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Returns in WWE can be among some of the most exciting things in the business. They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, and that applies none more so than to wrestling, where extensive hiatuses can make fans miss certain Superstars immensely.
Many times, even if they left as a heel, their return would be big enough to cause an organic babyface reaction. Triple H in 2002 was one such example. He suffered an injury while being a top heel, but the promos and vignettes built him up as a babyface in his absence and when he returned, he got the greatest reaction of his career.
However, his iconic return at Madison Square Garden won't be included in this list since it wasn't a surprise - it was promoted beforehand. This list is going to focus on the most epic surprise returns in WWE history. Let's jump right into the list!
#5 Ric Flair - 2001 after the WWE-WCW invasion angle
Ric Flair should have ideally been a part of WWE's Invasion angle. If you're not aware, the angle was post-WWE's takeover of WCW, where midcard Superstars from WCW (and a few top names) joined WWE and there was ongoing "war" storyline that happened. Eventually, ECW got involved, as well, and the two organizations became simply known as The Alliance.
Unfortunately, it underwhelmed in the eyes of many and it didn't show the best of WCW or ECW. Regardless, the angle culminated at Survivor Series 2001 and ended there. A night after in Charlotte, North Carolina, Vince McMahon would go on to declare himself as the king of the industry, only to get interrupted by Ric Flair.
It had been almost nine years since Flair had left WWE, and he got an incredible reaction. Flair would reveal that Shane and Stephanie McMahon sold their shares in WWE to a consortium - which turned out to be the 16-time World Champion.
It was an incredible surprise return and ranks as one of the best of that decade in WWE.
#4 Chris Jericho - 2007
Chris Jericho put over John Cena in a big way on his way out of WWE in 2005. It ended with him losing his job and he would proceed to take a two-year hiatus before making a return.
The anticipation of it all was incredible. WWE put out many cryptic binary code messages referencing Chris Jericho and it culminated in his return in September 2007, where he confronted Randy Orton and began a WWE Championship feud.
While it may not be as well-recognized as most surprise returns, it was another example of the incredible work that Chris Jericho did to reinvent himself. If the return wasn't incredible enough, 2008 would kickstart what many feel was the greatest year of his career.
He would further reinvent himself and enjoy a run as the World Heavyweight Champion under a new heel persona - one that many consider the best work of his career. The reason we chose the 2007 return over his various other epic returns is that it led to the greatest year of his career. Not only did it have the most impact when he came back, but it led up to something even more incredible.
It's incredible to think that over 12 years on, he's still on top of his game and still managing to constantly reinvent himself.
#3 The Rock - 2011
The Rock had transitioned out of WWE completely by 2004. With his Hollywood career as his focus, he took time to get things going, but his career continued to reach new heights at the time.
While the pinnacle of his success and stardom was yet to come, his absence from WWE had been felt for many years, so when the host of WrestleMania 27 was to be announced, there was a great deal of anticipation. And once his music hit, the reaction was so loud that it was enough to blow the roof off the building.
It was The Rock's first WWE appearance in well over seven years and instantly, a sense of nostalgia returned to fans. The Great One had returned and was to have a role at WrestleMania 27.
Ultimately, his role as a host was what set up his matches against John Cena at WrestleMania 28 and WrestleMania 29. However, there are few crowd reactions that can match the one when he made his surprise return.
#2 The Ultimate Warrior - WrestleMania 8
The Ultimate Warrior had left on terrible terms with WWE on multiple occasions. At WrestleMania VI, he faced Hulk Hogan in a "Champion vs Champion" match, where he defeated Hogan clean in an iconic "Passing of the torch" match.
It was clear that he was positioned as Hulk Hogan's successor, but he didn't find the same success and iconic status that Hogan did in his time on top. However, issues with regards to payment made The Ultimate Warrior give an ultimatum to Vince McMahon demanding more money.
While he agreed to it at first, it turned out to be a ploy to get Warrior to perform at SummerSlam before McMahon ended up suspending The Ultimate Warrior. This led to the end of his first run and it was only when Hulk Hogan was transitioning out of WWE that they contacted Warrior for a return.
He would make his iconic return at WrestleMania 8 after the main event and it was a happy ending to the show. While this run wouldn't pan out either, the moment and return remain among the most iconic in WWE history.
#1 John Cena - Royal Rumble 2008
Whenever you hear John Cena referred to as "Super Cena", this is the one incident that gives him the right to that name. Cena had been out of action from the summer of 2007 in the midst of a WWE title reign that lasted well over a year.
John Cena was expected to be out for close to a calendar year, especially since it was a torn pectoral muscle. However, he managed to rehab and return in just about four months - on time to make a shocking appearance at No. 30 in the Royal Rumble 2008 at Madison Square Garden.
He would go on to win the match for the first time in his career, but nobody expected him to return as quickly as he did. It just goes to show that it was one of the many reasons why John Cena had an unparalleled run as the face of WWE.
It's good that he's finally gotten the respect he deserves since it took fans a long time to truly realize that he's among the greatest of all time in WWE.
