A former WWE star has seemingly declared the end of his professional wrestling career.
In 2012, Ryback made an impact on television following his debut on WWE’s main roster. He organically got over with the fans, with his “Feed Me More” chants growing increasingly popular. In a matter of months, he was contending for the World Championship against CM Punk.
In the next few years, he locked horns with John Cena, The Shield, picked up a WrestleMania win over WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry, and followed up Punk’s rivalry with Brock Lesnar in the summer of 2023 by stepping in for the Beast Incarnate as the new “Paul Heyman Guy.” Ryback even won the first-ever Elimination Chamber match contested for the Intercontinental Championship.
Before this noteworthy run in the Stamford-based promotion, the 43-year-old was wrestling under the ring name Skip Sheffield as part of the Nexus faction in 2010. Originally, the Ryback character was created in OVW, where he held the Heavyweight Championship.
Former WWE Star Ryback Announces In-Ring Retirement
On Instagram, Ryback shared a reel in which he ranked the top five Shell Shocks (his finisher) he has hit on his opponents.
Along with this, he wrote a lengthy message that points out his two major career-ending injuries, which have been preventing him from lacing up a pair of boots again.
These are five of my biggest Shell Shocks throughout my career. Thank you to all the great people and fans out there that have common sense and know the truth. From day one I walked out and I spoke the truth, and a lot of lies and misinformation were put out to try to take people who loved me and pit them against me to discredit my word,” Ryback began his message on Instagram.
He then got to the meat of the matter, discussing his two career-ending injuries (his back and right shoulder) and the rehab he had to go through, and still does:
Just a reminder as well, I had two career-ending injuries with my back and my right shoulder. I have been beyond blessed to have recovered my back with over 20 stem cell procedures in my back and shoulder, getting my back to 100%, and I continue to work vigorously on my right shoulder week in and week out.
Iâ€m the best I have been in a very long time. I do it for me and for my life. I donâ€t do it to go back to wrestling. I do it to live healthy and to live to the best of my ability. That has been the truth from the very beginning, but that part was never covered. Thatâ€s why to this day, thousands of times a day, people ask me when Iâ€m coming back. Iâ€ve continued to tell the truth, but many just donâ€t know it because the truth wasnâ€t being shared.”
Finally, Ryback disclosed that he now lives with “peace, happiness, and positivity,” reminding fans that several things that were spoken about him were simply misinformation.
Just a reminder, Iâ€ve won. Everything Iâ€ve said has been true. I live with peace, happiness, and positivity, but I do not stand for bullshit, lies, misinformation, or disrespect from people who do not know me and have never met me. The truth always wins. Ryback always wins,” wrote the former WWE IC Champ.
This message from Ryback comes at a time when John Cena has announced “The Last Time Is Now Tournament,” a 16-man tourney that will determine Cena’s final opponent. The Never-Seen 17 noted that wrestlers who are part of SmackDown, RAW, NXT, and even those who are not signed with WWE at the moment, can participate in the tournament.
John Cena will step inside a WWE ring one last time for his swan song on December 13, and it looks like Ryback will not be one of his entrants in the tourney.
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