The perk of having WCW thrive at the same time as WWE allowed wrestlers to use the leverage when needing to switch companies. Most wrestlers who spent time in WCW left at some point with quite a few returning for another chapter. The better stories would have certain talents coming back with big changes to their presentation.

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Time away from WCW led to either the performer or the promotion wanting something different than the last time. Wrestlers who made big changes had mixed results when trying their luck with something new. The best-case scenario featured talents reinventing themselves, but not everyone did enough to provide success. Find out how things played out for the wrestlers who left WCW and came back with big differences.

10 Scott Hall

Scott Hall

The early ‘90s WCW run of Scott Hall is not remembered fondly when he played the Diamond Studd character. Diamond Studd was inspired by Rick Rude as a heel running down the audience and flirting with women in the audience.

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Hall left for WWE when realizing his WCW gimmick was going nowhere. The success in WWE as Razor Ramon led to WCW reaching out with a much bigger contract offer when a free agent in 1996. Hall was able to showcase his charisma and natural personality as the first member of the New World Order.

9 The Great Muta

The Great Muta

WCW and New Japan had a working relationship in the ‘90s with the top talents from NJPW coming over. The Great Muta was the first breakout star to spend some time in WCW working with top names like Sting and Ric Flair.

There would be a few stints in WCW for Muta with the biggest change coming in the latter half of the ‘90s. Muta joined the New World Order with the faction expanding into Japan and changed his dynamic as a more ruthless heel. Even the change of the black and white face paint with the NWO letters on his face showing the differences.

8 Wrath

Wrath

Bryan Clark started off in WCW with a lower card role trying to break out. The smaller roles teaming with the Diamond Studd or Mr. Hughes in losing efforts. WWE signed Clark away to have him play the Adam Bomb character.

Fans didn’t connect to Adam Bomb and Clark once again found his way on the free agent market. WCW signed Clark to play the Wrath character inspired by the Mortal Kombat video game characters. Wrath had ups and downs until Clark formed the Kronik tag team with Brian Clark.

7 Madusa

Madusa vs Kimberly Page

WCW rarely utilized women in the storytelling, but Madusa broke out as a manager interfering in matches. The in-ring skills of Madusa were used to join the male matches and getting involved as part of the Dangerous Alliance faction led by Paul Heyman.

Madusa would find more success in WWE when dominating the attempt of starting the women’s division in the New Generation Era. Eric Bischoff made a bold move signing Madusa back and having her thrown the WWE Women’s Championship in the trash. Madusa wrestled more and became a bigger presence wrestling than the first time.

6 Rick Rude

Rick Rude and the NWO

The heel character of Rick Rude saw him finding noteworthy success in both WWE and WCW. Rude had a bigger role in WCW as a main eventer in the early ‘90s having classic matches with names like Sting and Ricky Steamboat.

An injury to Rude would end his in-ring career before anyone expected. Rude moved into a manager position when re-signing with WCW. Eric Bischoff signed Rude when he was starting that role in D-Generation X. Rude made the huge move to become part of the New World Order primarily managing Curt Hennig.

5 Dustin Rhodes

Dustin Rhodes

WCW started off Dustin Rhodes early in his career as The Natural having strong matches. The athleticism of Dustin made him a relevant player following in the footsteps of his legendary father and WCW icon Dusty Rhodes.

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Dustin leaving to form the Goldust character added more name value ahead of his eventual WCW return. The character of Seven was teased before Dustin revealed he was using his real name. Rhodes still made changes wearing new gear and showing an edgier side for the rest of the WCW run.

4 Kevin Nash

Kevin Nash vs Randy Savage

The first WCW chapter of Kevin Nash’s career could have ruined him. Nash played absurd characters like mobster Vinnie Vegas and the Wizard of Oz inspired gimmick Oz each ending in failure. Shawn Michaels watching WCW led to him requesting Vince McMahon hire him to play his bodyguard.

Nash thrived as Diesel in WWE winning the WWE Championship, but WCW came calling with a massive contract. The duo of Nash and Scott Hall moved to WCW to form the New World Order. Nash thrived as a top star merging his charisma as a personality and credibility as a respected big man.

3 Raven

Raven and the Flock

Raven had a few failed gimmicks in various promotions before becoming the character associated with his career. WCW first used Raven with the name of Scotty Flamingo when giving him a surfer gimmick and placing him in the light heavyweight division.

The WCW run flopped, and Raven ended up moving from promotion to promotion. ECW allowed him to create the Raven character while breaking out as a fascinating character. WCW signed him to continue the Raven gimmick with success with memorable matches against Diamond Dallas Page, Goldberg and Chris Jericho.

2 Terry Funk

Ric Flair vs Terry Funk

The early years of WCW featured Terry Funk thriving as a main event star. Funk made drastic changes in ECW playing a crazy character later in his career going further with the hardcore style. A return to WCW would come in 1999 after Funk ended a couple of retirements.

Funk brought that version of himself to WCW and added more name value after other legends left. Funk continued his legendary rivalry with Ric Flair, feuded with Kevin Nash for the Commissioner position, and even had hilarious hardcore matches with Norman Smiley.

1 Jeff Jarrett

Jeff Jarrett

Jeff Jarrett perfected the art of the free agent market during the Monday Night Wars. WCW first used Jarrett as a relatively generic heel in the Four Horsemen. Jarrett changed his look in the next WWE stint when shaving his head and playing an edgier character using the guitar as a weapon.

Vince Russo moving to WCW to run the show convinced Jarrett to jump ship with him. Jarrett looked and acted completely different from his prior run in WCW. The push would see him moving into the main event picture winning the WCW Championship.

NEXT: 10 WrestleMania Matches Of WCW World Champions, Ranked Worst To Best