Zach Gowen Announces Pro Wrestling Retirement

Zach Gowen has announced his retirement from professional wrestling, noting that the best moment of his career was facing Ricochet in front of his family on AEW Dynamite in 2025.

"First promo pic and last promo pic! My in-ring career has come to an end. Thank you to every promoter who gave me an opportunity to wrestle. I've had the privilege of performing for every major company over the past 24 years. Special thank you to the fans for not rejecting me. Pro wrestling provided a direction and outlet for a very lost kid. All I ever wanted to be was a professional wrestler and I accomplished that solely because you accepted me not as a sideshow act but as a legitimate pro wrestler. I’m deeply grateful," Gowen wrote on Facebook.

"The best moment of my career was wrestling for AEW in front of my wife, kids, and parents. That was the cherry on top after burning my career to the ground as a result of my crippling drug addiction then having the opportunity to not only rebuild my life but my passion then sharing that with the world while enjoying every second of it. My victories are not the result of my talents but ultimately the result of God working through others allowing them to pour into and invest in me. I am the luckiest guy in the world."

With his retirement, Gowen's final match was on September 26, 2026, at WrestleRave King of the Mountain in a loss to KC Kr'eme. Gowen has wrestled for Maple Leaf Pro in 2026 and he worked in a production role at MLP Northern Rising on October 3.

Zach Gowen made his pro wrestling debut in 2002 and rose to national attention in the United States while performing for TNA in early February 2003 as Tenacious Z, with Gowen drawing attention due to his pro wrestling ability despite having one leg amputated because of a cancer battle when he was eight years old. Gowen did not sign a contract with TNA and he instead signed with WWE later that month, debuting in May 2003 as a planted fan who came to the aid of Mr America against Roddy Piper and Sean O'Haire.

Gowen would be allied with Mr America for the feud with Roddy Piper and Sean O'Haire and he remained a featured performer on SmackDown as 2003 progressed, transitioning into a programme with Vince McMahon that led to a pay-per-view match at Vengeance 2003. Other memorable moments included Gowen (well, a stuntman) being pushed down a flight of stairs by Brock Lesnar, while Gowen picked up a PPV win over Matt Hardy at No Mercy. Gowen was written off in late October 2003 with an attack from Akio and Sakoda and was released by WWE in February of 2004.

Over the years that followed, Gowen would perform for TNA, Ring of Honor, Juggalo Championship Wrestling, and even have a one-month run with All Japan Pro-Wrestling in 2007, while he continued to wrestle on the indies.

Gowen made his AEW debut in May 2025 in an angle which saw Ricochet steal his prosthetic leg. Gowen would lose to Ricochet at Dynamite Beach Break 2025.