Bringing legends back to wrestling is something that audiences always want to see. It is exciting to have names from the past make a return for nostalgia, creating fresh storylines and dream scenarios while also allowing new fans the chance to see them compete for the first time.
When booked right, this can be a fantastic situation that works well as it can enhance the entire product. However, that isn't always the case. There have been plenty of examples where WWE have brought legends back and simply had them dominate the current talent, having them lose to older names which don't always help the product.
10 Kevin Owens vs. Goldberg (Fastlane, 2017)
Kevin Owens was enjoying a great run as Universal Champion when he faced Goldberg in 2017. He was putting in fantastic work and his storyline with Chris Jericho was the most interesting part of the product, which should have led to a major WrestleMania 33 main event.
However, WWE had other plans. The company decided the title had to be in the Goldberg and Brock Lesnar storyline and that led to the former WCW star completely dominating KO, which saw him slip down the card.
9 The Fiend vs. Goldberg (Super ShowDown, 2020)
Kevin Owens isn't the only wrestler that Goldberg destroyed. WWE screwed The Fiend and his massive rise by deciding to have the Hall Of Famer defeat him at Super ShowDown, which was the wrong call overall.
The Fiend was the top star in the company at the time, the Universal Champion, and somebody that WWE should have been pushing consistently. However, Vince McMahon decided to switch gears, seemingly for the benefit of Goldberg, which nobody was interested in seeing.
8 Randy Orton vs. Hulk Hogan (SummerSlam, 2006)
Randy Orton was left looking a lot weaker after his storyline with Hulk Hogan in 2006. At this point, the Hulkster was coming towards the end of his career and wasn't at the point where he needed to be picking up any top victories.
However, WWE opted to push Hogan on this occasion, having him beat the young wrestler. It was the wrong call at the time as the win could have made a major difference for the young talent, just as it did when he defeated Mick Foley.
7 CM Punk vs. The Rock (Royal Rumble, 2013)
CM Punk was the biggest star in wrestling when The Rock returned, with the two men competing for the WWE Championship. Punk had certainly earned the ability to headline WrestleMania that year, but instead, he dropped the title to the legend.
This led to the title being on the line when he faced John Cena, but that wasn't needed. Punk could have thrived with the title and that is something that should have happened. Punk not being given these types of opportunities all eventually led to him deciding to leave the company.
6 Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs. The Ultimate Warrior (WrestleMania 12)
The Ultimate Warrior was brought back to WWE to compete at WrestleMania 12, which was an addition of real star power. However, while having him on the roster could have been a great moment, WWE hurt its own roster in making it happen.
A young Hunter Hearst Helmsley was given the chance to compete against him on The Grandest Stage Of Them All. However, this ended up being a one-sided squash match where The Ultimate Warrior dominated the action, which didn't help get over the young talent.
5 CM Punk vs. Triple H (Night Of Champions, 2011)
While Triple H was hurt by being beaten by a legend at WrestleMania, that didn't stop him from doing the same to CM Punk in 2011. At this point, the Game was in the legends spot, not working full time anymore. Yet for some reason WWE had him defeat Punk.
This was where CM Punk was the biggest name in wrestling and was bringing in great numbers for the company. He should have been pushed here in what was a heated rivalry, but for some reason, WWE opted to have the Game get the victory.
4 Zack Ryder vs. Kane (Over The Limit, 2012)
Zack Ryder was riding a real wave of momentum in 2012, being on top of the business. Everybody was interested in Ryder, supporting him in everything that he did. His push on the internet worked perfectly, but WWE decided to have him in a storyline with Kane.
By this point, he was a legend of the business and WWE decided to have him dominate their storyline. From pushing him off the stage in a wheelchair to defeating him at Over The Limit, Kane was on top of the entire situation.
3 Baron Corbin vs. John Cena (SummerSlam, 2017)
For the most part, John Cena is very good at putting over other talent or helping them to develop. However, his storyline with Baron Corbin wasn't a good example of that. He dominated the entire situation, defeating him at SummerSlam in convincing fashion.
It's the type of storyline that didn't help current talent, especially because of how one-sided it was. Corbin barely got any offense in and this stopped him from being able to make any impact at all.
2 The Miz vs. Bret Hart (Raw, 5/7/10)
Bringing Bret Hart back to WWE was a fantastic decision and it was something that fans always wanted to see. However, at that stage in his life, he wasn't in a condition to wrestle, therefore having him defeat The Miz was something that shouldn't have happened.
The Miz was a top star at the time and someone that the company always used. While it was no doubt a cool moment for him, getting to work with a legend like Bret, it didn't make sense in terms of booking.
1 Andrade & Angel Garza vs. Big Show (Raw, 3/26/20)
At this point in time, Big Show was feuding against Randy Orton, which was the big angle at the time. However, before that, the company decided to book him against Andrade and Angel Garza, which was a mistake as he ended up running through both men.
Even though this was a handicap match, Big Show was able to beat both men in under six minutes. It was a low moment that hurt both of them, with their momentum being seriously halted by this.