Predicting When Randy Orton, AJ Styles and More WWE, AEW Legends Retire

For wrestling fans, the last half decade has been one of the most exciting times in the industry's history, but several of the cornerstone Superstars are getting older and could be heading toward retirement.

In WWE, stalwarts like Randy Orton and AJ Styles could be considering a move to fewer matches, while AEW's Chris Jericho is closer to the end of his in-ring career than the beginning. While fans still want to see these veteran performers, Father Time is undefeated, and they may want to hang up their boots before their skills diminish.

Here are the talented—but older—Superstars in WWE and AEW who could consider retirement in the coming years.

Randy Orton

One of WWE's pillars for the last twenty years has been Randy Orton, but how much he has left in the tank at 44 years old is a major question. While The Viper is putting on some of his best in-ring performances and excelling on the mic, he has cataloged a long list of injuries since 2002.

With wrestling fans speculating about his future, Orton spoke to Adam's Apple in May about retirement and his plans for the rest of his WWE career, including possibly wrestling until he's 50.

"I wanna be on the road every week. I wanna make all the TVs and be on all the PLEs and at 44, just turned 44, I would love to be able to go into my 50s," Orton said. "Maybe I wrestle until I'm 50 and call it and that's 30 years. Thirty years with the same company, on top. I wrestled more pay-per-views, PLEs, whatever you wanna call it than anyone else in the history of the WWE."

Orton's slower and more methodical style may lend itself to a longer shelf life, but his most recent spinal fusion surgery kept him out of action for well over a year, which changed The Viper's opinion regarding his retirement.

"Well, if you would've asked me two years ago, I would have thought it would've been close to the end," Orton continued. "But I had a spinal fusion a year-and-a-half ago and that changed the game. I'd been in pain through my entire 30s. I was hurting. I was begging for time off when I was 35."

With a more clinical in-ring approach and the support of Triple H, Orton will remain a top star in WWE for as long as he stays healthy. Wrestling fans should expect to see The Viper through at least WrestleMania 45 regularly and then sporadically thereafter.

Orton is a living legend, and his appearances at WrestleMania will eventually reach the prestigious level associated with Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, The Rock and Steve Austin.

AJ Styles

The possibility of AJ Styles retiring soon was so realistic that when he came out on SmackDown and pretended to hang up his boots, only to attack Cody Rhodes, the WWE Universe bought into the segment wholeheartedly.

At 47 years old, Styles remains in the best shape of his life, taking his discipline to the next level for his marquee storyline with Rhodes for the world title. The veteran debuted in 1998 and has performed at a high level for over 20 years.

During a recent interview with Jamal Niaz of Seconds Out, Styles was asked about a potential dream match and how he would like to see it shake out.

"I'm not sure who that opponent is," Styles said. "I'm not sure what the story will be, I'm not sure of anything right now, I'm not sure that I'll make it out of tomorrow night without having to retire. Who knows what could happen?"

Styles in WWE has been a second wind for his career, but a lack of direction for well over a year has resulted in him being viewed as a main event gatekeeper more than an actual world championship contender.

Eventually, Styles should become a part-time performer, limiting his performances to significant events like WrestleMania and SummerSlam. WWE should let the Phenomenal One work through WrestleMania 41 as a full-time wrestler, but offer him a reduced workload in 2025 and beyond, thus extending his career.

For an athlete like Styles, he may never truly retire from in-ring competition until his body calls it quits first.

Chris Jericho

At 53 years old, Chris Jericho has built a legacy in wrestling that has him considered one of the greatest all-around performers in the history of the business. While Lionheart still has more left to give, how much is left in the tank is a serious question fans are asking.

Jericho's pace in the ring has slowed, but he has modified his style and recreated his character to keep himself a cornerstone of the AEW brand. Eventually, though, the FTW champion must step away from in-ring competition.

During an interview with TMZ Sports, Jericho unveiled uncertainty about his retirement.

"I would never put a, you know, a timeline on anything. It's like KISS does a retirement tour and then you know two years later they're still on the tour and then 10 years later they're done with it or whatever it may be. I've never been that type of guy to put a number on it. It's how I feel," said Jericho.

While some fickle members of the IWC are complaining that Jericho is still a full-time star—even though he's using his time to put over younger talent—he is a cornerstone of the AEW brand and one of the primary reasons the company has been successful thus far.

After another year or two of in-ring competition, Jericho should begin his retirement tour, ultimately culminating in a series of matches that mirror Sting's final run. By putting several younger stars over in the process, Jericho can give back to the business once more after over 30 years of bettering the industry.

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