This year saw some of the all-time great wrestlers hang up their boots, and 2024 looks to be no different. With Keiji Mutoh‘s legendary career coming to an end, as well as CM Punk’s AEW run ending in him being fired, the professional wrestling world saw the end of some of the most iconic wrestlers of all time.
2024 will undoubtably see a number of top stars hang up their boots and retire from wrestling for good. One iconic AEW star has already announced that he is retiring in 2024, with a host of WWE, AEW and NJPW stars likely to follow in his wake.
As time goes on, the inevitability is that wrestlers will retire and be replaced by the next young stars of the day. This has happened since time immemorial, and is a natural part of the wrestling business. Just as Hulk Hogan replaced Billy Graham, John Cena replaced Hulk Hogan and Roman Reigns replaced John Cena – one day, Bron Breakker will replace Roman Reigns, and so on and so son.
Here are the wrestlers who will officially retire from wrestling in 2024, as they have already announced to the fans.
Wrestlers Retiring In 2024
Bryan Danielson
Former WWE Champion Bryan Danielson announced on an episode of AEW Collision in September that 2024 will be his final year in wrestling. The Blackpool Combat Club member revealed that he had signed his final contract in wrestling, and would be leaving to focus on being a father once his contract ends in 2024.
The legendary technical wrestler, who the Wrestling Observer’s award for the best technical wrestler is named after, joined AEW in August 2021. This was after over a decade spent in the WWE, and just months after he main evented WrestleMania against Roman Reigns and Edge (the latter of which has since also signed for AEW).
Danielson revealed that he will retire from wrestling as a full-time wrestler, but did not rule out a “Terry Funk-like” return for one-off matches, so it will not be a complete retirement in the traditional sense for Bryan Danielson in 2024.
Sting
On the October 18, 2023 episode of AEW Dynamite, The Icon Sting made a huge announcement. After making his wrestling debut in 1985, he has spent nearly four-decades in the ring, starring for promotions like the NWA, WCW, WWE, TNA and now AEW.
Sting is 64-years-old, so it is a shock that he is still wrestling at all. The former WCW World Heavyweight Champion was forced to retire in 2015, after suffering a neck injury in a match against Seth Rollins in the WWE. Fans thought he was done, until Sting showed up at AEW Winter is Coming 2020, reigniting his wrestling career once again.
Sting wrestled his first match for AEW at Revolution 2020, in a pre-taped, cinematic match while teaming with Darby Allin against Brian Cage and Ricky Starks. Sting and Darby won that match, and have gone on to be undefeated in a host of other tag team matches in AEW – although Sting admits he is too old to do a single match these days.
In a a promo on AEW Dynamite, Sting announced his retirement in 2024, revealing his final match will be at AEW Revoution 2024 – three years after his debut match in All Elite Wrestling.
“I started my very first match with #AEW was #AEWRevolution 2021, and my very last match will be #AEWRevolution 2024!” Get ready for one last year of The Stinger!” he said on AEW Dynamite.