WWE: Ric Flair and the 6 Wrestlers Who Hung on Too Long

There is an older wrestler whose name is Kenny Jay. For five decades, the man wrestled in the midwestern part of the country as a jobber.

And through his years in the business he wrestled the greats of the times; he even had victories over Harley Race and Bobby Heenan. He was also responsible for helping Muhammad Ali prepare for his famous match with Antonio Inoki.

Jay's involvement in wrestling is not uncommon. Many have said once you get into the business, it is hard to get out of it. Some wrestlers, who need the work to help with personal demons, stay well beyond their welcome as younger, more athletic and talented performers outshine them.

Undoubtedly, this puts some tarnish on their shine.

Ric Flair has been doing this for almost 40 years and he still has the presence to get in the ring. While he is old, frail and looks like death run over, he is still full of mystique and a great interview.

Some, like Flair, who in my opinion has disgraced himself, should be shown the door and told not to come back or gently be told that their time is up and it is time to watch the action instead of being part of the action.

Ric Flair

As stated, the best there ever was still gets in the ring or had been in the ring this year.

It was not a pretty sight.

For years, The Nature Boy prided himself on being the best conditioned wrestler of his generation. Now he is a mere shell of himself.

Because of financial issues and personal demons, he is still in the business, hanging on in TNA. He recently had back surgery and has been away from the action. But you can sure there will be a place for him in some direction.

Still, at 62, he should know this is a business of young men and concentrate on being a manger or booker.

Mick Foley

He still manages to find himself in the ring from time to time.

Foley plays the role of general manager well. And for his career, he has been one of the hardest working wrestlers at creating matches that defy logic.

His stints in WWE and WCW are bookended by time where hardcore wrestling was what he did best and no matter what arena or federation, he put his body and life on the line.

Hulk Hogan

Admittedly, he looks good for his age and his mic skills are still outstanding.

He has recently had back surgery and is looking to get back in the ring in an angle with Sting.

Hogan is still in the closing stages of his career in and out of the ring and judging by what I have discussed with fans, they don't want to see the match with the Stinger unless it is his last dance.

Let's hope it is.

Terry Funk

Funk went from an international and NWA legend to a hardcore legend while staying in the ring well past his prime.

Fire, tacks, steel, bats, barbed wire. It did not matter. Like Mick Foley, Funk added years to his career by doing the odd and obscure to the delight of many hardcore fans across the country.

When Funk came to WCW and had a storyline with Ric Flair, challenging his for the world title and being involved in an "I Quit" match, we saw that Funk still had "wrestling" in him.

The hardcore stuff is not for me, and it did further damage his body. He is still wrestling today at age 67 and will face Jerry Lawler in October of this year.

Jerry Lawler

Another wrestler who still laces them up even after turning 60.

Lawler has been in a feud with Michael Cole this year that, while it has been entertaining, has also looked foolish at times.

Lawler can still mat wrestle with the best of them, but his run-ins with Jack Swagger while feuding with Cole have been outrageous and looked too staged.

Lawler holds over 160 titles career-wide and has wrestled in the AWA, NWA, WWF and other independent promotions.

He will lace them up again this year in a match with the legendary Terry Funk in October.

The Undertaker

The man still has his mojo. But his body may not have anything left.

After Wrestlemania XXVII and a beating he took from Triple H, many wondered if he would ever return to the ring.

His last match before the PPV was against Rey Mysterio when Mysterio broke his eye socket and injured the big man.

Always known as an agile cat for a man his size, he is wearing down. His strength and guile alone still make him a threat, but the years of brutality may finally have caught up with him

Jake "The Snake" Roberts

At 56 years old, Aurelian Jake Smith, Jr still wrestles from time to time.

Roberts has been a heel and face in many organizations over the years, filling out arenas with his high knee lift or his DDT or the use of Damien, his boa constrictor.

Roberts troubles with demons and drug use are well documented in wrestling documentaries and the effects of his abuse have taken a toll on him in and out of the ring. Some of his ring work in his older years was out of necessity.

He was said to have wrestled his last match in January of this year. It remains to be seen if he stays out of the ring for good.