9 Wrestlers Whose Last WWE Match Came at WrestleMania

source// wwe.com

Regardless of your profession or dream, one desire that will often stick fast is a desire to go out on top. This may not necessarily mean going out at the top of the profession, but going out on the biggest stage available in your world. In football, this could mean finishing off at a World Cup final. In cricket, it would be a series-deciding Ashes test. In professional wrestling? WrestleMania.

Over the 31 years that we’ve been blessed with WrestleMania, a number of performers have put in their last shift for World Wrestling Entertainment at the event. There have been a number of retirement matches, but in the wacky world of pro graps this often means approximately zilch. Only once in a blue moon does ‘retirement’ mean retirement, and even with this every year is accompanied by whispers of that person making a comeback.

With that in mind, here are nine performers whose last WWE match (to date) took place at WrestleMania. To add a qualifier, I’m only dealing with televised matches (live shows and dark matches do not count). I’m also not putting in anyone who made nostalgia returns for one night only, aka Jimmy Snuka and Roddy Piper at WrestleMania XXV, or even short nostalgia runs like the New Age Outlaws at WrestleMania XXX.

9. Bart Gunn – WrestleMania XV

The story of Bart Gunn and his demise in the World Wrestling Federation is a peculiar one. A serviceable journeyman throughout the majority of his career, the peak of his career was most probably a tag team run with Billy Gunn as the Smoking Gunns. All this changed in the summer of 1998, with WWF’s ill-fated foray into shoot fighting.

Gunn took part in the Brawl for All tournament, a concept that came about after JBL told Vince Russo that he could beat anyone in a bar fight. Any idea that comes from bar fight claims probably shouldn’t be explored further. Participation in the tournament was strictly voluntary, but the overwhelming feeling was that it would act as a way to get ‘Dr. Death’ Steve Williams over in the WWF. 

WWF top brass didn’t reckon on Bart Gunn however, who went through Williams in the second round before going on to defeat Bradshaw in the final. This was never in the plan. Gunn’s reward for winning the tough guy tournament? He would go up against pro-fighter Butterbean at WrestleMania XV. 35 seconds after the bell rang, Gunn was staring at the lights. He would never work for WWF again.

8. Brutus Beefcake – WrestleMania IX

A lot of success in professional wrestling can be put down to who you know, and there can’t be many clearer cases of this than the tale of Brutus ‘The Barber’ Beefcake. His career was entirely reliant on the success and wishes of Hulk Hogan, with the making their debuts together in the late 1970s. Beefcake was actually billed as Dizzy Hogan at one point. 

A major parasailing accident in 1990 put Beefcake out of action for two years. Over 100 metal plates were needed to reconstruct Beefcake’s face, and regardless of your opinion on talent vs. success no one deserves such a fate. This injury was eventually used to bring both Beefcake and Hogan back to TV, as tag team champions Money Inc. tried to re-injure Beefcake.

This led to Jimmy Hart turning face and Beefcake and Hogan getting a tag title shot at WrestleMania IX. They were billed as the Mega-Maniacs, and Beefcake wore a protective face mask throughout. The two would lose the match via disqualification, although Hogan would end the night as WWF Champion once more. 

Beefcake wouldn’t feature on WWF/E television again.

7. Shelton Benjamin – WrestleMania XXVI

Poor old Shelton Benjamin. For a number of years the Money in the Bank ladder match was the highlight of the WrestleMania card, and for a lot of these years it was Mr. Benjamin who provided the most memorable moment from the match. Whether it is running up the ladder to deliver a clothesline to Chris Jericho or being destroyed from a huge ladder to the outside by Carlito and Mr. Kennedy, Shelton’s tumbles live long in the memory.

It is fitting that his last WWE match took place at WrestleMania in a Money in the Bank match then. However, this also happened to be the first 10-man match and also the one won by Jack Swagger, making it the least memorable and least impactful Money in the Bank match in its history. Shelton fell from a great height, but by this time it was depressingly old hat. 

Shelton would go on to work in various other promotions, putting on some excellent matches in New Japan Pro Wrestling and NOAH. Every year comes with rumours of a return to WWE, and ladder matches will be all the better for such a turn of events.

6. John 'Bradshaw' Layfield – WrestleMania XXV

Whilst still a part of WWE’s much-maligned announce team, John ‘Bradshaw’ Layfield’s last WWE match to-date came at WrestleMania XXV. What a memorable match it was too, as JBL lost his Intercontinental Championship to a Joker-inspired Rey Mysterio in just 21 seconds. It was blink and you’ll miss it stuff, which led to JBL emotionally quitting after the match.

When The Ascension arrived on the main roster at the beginning of 2015 it seemed as though JBL would be making a return to the ring, as he battered the newcomers on commentary for their apparent disrespect towards the legendary tag teams of the past. Many (myself included) believed that this was leading to a showdown between The Ascension and a reformed-for-one-night Acolyte Protection Agency. 

This never happened, Konnor and Viktor eventually doing battle against the New Age Outlaws instead. As such, JBL’s last WWE match to this date came at WrestleMania XXV. If he does return to the ring, he’ll be hoping it lasts a little longer than 21 seconds.

5. Andre The Giant – WrestleMania VI

One of the most recognisable figures in the history of professional wrestling. Andre the Giant’s legendary career in the World Wrestling Federation spanned 17 years and made him an international superstar. He was arguably the biggest crossover name in the game at the time, and it is testament to his status that him simply being bodyslammed is still the most iconic image in the history of the sport.

By the advent of the 1990s his career was coming to a close. Injuries and his gigantic size were truly taking their toll, and Andre was practically immobile. He was still a big box office draw however, so in order to keep Andre on cards he was put in a tag team with Haku, known as the Colossal Connection. The two would defend the tag titles at WrestleMania VI against Demolition, in what would be Andre’s last televised WWF match.

In fact, Andre never even tagged into the match. Haku practically went it alone, and after Demolition picked up the win Andre turned face after Bobby Heenan blamed him for the loss. The story continued over a number of house shows, but Andre would never feature in competition on WWF TV again. Less than three years later, Andre the Giant was dead.

4. Goldberg – WrestleMania XX

Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar should have been one of the most hotly-anticipated matches in modern professional wrestling. The feud truly sparked into life at the Royal Rumble in 2004, when an on-fire Goldberg was attacked and eliminated by then WWE Champion Brock Lesnar. This led to Goldberg interfering in Lesnar’s title loss to Eddie Guerrero the next month, and a match between the two was on for WrestleMania.

The problem was that both men were leaving after the event, and this was common knowledge. The crowd didn’t care for what should have been a dream match, seemingly waiting for the thing to be over in order to see Steve Austin give both men a stunner for their troubles. Neither man put in a particularly stellar effort either, and the whole thing has rightly gone down in WrestleMania DUD lore.

Lesnar would return to the ring a couple of years ago, but Goldberg is yet to reappear in WWE TV. There were rumours of a return to go up against The Undertaker at this year’s WrestleMania, but Shane McMahon was announced the Deadman’s opponent instead. In the 12 years following his last match, Goldberg’s only wrestling appearances have been to spear Scott Steiner at indie events.

3. Shawn Michaels – WrestleMania XXVI

Shawn Michaels is a unique figure in the history of professional wrestling, a tag team superstar who went on to become the face of a new generation before suffering a career-ending injury, only to return reinvigorated and perhaps surpass the first half of his career upon his return. 

Both halves of HBK’s career ended at WrestleMania. The first act ended at WrestleMania XIV when he dropped the WWF Championship to Stone Cold Steve Austin, wrestling through extreme pain to put on an absolute classic with the Texas Rattlesnake. His next WrestleMania appearance would come five years later, and you’d be hard-pushed to find a more consistent performer on the biggest stage than Shawn Michaels.

His career officially ended in a far more predictable manner, in a Career vs. Streak match at WrestleMania XXVI against The Undertaker. Since that epic battle Michaels has given little in the way of concrete evidence that a return to the ring is likely, despite the clamouring for a Daniel Bryan match. To date, WrestleMania XXVI represents Shawn Michaels’ last WWE match.

2. Ric Flair – WrestleMania XXIV

From Shawn Michaels to the man whose career HBK ended at WrestleMania XXIV. Going into that Mania, The Nature Boy was embroiled in a story with Vince McMahon where the boss made it clear to Flair that the next match he lost would be his last. This culminated in a match at the Showcase of Immortals against Mr. WrestleMania himself.

Not many gave Flair a chance of coming out the victor, but the two legends still managed to create enough drama to make the viewer believe that the Dirtiest Player in the Game might just be able to pull out one last victory. It wasn’t to be however, with Michaels delivering Sweet Chin Music after telling Flair that he loved him. It was a truly emotional moment in modern professional wrestling.

Flair would go on to sully this moment a little by bleeding all over TNA rings, but if we view this as the end of his in-ring career for real it was a wonderful way to go out.

1. Stone Cold Steve Austin – WrestleMania XIX

The number one performer during professional wrestling’s most lucrative period, Stone Cold Steve Austin went out in the most apt of manners. The final part of his era-defining trilogy with The Rock took place at WrestleMania XIX, where Rocky was finally able to get a victory over his great rival on the biggest stage.

It wasn’t known that this would be Austin’s last match at the time, but it was clear to all that his career was fast coming to an end. A large portion of 2002 had seen Austin at odds with the company over his opinion of the direction it was headed, although many took this to be Austin’s dying attempts to stay relevant in an industry that was moving on without him.

As WrestleMania XIX approached, the injuries Austin had piled up over the years truly began to take their toll. Austin would spend the night before the match in hospital, experiencing severe dizziness. His neck was as good as done, with doctors telling him that he was risking paralysis by performing at the show.

Austin would perform in an all-time great match against The Rock, but it would be his last match. Rocky would tell Austin that he loved him after the match, and an entire generation of viewers echoed that sentiment.