Stars like Cody Rhodes returning to the WWE from another company is nothing new. Having multiple runs in a wrestling promotion was actually common practice before wrestlers started signing exclusive contracts with companies. Being "homegrown talent" usually means that a wrestler grew to prominence at a wrestling company, and not that they were "born and bred" there, since that is actually very rare.

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Plenty of WWE superstars have had runs in the company and later returned. Names like Hulk Hogan, Kurt Angle, and Drew McIntrye are some of the more well-known names with multiple runs in the WWE, but this list will examine ten of the lesser-known wrestlers with multiple runs in the WWE.

UPDATE: 2023/10/20 07:30 EST BY ANDREW KELLY

It feels as though wrestlers pretty much always come back to WWE at some point. The whole “never say never” philosophy is oh-so-true in the company, with a whole variety of names coming back over the years who fans never thought they’d see again. There are many wrestlers who fans forget even had two runs, whether that be a forgettable first run that has been lost in the minds of fans, or else a return to the company which was under-the-radar and hardly acknowledged. Some of these runs are short-lived and minor, but they still happened anyway, even if it was under the noses of some fans.

15 Damien Sandow

Fans will remember Damien Sandow’s stint in WWE where he was at first the “Intellectual Saviour of the Masses” and Mr. Money in the Bank, followed up by a stint in Team Rhodes Scholars and as “Damien Mizdow”. He achieved quite a bit of popularity in this run, but it was met with awful creative and burials from WWE.

Fans may forget that this was actually his second spell in WWE, originally signing in 2003 and wrestling as Idol Stevens. He would even challenge on PPV for the WWE Tag Team Titles at No Mercy 2006, but his time on the main roster was fairly short and not memorable in the slightest.

14 D-Lo Brown

D-Lo Brown was a notable midcard guy in the late 1990s and early 2000s, rising to prominence in the Nation of Domination faction. He had some decent success, winning both the Intercontinental and European Titles, and would play a part in several entertaining acts over the years.

In 2008, he briefly returned to WWE for a completely random comeback run. He initially returned in just dark matches, before emerging on Raw as essentially glorified enhancement talent, with no effort made to really capitalize on his notoriety from bygone eras. He was released after less than a year.

13 Chris Masters

Chris Masters got a big introduction to WWE when he made his debut in 2005, and he became a decent part of the midcard, whether it be in the tag team division or during his “Master Lock” Challenge.

Masters eventually got released in 2007 following two Wellness Policy Violations, but it wasn’t long until he was brought back in 2009, though in a very understated capacity. He was placed very much at the bottom of the card during this forgettable two-year run.

12 Grand Master Sexay

Grand Master Sexay was a notable part of WWE’s Attitude Era as part of the Too Cool act, which is what many will remember him for. He was released in 2001 due to legal issues, but was brought back in 2004.

However, this was a one-month run which was incredibly forgettable before he was let go from the company once again. Whilst his subsequent returns don’t quite count as a “run”, he did also briefly return in 2011 and 2014.

11 Samoa Joe

It is very easy to forget that Samoa Joe had two WWE runs considering that his firing and rehiring came within two months of one another.

He was let go amidst budget cuts in the pandemic, but Triple H decided to bring him back quickly to NXT for a brief run where he became NXT Champion, before getting released once again.

10 Rob Van Dam

Rob Van Dam is one the greatest wrestlers to ever set foot in a wrestling ring. He deserved much more from the WWE than one major title run but was induced into the hall of fame in 2021.

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Although most fans know he rose to prominence in ECW, many don't know he had a short run in the WWE in the very early 90s. In 1992, before Triple H's debut in the WWE, Van Dam competed at the company as "Matt Burn," where he wrestled a few matches as a jobber. He made his true debut in 1997 after his career at ECW as "Rob Van Dam."

9 Billy Gunn

Current AEW wrestler, Billy Gunn had a very well-known run in the 90s. First as the "Ass Man" and then as a member of D-Generation X. His first major run in the WWE ended in 2004, but it wasn't Gunn's last run with the company.

In 2012, The New Age Outlaws (Billy Gunn & Road Dogg) reunited in the WWE. Gunn's second run with the company lasted over two years and featured another WWE tag team title run with Road Dogg.

8 R-Truth

R-Truth is one of the most beloved wrestlers on the WWE roster today. His career with the company spans decades and many fans don't know he had an early stint in the WWE under the ring name K-Kwik. Kwik debuted on an episode of Smackdown in 2000.

Road Dogg was the veteran superstar in his corner to help get him over, but the two were never given enough time to shine. Kwik left the WWE in 2001. He joined TNA, where he became NWA World Champion. Kwik returned to the WWE as "R-Truth" in 2008.

7 Raven

Many assume that Raven arrived in the WWE after his success at WCW and ECW, he actually competed at the WWE for a few years before his major moments at those companies. He was first "Scotty The Body" in 1990. He returned in 1993 and started wrestling as "Johnny Polo."

He actually wrestled on his first episode of Raw in 1993 as "Johnny Polo." After failing to make an impact, he left the company in 1994 and returned in 2000.

6 Dean Ambrose

Although many assume that Ambrose debuted in the WWE as a member of The Shield, with Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, he actually first appeared on WWE television as "John Moxley" years before The Shield.

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He worked as a jobber in 2006 and 2007. He did nothing memorable in his first run with the company, unless you include losing to Big Show in a handicap match. Moxley returned to the WWE in 2011 as "Dean Ambrose" and began his first big-time run with the company.

5 Gangrel

Gangrel had multiple runs in the WWE. Most were much less impactful than the run that spawned the Brood. In 1988 he wrestled his first major WWE match as "David Heath." He left and returned in 1993 and wrestled again as "David Heath." He changed his gimmick to "The Black Phantom" in less than a year.

As "The Black Phantom," his only match of note was the Intercontinental title match against Razor Ramon. He left the company again in 1995. He returned in 1998 and eventually adopted the "Gangrel" gimmick.

4 Ultimate Warrior

Although Ultimate Warrior's story is often written as "he left the WWE after holding up a show for more money," he actually returned to the WWE after that incident in 1991. He spent some time semi-retired after leaving the WWE in 1992 but returned in 1996.

At WrestleMania 12, Warrior returned to the WWE and squashed Triple H in a match where he no sold the pedigree. He made very little impact in his second run with the company and only appeared on a handful of episodes of Raw before leaving after multiple disputes with Vince McMahon.

3 AJ Styles

Most wrestling fans learned who Aj Styles was after his phenomenal run in TNA. He debuted in the WWE at the 2016 Royal Rumble and has been a top star at the company having multiple runs as WWE Champion.

AJ Styles actually spent a short time in the WWE before his TNA debut. Styles made multiple appearances in 2001 and 2002 at the WWE. He spent most of his time as a jobber for the WWE. He was offered a developmental contract from the company but declined to avoid interfering with his wife's college plan.

2 Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan is one of the biggest names the WWE produced in the 2010s. He changed the way the company viewed the top guy in the WWE and has had a massive impact on wrestling since his WWE debut. Before his famous "debut match" with Chris Jericho on an episode of NXT, Bryan had many different jobs with the WWE in the early 2000s.

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He wrestled as "American Dragon" and "Bryan Danielson" where he wrestled John Cena in 2003. After 2003, he wrestled a dark match in 2008 before his NXt debut in 2010.

1 Mr. Perfect

As "Mr. Pefect," Curt Hennig made a huge impact in the WWE. He was never able to win the WWE Championship but still etched a place in the WWE Hall of Fame without it. As "Curt Hennig" he had a successful run in the WWE from 1980-1983.

He returned in 1988 and eventually adopted the "Mr. Perfect" gimmick. He left for WCW in 1993 and returned for a short stint in 2002. He competed against future stars like Edge and Randy Orton but did very little of note in his last run with the company before his tragic death in 2003.