WWE may have to have a few tricks up their proverbial sleeve to combat the AEW arrivals of talent like CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, and Adam Cole (Bay Bay). Drake Maverick is a respectable competitor, but WWE may have to bring out the big guns. Wrestling fans almost always love a comeback and WWE can still pull off that feat in 2021 and beyond.
WWE writers shouldn't be ashamed if they borrow an idea or two from the dirt sheets on how to spark interest in their product. After all, yours truly of TheSportster did come up with the way to get Drew McIntyre over more than a month before WWE did so, but of course, WWE did tweak the idea and turned it into magic at the 2020 Royal Rumble. Of course, I'm not discounting the possibility of parallel thinking. Hopefully, a McMahon acolyte can come up with a good way to reinvigorate the crowd with more comebacks to combat the emerging threat of All Elite Wrestling.
10 The Fiend Halloween
If WWE wants to counter the recent AEW arrivals, they may need to sign "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt to a new contract. Wyatt could even play his recent release into a WWE storyline. During WrestleMania season in 2020, The Fiend referenced his loss to John Cena at WrestleMania XXX as a personal failure that changed him. WWE could play into that same logic when referencing his firing for budget cuts on July 31, 2021.
A special Halloween-themed episode of SmackDown or Raw would be a great way to bring back The Fiend. Either way, he's sure to return to a huge pop as an anti-hero face character, considering the WWE Universe would be more than thrilled to see him back. If he stays on Raw, he'll have to contend with The Almighty WWE Champion. If he ventures over to the blue brand, The Fiend can finally have his one-on-one rivalry with Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship.
9 Braun Strowman Arrives In NXT
In recent years, Braun Strowman has left a big mark on both Raw and SmackDown. Maybe it's time for NXT to get these hands! Strowman has had numerous encounters with Roman Reigns and just finished a program involving Bobby Lashley right before he was let go on June 2, 2021. The Monster Among Men hasn't clashed with The Samoan Submission Machine in a good while, maybe this could be the way WWE reintroduces Braun.
Samoa Joe vs Braun Strowman could be a heavy-hitting and intense feud on the black-and-gold brand. And with NXT's recent rebranding effort, this could be the mainstream feud to carry them into the next era. Considering that Strowman is already rumored for a return, NXT could be a fresh start for this monster.
8 An IIconics Comeback
Billie Kay and Peyton Royce were both released on April 15, 2021. Kay last wrestled during Night One of WrestleMania 37 where she and Carmella failed to win a tag team turmoil match. Royce last wrestled against Asuka in a losing effort on the 3/22/2001 episode of Raw. The IIconics split was a complete failure and led to them being paired up in makeshift tag teams before being released.
Considering the shape of the women's tag team division in WWE, they could use an IIconic duo to shake things up again. WWE could even reintroduce The IIconics by having them win the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship on their very first night back. That could end up being one of the most memorable moments in the title's history and would be an effective way to bring back something that worked, that being Kay and Royce as a tandem. They've recently renamed their team to "The IInspiration," but it may be only a matter of time before they're The IIconics again.
7 Rikishi Did It For Roman Reigns
If Roman Reigns does kick Paul Heyman out of The Bloodline, he could use a manager who's really a blood relative. And considering that Brock Lesnar is a threat to The Tribal Chief's reign as Universal Champion, Rikishi might have to step in to protect The Head of The Table and therefore The Bloodline.
Rikishi was the man who ran over Stone Cold Steve Austin during the 1999 Survivor Series. It was later revealed that he did this so that Triple H would get him a job with WWE. If Rikishi's character was willing to do that to get a WWE contract, imagine what he'd do to someone who is threatening The Bloodline's reign of dominance.
6 ECW One Night Stand Returns
WWE left fans of Extreme Championship Wrestling with a sour taste in their mouths following the outcome of WWE's ECW revival. WWE can make amends with their extreme fans by bringing back ECW one last time for a proper sendoff. This could also be tied in with a main roster storyline involving Bobby Lashley, considering he's a two-time ECW World Champion in the revived brand between 2006 and 2007. But it'd need to end with the minions of extreme coming out on top to send the crowd home happy.
Lashley could open the card and defeat the last-ever ECW Champion Ezekiel Jackson for the gold. But by the end of the night, Rob Van Dam should be the one to walk away with the title. Perhaps, instead of just hot-shotting him to the main event against Lashley, he too would have to wrestle two matches, potentially competing against classic ECW rival and tag team partner Sabu for the right to face the champion. Of course, with RVD going over Lashley, shenanigans need to come into play to protect The Almighty from looking weak. To pay homage to the 2006 ECW One Night Stand, Edge could make an appearance and cost Lashley the match. He could even come out wearing a motorcycle helmet and spear Lashley threw a table as he did to John Cena in his match against Rob Van Dam. This could then segue into a feud between Lashley and Edge on Monday Night Raw.
There is so much potential for another ECW One Night Stand. But WWE has to pull the trigger soon before the former stars of Extreme Championship Wrestling are too old to wrestle because a good amount of them already are. Lance Storm also reportedly wants to work a match in 2021, and this could be a great opportunity for him to do so. Although Storm wants his last match to be against Chris Jericho, maybe WWE can talk him into teaming up with Justin Credible to reform The Impact Players to take on a returning Dudley Boyz.
There are still plenty of names from ECW's past that WWE could bring back. If this show becomes a success, this might not be the last reunion show, but hopefully, they don't try to bring back the WWECW brand as they did with the XFL. If WWE does implement wrestlers in the reunion show who performed in WWECW but not the original ECW, it'd be best for them to take a loss to the originals.
If not One Night Stand, this event could be called ECW Final Cut or ECW Final Chapter, allowing the acolytes of extreme to go out with one final bang.
5 Rob Van Dam Returns As Mr. Monday Night
If RVD does defeat Lashley at an ECW reunion show, it'd be grounds for him to return to Monday Night Raw to challenge for the WWE Championship. This is a pay-per-view caliber encounter and it may go beyond just one WWE Title match. WWE could also easily make this the main event of Monday Night Raw if they're trying to improve the quality of their weekly programming.
Even if RVD and Lashley don't collide in a hypothetical ECW One Night Stand match, the WWE Universe would still love to see Rob Van Dam return. Naturally, a program or segment with him and Matt Riddle would be somewhere down the pipeline if RVD does make a comeback. Most recently, Van Dam was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, Class of 2021. All because someone is a WWE Hall of Famer doesn't mean they don't have another run left in them, just look at Edge and Goldberg.
4 The Boogeyman Arrives In NXT For Dexter Lumis' Bride, Indi Hartwell
Dexter Lumis and The Boogeyman share numerous similarities, they're both creepy gimmicks who like to slither and are linked to the horror genre. A feud between the two would definitely click with Indi Hartwell involved. The Boogeyman's character during the Ruthless Aggression Era wasn't shy when it came to targeting women. The Boogeyman went after Booker T's wife Sharmell and preyed upon Jillian Hall, devouring the growth on her face. What's stopping The Boogeyman from setting his sights on Dexter's main squeeze?
Boogeyman is still signed to a legends contract by WWE, last appearing for WWE during Raw Legends Night on January 4, 2021. WWE and Marty Wright could amend this contract to include future dates as a pro wrestler. Boogeyman is still somewhat active on the independent scene, so him wrestling another WWE match is not out of the range of possibilities.
The Ascension could even be thrown into the mix as The Boogeyman's henchmen to help him take out Lumis and The Way. Boogeyman will need some backup to take on an entire faction plus Dexter Lumis. And of course, since love conquers all, expect a Lumis-Hartwell victory to end this feud.
3 The Battle Of The Rednecks: Jimmy Wang Yang Returns To Confront Cameron Grimes
Before Cameron Grimes made his presence felt on the black-and-gold brand, Jimmy Wang Yang was the resident redneck of WWE. Most recently, Jimmy has returned to wrestling on the independent scene alongside his daughter, Jazzy Yang. Not only would a return to WWE be a good way to introduce his daughter to his past profession, but at 40-years-old, Jimmy may just have another run left in his tank.
Yang could confront the affluent Grimes for allegedly ignoring his redneck roots and not giving back to his community after striking it big with Gamestop stocks. The Million Dollar Champion will probably respond by promising to give out donations and/or throwing money Yang's way, but that won't be enough to convince Jimmy. Yang could then show vignettes of him giving to needy families in trailer parks and setting up a charity fund for them. A real heel move would be the revelation that Yang is pocketing most or all of the charity money.
WWE could even turn Jimmy Wang Yang into a parody of businessman-turned-politician Andrew Yang, considering the former presidential candidate has taken shots at WWE's business practices. Their public personas both have the same surname, though Jimmy's real name is James Yun. But that angle may just open up another can of worms about how the company conducts business, considering Andrew Yang likely wouldn't be silent in the face of a parody version of himself on WWE TV. WWE may be wise to avoid political satire, but Jimmy wearing a scarf to evoke heel heat just seems right, so they should keep that aspect even if the character never becomes a full-on Andrew Yang parody.
2 NXT Legends Night
WWE often relies upon legends to pull in casual fans and sell major pay-per-views. Considering this is a business model that WWE loves to go by, why not introduce the concept of the NXT Legend? Similar to how Monday Night Raw has had specials featuring legends, maybe WWE should do something similar with the black-and-gold brand. But instead of bringing back legends who worked on the main roster, they should bring back names of NXT's past for a one-night special dedicated to the brand's history.
If all the stars align, wrestling fans could be treated to the return of Bo Dallas, Tyler Breeze, The Ascension, and the team of Blake and Murphy. Although this is all possible, Breeze has announced he's taking a break from wrestling and Buddy Murphy was vocal about his unhappiness under the WWE umbrella. But even if they can't land those names, WWE still would have Big E, Kevin Owens (for now), Sami Zayn, Sasha Banks, Charlotte, Becky Lynch, and more to wheel out for the event.
1 Gangrel VS Seth Rollins
If WWE does decide to prolong the feud between Edge and Seth Rollins, a good way to get in Edge's head would be to take out a person from his past. Edge and Rollins are currently at one win apiece, and before they go for their rubber match, a nice way for Rollins to get heat would be to squash Gangrel and continue to decimate the Attitude Era icon after their SmackDown match. Gangrel still wrestles on the indies at 52-years-old. In the twilight of his career, Gangrel can give back by putting over Rollins and furthering a storyline involving his Brood brethren. And if he performs well in this role, this could expand to being more than just a one-off appearance.