Jaxson Ryker has heard the question countless times over the last three years. Does he miss wrestling? The answer is yes—but don’t mistake that for a comeback tease, because Ryker says that ship has already sailed.
Speaking with Ben Veal, the former WWE Superstar reflected on life since hanging up his boots and made it clear he hasn’t spent the last few years wondering if he made the right decision. Ryker recalled that his final match took place in August 2023 against his longtime friend Casey Cage. Since then, he’s traded wrestling boots for a badge, building a new career in law enforcement while focusing on his family.
“20 August of 2023, I had my final match in North Carolina against my buddy Casey Cage… Since then, I have been in law enforcement now for three years in kind of the county and the area I live in.”
That doesn’t mean he doesn’t miss parts of the wrestling business. In fact, Ryker admitted there are still things about it that he’ll always look back on fondly.
“I get asked the question all the time like, ‘Do you miss wrestling?’ And I do. I do. I miss, you know, entertaining the people in a certain way. I miss being in the locker room with the boys. But I knew that in 2023, it was time for me to step away.”
He said one of the biggest reasons he retired when he did was because he always wanted to leave on his own terms instead of having someone else make that decision for him.
“I’d always said I wanted to walk off on my own terms.”
These days, Ryker says life looks very different. Between raising his 10-year-old daughter, working in law enforcement and occasionally making appearances at wrestling conventions and signings, he’s found a new routine that he’s genuinely happy with. Just as importantly, his body finally feels like it’s had a chance to recover after years in the ring.
“My body feels 100% better than it did three years ago. It was beat up bad.”
Even though he still enjoys reconnecting with fans whenever he pops up at wrestling events, Ryker says there’s one thing people shouldn’t expect to see.
“I still do some signings and show up at shows and it’s good to see old fans and old friends. But I have no desire. When I put those boots in the middle of the ring in August of 2023, I had no intentions of coming back and having a match, and I’m very happy with my decision.”
Ryker originally announced his retirement by leaving his boots in the ring after an independent match in North Carolina before beginning a new career with the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office, where he was sworn in just a few weeks later.
Plenty of retired wrestlers eventually get the itch to come back for “one more match.” Ryker doesn’t sound like he’s heading down that road. He still appreciates everything wrestling gave him, but it also sounds like he’s found exactly what he was looking for once that chapter came to an end.
Were you surprised Jaxson Ryker has no interest in returning to the ring, or do you think he’ll eventually wrestle one more match? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
