Former Independent Wrestling Star Announces Retirement

You have to hang up the wrestling boots sometime. There are a lot of incredibly talented wrestlers throughout the world today and a lot of them work on different levels. You can have people in WWE or AEW, but there are far more who don’t wrestle on such a big stage. Those wrestlers have a limit on their careers as well, and one of them has reached their limit as well.

While WWE and AEW manage to get all kinds of attention no matter what they are doing, there is a lot more wrestling out there that does not get the same kind of attention. Ring of Honor is near the top of that list, with the better part of twenty years’ worth of history behind them. There are a lot of names throughout that history and now one of them is hanging up their boots.

Former Ring of Honor wrestler Erick Stevens has announced that he will be retiring from professional wrestling. Stevens had mentioned wanting to retire earlier in the year but continued wrestling throughout the summer. The announcement came after Stevens competed in a series of matches for the Collective in Indianapolis, Indiana. Stevens spent most of his career in Full Impact Pro and Ring of Honor before retiring for the first time in 2010. He would return in 2019, wrestling for various independent promotions, including Major League Wrestling.

Tonight is my last night as a professional wrestler.

— Eric Koenreich (@erickoenreich) October 11, 2020

Before I elaborate, please understand that this isn’t an impulsive decision. Nor is it a cliche temporary thing.

— Eric Koenreich (@erickoenreich) October 11, 2020

I always said I’d know when it was time to go. And now is that time. Certainly not the storybook ending I imagined, but this ain’t a storybook.

— Eric Koenreich (@erickoenreich) October 11, 2020

In spite of the circumstances, I’m happy. I’m grateful. I quit on myself a decade ago and I was lucky enough to get a second chance to live my dream. Most people never get that chance and spend the rest of their lives wondering “what if?”. But I don’t have to.

— Eric Koenreich (@erickoenreich) October 11, 2020

Because of the support of my incredible family and some generous promoters, I got to drag my old carcass into the ring and go to war with the best and brightest. Even got to tangle with some old friends like @fakekinkade and @MadKing1981

— Eric Koenreich (@erickoenreich) October 11, 2020

I wasted ten years by quitting on myself. My window to do anything big in this business closed a long time ago. But I’m grateful that I got to once again travel around the US and do what I love.

— Eric Koenreich (@erickoenreich) October 11, 2020

With my family and business obligations, my plate is just too full. I missed my daughters first soccer practice this weekend. I don’t want to miss another one. I can’t dedicate the time I need to perform at my personal standard.

— Eric Koenreich (@erickoenreich) October 11, 2020

My spot on the card, my payday, my airfare – They need to go to somebody else. My time is over. I had my fun. It’s time for me to go.

— Eric Koenreich (@erickoenreich) October 11, 2020

I have loved pro wrestling with every fiber of my being since I was 13 years old. I’ve sacrificed my body, my relationships, my money, my time, and my mind for this. Because that’s what you do for something you love. That’s what you do for something that makes you feel alive.

— Eric Koenreich (@erickoenreich) October 11, 2020

I’ll miss the shitty venues, the early mornings, the late nights, the airports, the cheers.

But more than anything else, I’ll miss my friends.

— Eric Koenreich (@erickoenreich) October 11, 2020

I’m not leaving the way I did in 2010. I’m not bitter. I’m not mad. I’m happy. I’m grateful. And I’ll still be staying in touch with my friends, old and new alike.

— Eric Koenreich (@erickoenreich) October 11, 2020

Thank you to my wife. Without her this wouldn’t have been possible. Thank you to @aiwrestling @BLabelPro and @beyondwrestling for believing in me. Thank you to all of my opponents. Thank you to the fans.

— Eric Koenreich (@erickoenreich) October 11, 2020

Stevens was quite the talent. Check out what he could do in the ring:

Opinion: Stevens is someone who might not be familiar to everyone in modern audiences but he was a fine star during his Ring of Honor days. He had a good look and could work well in the ring, which is where Ring of Honor was the perfect choice. That is part of the time which made Ring of Honor as popular as it would become, with Stevens being part of the crew that got them there. Stevens was good and I’m a bit sad to see him hang up the boots.

What did you think of Stevens? Who is your favorite Ring of Honor wrestler? Let us know in the comments below.

Thomas Hall has been a wrestling fan for over thirty years and has seen over 50,000 wrestling matches. He has also been a wrestling reviewer since 2009 with over 5,000 full shows covered. You can find his work at kbwrestlingreviews.com, or check out his- Amazon author page with 30 wrestling books. Get the latest and greatest in professional wrestling news by signing up for our daily email newsletter. Just look below for “GET EXCLUSIVE UPDATES” to sign up. Thank you for reading!