These guys have all retired in the last two years>AJ>Bryan>Brock>Cena>Tanahashi>Tenzan>Sting>Goldberg>Christopher Daniels>Homicide>Jack Swagger>Fandango>Kazusada Higushi (I like DDT)>Rick Boogs>Alex Coughlin>Honma (soon)>Adam Cole (dying)>Marko Stunt (lol)>El Phantasmo (cancer might be returning)>Britt Baker (dead career)>Rock (probably never coming back)Add to it all the deaths, cancellations, lost wrestlers on the indies, and the old timers on borrowed time like Randy, The Hardys, Truth, Taguchi, Makabe, sawdusted KENTA, half-blind Naito who could Hayabusa himself at any moment, and so on...My memory's probably fucking with me here but I don't recall retirements happening this often at this quick of a rate. Not that wrestlers are getting chopped left and right, but we're hitting an interesting turning point where there should be a real changing of the guard when it comes to the rosters. Most of these dudes were staples of my obese smelly smarkdom and I'd always hear news about them on a regular basis. And now it's over.
>>21038333they happened previously at similar rates, you just don't remember because they weren't as publicized with the ubiquitousness of social media. like you never would have even heard about a fandango level guy hanging it up for good 20 years ago. also marko stunt came out of retirement.
>>21038333I think we see Randy, Edge, and the Hardyz retire next year
>>21038351Yeah Fandango retired on TV, which is different than dudes like Lance Storm or Dean Malenko who hung it up at random indie shows
>>21038353a year or two ago randy said he can go for another 10 years, then plans to get on the undertaker mania schedulewonder when rey is gonna hang the mask up, he can still go but gets injured every third or fourth match
>>21038333There was a very weird post-WCW period around 02-03 that seemed like there was a pro wrestler dying every week
>>21038368i can think of these from 2001 to 2005>eddie>crash holly >candido>pitbull #2>boss manwho else?
>>21038361Randy looks bloated and fucked up. I don't know if he could last that long.
>>21038384my boy Hennig
>>21038650My perfect friend...
>>21039126One of the best, very high on my list.
>>210383842001>Terry Gordy2002>Davey Boy Smith>Lou Thesz>Rocco Rock>Wahoo McDaniel2003>Pitbull #2>Crash Holly>Mr. Perfect>Freddie Blassie>Miss Elizabeth>Road Warrior Hawk>Stu Hart>The Sheik2004>Big Boss Man>Hercules>Jack Tunney2005>Chris Candido>Lord Alfred Hayes>Eddie GuerreroThat's just the most well known, probably 10 or so more people I don't recall that well that died
>>21039188Why aren't wrestlers dying as frequently now?
>>21039276Chris Benoit died so they don't have to
>>21039276they're not as fucked up from the road, the bumps, the gas, the booze, the pills, the junk, the ribs, the rape. and the new convention economy gave a lot of old timers a new leash on life, they can afford healthcare now