Val Venis stepped back into the ring for the first time in more than four years, but his comeback did not end with his hand raised.
The former WWE star, whose real name is Sean Morley, came out of retirement this past week for Independent Stars of Pro Wrestling’s Legends of Wrestling Night in Wildwood, New Jersey.
It marked Morley’s first match since Heroes & Legends XVI on April 23, 2022. The 55-year-old former Intercontinental Champion faced Rico Gold and entered the match believing his experience would be enough to get the job done. Instead, Gold pulled off the victory and handed the WWE veteran a loss in his return match.
After the bell, Morley grabbed a microphone and reflected on his long career, which included wrestling around the world and sharing the ring with some of the biggest names in the business.
“At 55 years of age, I came out of retirement. I’ve wrestled all over the world. I fought eye to eye and toe to toe with some of the greatest performers to ever set foot in this industry. I’m a two-time Intercontinental Champion.”
Morley admitted that he walked into the building expecting the match to be an easy night. Rico Gold had other plans and pinned the former WWE star for the three-count. Rather than making excuses, Morley gave Gold full credit for earning a victory that will remain on his record forever, regardless of how fans feel about him.
“I came here this day thinking I would climb into this ring, look you dead square in the eyes and call this night a cakewalk. You set me up, and you took me down for the one, two, three.”
“Regardless of whether the people like you or whether those people hate you, that is a win in the victory books that will last forever.”
The segment ended with Morley shaking Gold’s hand and giving him a hug in the middle of the ring. It was a strong show of respect after Gold scored one of the biggest wins of his career against a former WWE Intercontinental Champion.
Morley has not announced whether this was a one-time return or the beginning of another run. Either way, Rico Gold now owns a victory over Val Venis, and Morley made sure the crowd understood exactly what that win meant.
Would you like to see Val Venis wrestle more matches after coming out of retirement? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
