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.

10 Wrestling Matches So Brutal They Hurt to Watch

source// wwe.com

Extreme violence is not common in today’s World Wrestling Entertainment, mainly because certain nuances which constitute a brutal match have been outlawed by those calling the shots. Since going PG in June/July, 2008, things like unprotected chair shots and blood have rarely been seen on WWE television. This hasn’t exactly helped matches like Hell In A Cell or Street Fight-style bouts come across as edgy, but it’s perhaps understandable that the company would like to protect performers.

There’s a common misconception that matches are only ‘hardcore’, ‘extreme’ or even brutal if they’re accompanied by the sight of blood. In truth, seeing claret spill from the foreheads of pro wrestlers does add an element of excitement, but it’s not the only aspect of a match that makes those watching wince from the other side of the TV screen. 

In all of the matches listed here, there are some seriously stiff strikes and moves. The wrestlers involved held absolutely nothing back, seemingly willing to put their bodies through unimaginable hell in order to entertain. That’s admirable, and shows a dedication to providing excitement, but it’s also difficult for some grappling fans to watch.

There’s an emphasis on selling in these bouts, although – telling the truth – much of the pain is visibly real. It’s been said that fans shouldn’t try pro wrestling at home, and these matches prove the sanity of that idea!

10. Cactus Jack Vs. Big Van Vader (WCW Saturday Night, 1993)

April 17, 1993 is likely an evening that Mick Foley can’t really remember. Naturally when analysing brutal wrestling matches, the ‘Hardcore Legend’ features a fair few times. He may pepper the list, but only some of his more choice (violent as all hell) encounters have been featured.

Some have referred to Foley in the past as someone who would often take things too far. If the violence presented in many of Mick’s matches seemed real, that’s because it most definitely was. When facing Big Van Vader in WCW, it was far from uncommon to see strikes so stiff that they would seem more at home in the UFC’s Octagon.

During one edition of WCW Saturday Night in 1993, Foley was on the receiving end of some shots that almost instantly split open his eyebrow. Hearing Foley document the horror on his WWE-produced ‘Greatest Hits & Misses’ DVD is a painful experience. 

Making things even more shocking, Foley is then staring blankly at the venue’s ceiling, following a brutal Powerbomb on solid concrete. The whole occasion is simply one which dodges the idea of wrestling pretending to stage real violence. It is real violence.

9. Roddy Piper Vs. Greg Valentine (NWA Starrcade 1983)

The art of selling pain effectively to the watching audience is something many veterans would claim is lacking in today’s industry. There’s a case for that, because it’s rare that a performer will sell danger for longer than a few moments, before suddenly looking miraculously healed. Something a lot of young wrestlers could do is watch Roddy Piper’s work.

Back in 1983, the NWA presented the first ever Starrcade show. One of the feature attractions was a Dog Collar Match between Piper and Greg Valentine, and it turned into quite the bloody affair. Notably, Piper’s ear bled horrifically, making for quite the striking closing sequence.

The announcer did a wonderful job of selling the fact that Roddy’s balance had been affected by the injury, and it just looks plain gnarly. Such a match stipulation really needs blood in order to look realistic, due to the metal chain that hooks both wrestlers together. 

Bloodied and battered, Piper is a sorry sight by the conclusion of the match.

8. TLC (WWF SummerSlam 2000)

As aforementioned, blood isn’t a strict requirement for matches to come across as brutal wars. The very first ‘Tables, Ladders & Chairs’ bout didn’t really focus on slicing the competitors open, it was much more about huge bumps and eye-watering impact with metal ladders, chairs and wooden tables.

The Dudley Boys, Hardy Boyz and Edge and Christian deserve a lot of credit for raising the bar with what fans could expect from such matches. SummerSlam 2000 may have featured the first TLC bout in history, but people had witnessed matches involving the items on display before. It was the interesting ways the performers used them that really opened eyes.

It’s almost impossible not to wince when re-watching Jeff Hardy’s glaring miss as he attempts a Swanton Bomb from the top of the ladder. The fall seems huge, and Hardy smashes through the prone table after Bubba Ray manages to move out of the way.

Jim Ross on commentary often referred to these matches as a ‘human demolition derby’, and there’s a grim fascination which comes from watching them time and time again. If anything, they get more painful each time!

7. The Undertaker Vs. Brock Lesnar (WWE No Mercy 2002)

2002 was a breakout year for Brock Lesnar. Looking like a raw beast when he made his debut in March, Lesnar was a fully-fledged headliner by the time he met The Undertaker in October. Winning the ‘King Of The Ring’ and beating The Rock at SummerSlam were ideal preparation for a feud against ‘Taker.

A decent double disqualification at Unforgiven in September did not give any indication as to what would occur come No Mercy the following month. Fans did get excited when a Hell In A Cell clash between both men was announced, but few could have predicted just how intense an occasion it would prove to be.

Arguably, this was Lesnar’s most important WWE performance to date at that point. He proved he was willing to put his body through hell, and the moments when Undertaker and he slammed against the steel mesh looked violent and thrilling. Bust wide open by his foe, Brock’s head and face were caked in claret by the time he emerged victorious.

More than any Cell encounter up to that point, this one sold the actual threat of the structure itself.

6. Eddie Guerrero Vs. JBL (WWE Judgment Day 2004)

When looking back to bloody matches from recent WWE history, shocks are often found. People are so desensitised to such violence now, so it’s incredible to watch performers put one another through so much torture in their respective bids to entertain. There’s no doubt about it, Eddie Guerrero and JBL suffered for their art at Judgment Day in 2004.

The beloved Guerrero had become one of the best babyfaces of his generation when he became WWE Heavyweight Champion at No Way Out just months before. Contrastingly, JBL had morphed into a hated heel. The stage was set for a routine battle to headline the pay-per-view, but it would turn into one of the most bloody main events some fans had ever witnessed.

Cracked over the head with a steel chair, Guerrero’s blood flow appears instant. Within mere seconds, the man’s chest had plasma all over it, although that’s later reciprocated by another corking blade job from JBL. Both gushed incredibly during the match, and the amount of blood alone is enough to turn some stomachs.

5. Brock Lesnar Vs. John Cena (WWE Extreme Rules 2012)

Straight away, John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar from WWE’s Extreme Rules 2012 pay-per-view stood out from the rest of the pack. By 2012, WWE had fully embraced the idea of a PG product, and there was a cartoon-like level of violence in some matches. It was light and rarely too dangerous looking.

Lesnar’s return to the fold changed all of that, because he borrowed heavily from his UFC career to make it look like he was really battering Cena’s head and body with his strikes. Somewhat shockingly, he was – at least for the most part – and Cena bloodied quickly. To the benefit of proceedings, the match wasn’t stopped.

Absolutely everything Brock Lesnar did during this bout came across as painful and decidedly real. His punches, kicks, slams and submission holds all looked credible, and it’s fair to assume that Cena and he had some bruises and cuts the following morning. 

The saccharine nature of WWE programming around this time only helps the match stand out. If people watch the whole pay-per-view, they will be captivated by the brutality on hand by the time the main event rolls around. At times, it looks like a real fight.

4. Mankind Vs. The Undertaker (WWF King Of The Ring 1998)

There’s no way any list looking at painful-to-watch wrestling matches could feel complete without poor Mick Foley’s beating at the King Of The Ring 1998 show. It’s not hard to imagine that this specific match has become one of the most-watched on the WWE Network, so infamous are the titanic bumps it contains.

For new wrestling fans, The Undertaker vs. Mankind is simply must-see content. Within minutes of the brawl erupting, the latter was hurled from the top of the steel Cell through an announce table more than 15 feet below. Incredibly, that’s not where the actual sensation of pain (through simply watching) sets in.

It’s upon seeing the second major bump that things start to get frightening. A crude Chokeslam through the top of the cage into the ring below looks downright cruel, especially when seeing the unnatural angle Foley’s legs are at once his head, beck and back collide with the canvas. 

The whole match is like watching a dear friend get the kicking of their life, it’s pretty blood-curdling in general. By the time Mankind is shown with his own bloody tooth embedded in his nose, nausea begins to set in.

3. Cactus Jack Vs. Randy Orton (WWE Backlash 2004)

Randy Orton deserves a medal for the pain he was willing to put himself through at Backlash 2004. Up against Mick Foley’s maniacal Cactus Jack persona, the then-reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion tortured his frame beyond belief. More accurately, sharp thumb tacks tortured Orton.

Facing Foley in a Hardcore battle, Randy and his peer used such delights as barbed wire boards, a barbed wire baseball bat, meaty bumps off the entrance stage and the aforementioned drawing pins to great effect. Watching this match with a non-wrestling fan is an enlightening experience, because they are very much likely to stare in abject horror and question preconceived ideas that wrestling isn’t real.

When Orton goes for his patented RKO onto the tacks, instead receiving a flat back bump on top of them, fans in the front row just about seem to lose their lunch. The gore isn’t exactly wild, but the shaking Randy performs upon feeling the pins pierce his skin seems totally real.

Seeing little trickles of blood trail down his back from each puncture mark is grim, it’s very unlikely anyone can watch this match without feeling their eye twitch and face start to contort.

2. Abyss Vs. Sabu (TNA Turning Point 2005)

Trust Sabu to up the ante on this list and introduce an actual spike to proceedings. Wrestling fans – of a certain age anyway – are well versed in seeing performers thumped over the head with steel chairs and even crashing through tables. Someone few people can stomach is seeing one man get lacerated time and time again by a crazed lunatic wielding a knife-like object.

That’s what happened just moments into Sabu’s match against Abyss at TNA’s Turning Point pay-per-view in 2005. Stunningly, this so-called ‘Barbed Wire Massacre’ was the very first match on the show, and nothing else on the card could top the level of violence on display. Not only did both men bump liberally on the wire itself, Abyss also had his arm torn open by his foe.

The whole altercation is just painful viewing, and there’s a sense of relief once it’s over and done with. Adding to that sick feeling in the pit of stomachs everywhere, Sabu’s belly-first bump on the barbed wire scratched up his mid section pretty good. 

Seeing blood coming from the head is one thing, seeing it emerge from arms and stomachs is another.

1. Cactus Jack Vs. Terry Funk (IWA 'King Of The Deathmatch' 1995)

Undoubtedly the absolute king of sore-looking wrestling matches is (rather fittingly) Mick Foley vs. Terry Funk’s ‘King Of The Deathmatch’ bout from 1995. Actually the final of an entire tournament, neither man was leaving anything to chance with this one. There’s barbed wire, but there’s also the small matter of C4 explosives set to erupt at the 10-minute mark.

Again going under his Cactus Jack moniker, Foley and his dear friend beat the absolute !*$% out of one another to try and entertain the fans. Some people dislike this kind of match, because there’s no real ‘art’ to it all, this is simply a pair of men putting themselves through hell for the benefit of others.

Even before the match got underway, Funk was showing the scars of previous battles in the tournament. His t-shirt was even soaked in blood, giving a grisly look. Eating up the impact of bumps onto barbed wire and numerous explosions, it’s a wonder that either man could stand by the time the bout was finished. 

There’s absolutely nothing about the match that doesn’t hurt to watch, only those with an iron will should elect to watch it.