Many a wrestling fan will be disappointed this morning to learn that after last night’s Wrestlemania XXVI match between The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels, Michaels will retire this year from the squared circle.

Hype centered around The Undertaker and Michaels has been brewing in the weeks leading up to Wrestlemania, with Michaels promising weekly to end The Undertaker’s Wrestlemania winning streak. With the stakes high and tensions continually rising, the drama around the match began to focus on Michaels’ retirement if he lost.

During the match, Michaels held off The Undertaker again and again, until The Undertaker defended his long-running winning streak with a knock-out tombstone followed by a shocking three-count.

After the match, the arena was in shock, as Michaels exited stage right for what could be the last time as a wrestler.

We’ve all heard this before. Wrestlers get injured, are forced to retire, but after they recover they make a big comeback. The question is, will Michaels come back? Backstage after the event, he is seen kissing his wife while his young son looks on. It is a relieved and very telling kiss that Michaels followed with the words, “It’s time for me to be a husband and a daddy.”

He also admitted that he’ll probably always be a part of the business. Like many a wrestler, the business is in their blood, and it’s near impossible to walk away. Either way, after a twenty-two year wrestling career with the WWE, HBK deserves a comfortable retirement.