Smark Out Moment

Welcome to another edition of Triple Threat from Smark Out Moment, where three of us get together to discuss three questions based on one big topic going down in the week of professional wrestling.

This week, Dallas Allsopp, Greg Coleman, and Robert DeFelice will be giving their thoughts on when a wrestler is best suited for retirement!


COLEMAN: Both of these men should've retired years ago. The mark they each made on the wrestling business in different ways are set in stone. Goldberg's last run was the perfect the retirement situation. He came back so his son could see him wrestling live, which is a beautiful thing. He even managed to become universal champion, and he and Brock got a WrestleMania match that went along way in deodorizing the stench that surrounding their only WrestleMania match at WrestleMania 20. Given how Super ShowDown played out, I would like to see him have one more match to go out on a better note. However, he needs to be paired with current performer who can carry him. The man for the job is Randy Orton. The story works as Orton is the Legend Killer and is good enough to carry Goldberg. An RKO on a spear attempt is a fitting end for Goldberg.

Undertaker should've retired after his match with Reigns at WrestleMania but didn't and he hasn't contributed much of anything to his legacy since then. If WWE is serious about the new Bray Wyatt then he should be the man to send The Deadman to his final resting place. Like Goldberg, Undertaker needs to work with a current talent that can help carry him through the match. AJ Styles would be another great candidate for the job.

ALLSOPP: The Undertaker is my favorite wrestler of all time, however, his legacy is now being tainted by the poor quality of his matches. New fans to the product will likely view him as an old man rather than marvel at his amazing career which is a sad indictment of where he currently is. After all, he has replaced his hip and I wouldn't want to see him confined to a wheelchair in future years like so many wrestlers from his era have been.

In terms of Goldberg, I considered him retired prior to this match, and his performance confirmed he has long lost what he once had. Goldberg was all about power, and seeing him struggle to lift The Undertaker (and nearly breaking his neck in the process) means he should stay at home and never return. Some things are best left alone.

DeFELICE: In regards to Goldberg, I said it before and I'll say it again, he needs to be done now. What happened at WWE super ShowDown was really sad and I don't want to see him tarnish his legacy any further.

The Undertaker, he needs a real storybook ending. This will be hard as he has had quite a few storybook endings already. However, now I think he needs to start building towards what will be the real end of his career. How would I do it? I would put him in the ring with somebody who could use the rub. In this case, I would suggest that demon Balor gain control of all of the supernatural abilities that The Undertaker still has left and retire The Undertaker with a new phenom in town.


DeFELICE: Plain and simple, I am selfish and no I do not think it is time. Yes, I'm glad that he has many opportunities at his doorstep and still has his health but I want to see him do one or two more years of a full WWE run before hanging it up for good.

ALLSOPP: John Cena showed at WrestleMania he can still pop a crowd and I feel he could replace The Undertaker as a special attraction at WrestleMania. Beating Cena still feels like it means something so a victory over him for an up and coming wrestler could propel them into the main event scene. Cena clearly still has a passion for the business so why not use him whilst he is happy and healthy.

COLEMAN: Cena shouldn't retire tied with Ric Flair. As much as I think it's crazy he's had 16 title reigns, I believe he has earned the right to become the all-time leader in title reigns. He should win the Universal Title to become the first man to hold every iteration of a main title the WWE has had (WWE, World Heavyweight, and Universal Title) for #17. After he does this, he should retire.


ALLSOPP: For me personally it was Daniel Bryan's original retirement. To retire because you are perceived as damaged goods when you know you can still compete at the highest level is heartbreaking, especially for someone who loves the business as much as Bryan does. I genuinely teared up as I realized I would no longer be able to see him perform live, but thankfully his retirement wouldn't be permanent, and the Planet's Champion character was the highlight of an otherwise underwhelming year in WWE. Bryan is the only retirement to not be honored that I am happy about.

DeFELICE: Edge. Edge retired of the top of the industry and was my favorite wrestler at the time and I never fully recovered from his retirement. I think he's one of the most underrated Superstars and his retirement was a legitimate emotional time for me.

COLEMAN: It's a tie for me: Edge and Katsuyori Shibata. Edge's retirement was so sudden and robbed him of so many great years and feuds he had left ahead of him. The matches he could've had with Daniel Bryan, Seth Rollins, AJ Styles, Cesaro, and others would've been phenomenal not to mention the renewal of the rivalries with the Hardy Boyz.

Shibata's is sad because like Edge it was completely unexpected. Shibata was forced to retire as a result of injury he sustained in a match. With NJPW gaining more and more popularity and prominence in the states, Shibata would've been a full blown star and fan favorite among wrestling fans outside of the Japan. If you have never seen him wrestle do yourself a favor and Google him. You won't regret it.