WWE often sees wrestlers coming in and out of the company as it serves as a wrestling home to many of the all-time great names in the industry. The wrestling business is open to a lot of changes with most WWE performers leaving the company at some point. Whether it’s due to wanting a break, choosing to work for another promotion or being forced out, the talented stars may have to spend time away from WWE. This leads to major returns coming down the road with the wrestlers getting another chance on the big stage. Return runs are a huge deal for the company and the performer to make the most out of it.
Most memorable returns will see either a legend or credible performer come back home to WWE for another stint as a performer. The successful result is fans getting invested and the performer adding more success to his or her career in WWE. Other stories will see a talent have a terrible return run when coming back to WWE for another chance. Nothing is guaranteed in wrestling, and there are some wrestlers that just couldn’t live up to the expectations. We will look at both sides of the stories when it comes to wrestlers returning to WWE. These are ten WWE comebacks that were very successful along with ten that were disappointing flops.
20 Success: Goldberg
The recent return of Goldberg in 2016 saw him changing the poor reputation he once had WWE. Goldberg was viewed as a legend thanks to his popularity in WCW, but no one thought the same of his 2003-04 WWE run. The fit did not work out as Vince McMahon didn’t believe Goldberg should be booked as an unstoppable monster.
WWE gave Goldberg another chance for one more run in 2016. There was a lot of hype for Goldberg, thanks to a marketing deal to be the face of the WWE 2K video game franchise. Goldberg defeated Brock Lesnar in seconds, won the Universal Championship and had a great WrestleMania match. The return saved his WWE legacy from being remembered as a failure.
19 Flop: The Ultimate Warrior
The '80s featured The Ultimate Warrior becoming a sensation for WWE. Warrior joined Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, and Andre the Giant as the most beloved wrestlers from the era that fans still have nostalgia for today. The talent of Warrior was not as strong as many of his peers, and he got by on a great gimmick.
WWE tried to find magic with Warrior again in the '90s. The mid-'90s featured Warrior getting his final chance as an in-ring competitor for WWE. Warrior had terrible matches and often refused to allow younger wrestlers to get any offense in on him. This disappointing run ended with WWE wanting to get rid of him and build new talents with more respect for the business.
18 Success: The Rock
Most fans would assume a star as big as The Rock returning to WWE would be an obvious success, but that is anything but true. Rock returned for real in 2011 to start a program with John Cena. The pressure was on for The Rock to return with success in both entertaining matches and box office success for the main events of WrestleMania XXVIII and WrestleMania XXIX.
Rock and Cena set records as they were the two most successful PPVs in WWE history after they took place. The Rock's star power helped WrestleMania grow to another level and added another memorable chapter to his career.
17 Flop: Tatanka
Tatanka's best years in the WWE took place in the early '90s. WWE started his run with an undefeated streak as he found popularity in the mid-card picture. A surprising heel turn made him a great villain as part of The Million Dollar Corporation faction working alongside Ted DiBiase.
WWE would bring Tatanka back in the 2000s as they wanted to add more veterans to the locker room. Tatanka struggled to find any success in the ring as he was past his prime and unable to match up with more athletic Superstars. A short tag team run with Matt Hardy ended with them putting over MNM as the top team of the time.
16 Success: Ric Flair
Ric Flair questioned his decision to return to wrestling towards the end of 2001. WCW going out of business was a moment Flair wanted as he lost all his confidence in the final few years. Flair planned to just step away from the ring and stop wrestling until WWE called him at the end of the Invasion angle.
The original plan was for Flair to just work as an on-screen character as part owner of WWE. However, Vince McMahon talked him into returning as a full-time wrestler. Flair struggled to find his confidence until pairing up with Triple H and forming Evolution. It added another strong chapter to Ric’s career that made him beloved by even more fans.
15 Flop: Gail Kim
Gail Kim is one of the most talented and important female wrestlers that gets no love from WWE’s history of the Women’s Evolution. The first run of Kim in WWE featured her winning the Women’s Championship but never really getting pushed as a relevant talent. A great run in Impact Wrestling was followed by Gail returning to WWE, with hopes of a better run after proving herself elsewhere.
WWE used Kim even less this time around as she was a secondary player in the Women’s division. She grew frustrated with the lack of respect shown towards her. Gail requested her release from WWE and even intentionally eliminated herself from a battle royal in her final match. Impact Wrestling brought Kim back and she had another legendary run to prove her skills outside of WWE.
14 Success: Christian
Christian is another WWE Superstar that benefited from leaving to work for Impact Wrestling for a while. The great mid-card and tag team run of Christian in the 2000s led to him growing a strong popularity among the diehard fans. WWE, however, didn’t view him as a main event player.
This led to Christian making the choice to leave WWE and try his hand as a top star for Impact. Christian did a great job, but he still wanted to return home to WWE to end his career. A comeback run in WWE featured him winning the World Championship and ECW Championship on many levels. Christian had countless great matches and secured his future status as a WWE Hall of Famer.
13 Flop: Kevin Nash
Kevin Nash has been in and out of WWE over the years thanks to a great working relationship. Nash always had a great business relationship with Vince McMahon, and he is one of the best friends of Triple H in real life.
Nash made multiple WWE returns that did not work well for him. The one in the 2000s allowed Nash to return in a main event capacity in feuds against top heels Triple H and Chris Jericho. He just did not belong at that level and was exposed. An even more embarrassing comeback took place when Nash returned in the CM Punk and Triple H story. It played a huge role in Punk believing Triple H and WWE were attempting to sabotage his run by forcing him to work with an over-the-hill Nash.
12 Success: Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar’s comeback to WWE can be argued as the most successful one in company history. The first run of Lesnar featured him being a top star from his debut until his departure. Brock found even more success outside of WWE as a top draw for UFC.
This made him more valuable when WWE allowed him to return to the company in 2012. Lesnar impressed Vince McMahon enough to receive arguably the greatest contract ever in WWE. This schedule has seen Brock receive the most money and have the longest title reign, while working the least amount of dates on the roster. Lesnar’s run is the definition of success for his personal happiness.
11 Flop: Scott Steiner
Scott Steiner returned to WWE in 2002 a different man and performer than he was in the early 90s. His first WWE run came in the form of a tag team with his brother Rick Steiner as the two worked as a babyface duo.
The return in 2002 was a different story as Scott became a main event heel in his final few years in WCW. WWE fans reacted to him with a monster applause when he returned at Survivor Series 2002. Steiner sadly could not live up to the hype with awful matches against Triple H. His new attitude also doomed him backstage and the return was a huge flop.
10 Success: Shane McMahon
Shane McMahon realized just how beloved he was by WWE’s fan base when he returned to the company in 2016. A long absence from WWE saw Shane focusing on his own business projects after finding out his father Vince McMahon was making the decision to have Stephanie McMahon and Triple H succeed him.
The comeback of Shane would take place as a performer rather than a behind the scenes person. Shane helped bail his dad out after John Cena and many other top stars were injured ahead of WrestleMania 32. The return gave him a match against Undertaker inside of Hell in a Cell. Shane enjoyed his return and was successful enough to make the call to stick around for the foreseeable future.
9 Flop: Mr. Perfect
One of the most disappointing returns in WWE history took place in 2002 when Mr. Perfect returned to the company. WWE had plans for Perfect to have a chance to move into the main event scene. Perfect made his first WWE appearance in many years in the Royal Rumble match, lasting until the final three.
Unfortunately, Perfect's body was banged up and he was still struggling with his personal demons. WWE realized he couldn’t perform at the level of top Superstars like Steve Austin and Triple H. Perfect spent most of the run in the mid-card picture before getting released.
8 Success: Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho has become known as the master of the comeback, given his career path. 2005 featured Jericho stepping away from professional wrestling to focus on other aspects of his life. Since then, he has made a few surprise returns to WWE.
The most successful instance of this took place when Jericho came back in 2012. Jericho refused to say any words in his first few promos just riling the crowd up and putting on a phony smile to portray a parody of what they wanted. It led to a heel turn in a long and entertaining program with CM Punk.
7 Flop: Tensai
Many wrestling fans remember Matt Bloom's WWE career for his time in the early 2000s as Albert and A-Train. His impressive size and speed allowed him to have some fun moments. However, Albert never could take off to find a relevant role in the promotion.
A stint in Japan helped his career get to the next level under the name of Giant Bernard. WWE took notice of his success and brought him back as Tensai. The new heel character was meant to be the next major rival for John Cena. Tensai failed to connect with the audience and was changed into a comedic character shortly after. A decision to retire from the ring worked out for the rest, as he now is the head trainer at WWE’s Performance Center.
6 Success: Jeff Hardy
The journey of Jeff Hardy has seen many incredible ups and heartbreaking downs. Hardy’s personal demons have been part of his life for most of his career. WWE cut bait on Jeff in the early 2000s due to his unreliable nature bringing down his obvious potential.
Hardy received another choice in the second half of the 2000s decade for WWE. Fan support organically grew to the level where he was as popular as John Cena. Hardy scored the biggest accomplishments of his career as WWE Champion and World Champion. The return validated his status as a top Superstar in the industry.
5 Flop: Sable
Sable deserves to be mentioned among the most popular female performers in WWE history. The success of Sable in the Attitude Era allowed to receive pops as big as Steve Austin or The Rock on many nights. WWE bringing her back in 2002 following a controversial exit led to less success this time around.
Sable’s comeback featured her getting involved in a romantic storyline with Vince McMahon. It led to her having feuds and matches with the likes of Torrie Wilson and Stephanie McMahon. Sable, unfortunately, could not find the same level of success from her prior years. Torrie, Lita, Trish Stratus, Stacy Keibler, and others passed her in the totem pole.
4 Success: Hulk Hogan
The career of Hulk Hogan has seen him go in and out of WWE many times. Hogan’s recent return to the company at Crown Jewel marked yet another time he found a way back from exile. WWE got the best returns from a comebacking Hogan when he helped re-form the New World Order in 2002.
Vince McMahon expected the heel group to become a powerhouse for the WWE. However, fans cared more about cheering Hogan for his return to the company he helped put on the map. The incredible match against The Rock at WrestleMania 18 turned Hogan face and made his comeback a massive success. Hogan had some of his best matches during this run and helped put over guys like Kurt Angle, Edge, and Brock Lesnar.
3 Flop: Scott Hall
Scott Hall had a less successful return to WWE when bringing back the New World Order. Many pundits would argue that Hall was more talented overall than Hulk Hogan and Kevin Nash. That made it interesting when the faction returned, and Hall received a massive match against Steve Austin at WrestleMania X8.
Hall's disappointing return showed that he was in no shape to be a top star. Hall was still battling with personal issues and failed terribly with WWE. The company decided to fire Hall after just a few months due to the disappointment from his work and his personal demons dooming him.
2 Success: Shawn Michaels
The best instance of a comeback being the best decision for a performer was when Shawn Michaels came back to WWE in 2002. Michaels was already considered one of the all-time greats for his incredible in-ring work. However, the run of Michaels as a top star only lasted a couple of years before he retired.
This return allowed him to add close to another decade of success as a top Superstar to his career. Michaels had countless great matches during his comeback against new stars like Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, Edge, and Shelton Benjamin. Fans are hoping this recent 2018 comeback will find similar success if he wants to continue wrestling past Crown Jewel.
1 Flop: Alberto Del Rio
Alberto Del Rio is one of the most controversial figures in wrestling today. It is easy to forget that WWE once viewed Del Rio to be an important part of their future. Del Rio found great success in his first run, winning both the WWE and World Championship at different points in his stint.
Del Rio returned to the company a second time in 2015. The first match of his comeback featured a clean win over John Cena to show just how much WWE believed in him. Alberto, unfortunately, looked unmotivated during this run and started to become a backstage problem. WWE tried to salvage Del Rio in the mid-card, but it was still going terribly. Personal and creative issues led to him requesting his release from the company.