EC3 is without doubt the comeback kid of professional wrestling. He started his career as Derrick Bateman in WWE's NXT back when it was more of a developmental show, before joining Impact Wrestling as Ethan Carter III. Then we returned to WWE as EC3, before leaving and returning to Impact Wrestling.

RELATED: WWE Announces First Set Of Talent Releases During Financial Cutbacks

It's a shame his second WWE tenure didn't work out given how much of a star Impact were able to make him look beforehand, but in a recent interview with Wrestle Talk, the newly signed Impact star revealed, perhaps, one of the reasons why he might not have been successful.

I think [Vince McMahon] had no clue. I actually heard one time, there was a meeting and they were watching IMPACT and I came out and I dont even remember who told me, but somebody in creative, and [Vince] was like ‘Who is this guy? We should get him.’. They’re like, “Derrick Bateman.” He’s like, “who?”

Usually WWE is very keen to reward people who didn't work out during the first run with WWE but go elsewhere and show clear signs of improvement. For example both Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre put the work in elsewhere and were rehired to eventually become world champions.

I think this is what many people envisaged for EC3 following the hard work he had put in to make himself a main event talent at TNA/Impact. However, if the Chairman wasn't even aware he was in WWE already as Derrick Bateman, then this obviously wouldn't be the case.

EC3 Returns To Impact Wrestling

EC3's return to Impact was teased as the end of Slammiversary, with the company playing a vignette hyping him up at the end of the show. He made his first onscreen appearance on the following episode of Impact where he attacked self-proclaimed TNA World Champion Moose.

EC3 was one of many former WWE stars that Impact hired in the run up to Slammiversary, including Heath Slater, Curt Hawkins, Gallows and Anderson, Deonna Purrazzo and another returning former Impact World Champion, Eric Young.

NEXT: Eddie Edwards Exclusive Interview - His Thoughts On EC3, The Sami Callihan Baseball Bat Incident And More