 and is scheduled to team up with Becky Lynch and former rival Lita to face Damage CTRL (Wrestling/{{Bayley}}, Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky) at WrestleMania 39.

* [[Wrestling/LisaMarieVaron Victoria/Tara]] (retired from full-time wrestling in 2019 at 48 years old. She returned for the 2021 Women's Royal Rumble a few months shy of her fiftieth birthday).

* [[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. Lawler has worked at least once every calendar years since his debut, meaning his career spans an impressive 53 years. %% born November 29, 1949