Ex-WWE Champion Confirms Retirement At 42 With Emotional Message
A former champion in WWE has issued an emotional message after they hung up their boots at the age of just 42.
2025 was the year of big-time retirements in wrestling, with WWE Hall of Famer Goldberg calling it quits in the summer. The year was the final 12 months of John Cena’s iconic career, with Cena breaking records and causing massive shocks during his final run.
Perhaps the biggest shock of all came in his final match at Saturday Night’s Main Event against Gunther when the man who preached “Never Give Up” for twenty years meekly tapped out to his opponent, bringing the bout to an end.
The retirements in the wrestling business have continued into 2026, with NJPW legend Hiroshi Tanahashi hanging up his boots after Wrestle Kingdom 20. Tanahashi also went out on his sword, losing to long-time rival Kazuchika Okada in the Tokyo Dome.
Ex-WWE Star Kisses The Mat One Last Time
At TNA Genesis, it was the turn of JDC – best known as WWE star Fandango – to compete in his last match. The former NXT Tag Team Champion lost to his partner in The System, Eddie Edwards, to bring his career to an end.
Taking to social media, JDC issued a deeply personal statement following his last match and said he’s grateful for the wrestling business:
Pro Wrestling saved my life. Gave me a life I could only dream of. I’ve let my passion become my disease in the past. I wanted to kiss the mat goodbye. To let the business know I’m grateful for it. My handler usually edits my social. F*** it. ECW
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