Lance Anoaʻi has announced that he will retire from professional wrestling in March 2027, bringing his in-ring career to an end after approximately 17 years.
The 34-year-old announced his decision on Instagram, explaining that he intends to wrestle for several more months before stepping away once he reaches the 17-year milestone.
“After almost 17 years in professional wrestling, I will be officially calling time on my in-ring career in March 2027, once I reach that 17-year milestone,” Anoaʻi wrote.
Lance Anoaʻi explained that spending more time with his wife and children was a major factor behind his decision.
“For so many years, wrestling has taken up my weekends, my time, and countless moments away from the people I love most. I’ve reached a point where I want to dedicate that time to my wife and my kids and be there for the moments that matter most.”
Anoaʻi also expressed his pride in his family’s continued involvement in professional wrestling, making it clear that he intends to support them after his own career ends.
“Walking away from something you’ve dedicated nearly 17 years of your life to isn’t easy. Wrestling will always be a part of who I am, and I’ll always love this business.”
Lance Anoaʻi trained under his grandfather, Afa Anoaʻi, and his uncle, Afa Jr., at Battlefield Pro Wrestling. His father is Samu, while Afa Jr. wrestled in WWE as Manu and his uncle Lloyd Anoaʻi performed as L.A. Smooth. Roman Reigns is also his cousin.
Anoaʻi made his professional debut in April 2010 and spent much of his early career competing for promotions including World Xtreme Wrestling, Maryland Championship Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Syndicate and House of Hardcore.
His most prominent run came with MLW, where he debuted against MJF in March 2018. Anoaʻi later teamed with Juicy Finau as the Samoan SWAT Team, with the pair defeating EJ Nduka and Calvin Tankman to capture the MLW World Tag Team Championship in January 2023. They held the titles for 182 days before losing to Akira and Rickey Shane Page.
He left MLW later that year and also competed for Pro Wrestling Noah during the 2023 N-1 Victory tournament.
Lance Anoaʻi’s Numerous Tenures With WWE Didn’t Go As Planned
Lance Anoaʻi also made several appearances for WWE before eventually signing with the company in August 2024.
His previous appearances included a January 2015 SmackDown match alongside Rhett Titus against The Ascension and a 2019 Raw match against Shane McMahon, which ended after interference from Drew McIntyre. Reigns came to Anoaʻi’s aid afterwards.
After signing with WWE, Anoaʻi was assigned to NXT but suffered an injury before making his official in-ring debut. He subsequently suffered another injury while attempting to return. Anoaʻi announced his WWE departure in October 2025 without wrestling a match during his contracted run. He later said he still had two years remaining on his deal when WWE released him.
Although his retirement is now planned, Anoaʻi stressed that his career isn’t over yet.
“Thank you, wrestling, for everything you’ve given me. 17 years. One hell of a ride. And in March 2027, it’s time for family. This isn’t goodbye just yet though. We still have a few months to go.”
