Most wrestlers spend a career chasing a world title. MVP says he would turn one down.
Speaking on the Marking Out Podcast, the 52-year-old confirmed he has not officially retired but expects his last match to come at some point in 2027, and that he intends to stay retired once it happens.
He was direct about why.
My ability to wrestle at a high level is deteriorating because of time. I don’t have the explosiveness that I used to. And let me be real with you. I don’t have the desire. My passion for actually getting in the ring and having that match isn’t what it used to be.
He is not looking for exceptions either.
Even when you’re like LeBron, where you spend millions of dollars on your body trying to stay at peak performance with nutrition, supplements and training, and there’s all of these things to do to keep your body at peak performance, father time’s undefeated, man.
The part that will get attention is what he says he would say no to.
If Tony says, ‘Hey, I want you, Bobby and Shelton to do a trios match,’ I’m ready. I can give you a tag. But if Tony said, ‘Hey, as a gift to you, for your career on the way out the door, I’d like to give you an AEW Championship title run.’ I would say no.
He has not wrestled since October 22, when the Hurt Syndicate failed to take the AEW World Trios Championship from Samoa Joe, Katsuyori Shibata and Powerhouse Hobbs, who has since signed with WWE and works as Royce Keys.
MVP’s career runs past 20 years and takes in WWE, New Japan, TNA and AEW. He formed the Hurt Syndicate in AEW with Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin after the three worked together as the Hurt Business in WWE.
