5 WWE Superstars who have returned twice or more
WWE saw the return of the Good Brothers this month, which placed Luke Gallows on a unique list. The Big LG is currently in his third run with the company.
He's not the only competitor to pull this off. The wrestling business is all about the eyes you can bring and the dollars they spend. Sometimes, it takes some talent a few tries before they hit their money-making gimmicks. Others enjoy taking breaks from the constant pace of a Superstar.
No matter the reason, WWE has an ever-revolving door that many a Superstar will enter and leave many times before their careers have ended.
Today we'll take a look at some of the WWE Superstars who have signed with the company several times over.
#5. WWE RAW Superstar Luke Gallows
It's no surprise that we're kicking off the list with the muscle of The OC.
Luke Gallows' first run with WWE started with a very strange storyline revolving around Kane in the mid-2000s. In 2006, Kane starred in his own movie, See No Evil, and began to explode in a monstrous rage every time he heard the date May 19th.
Eventually, Kane was greeted by his evil double. Much like his kayfabe brother The Undertaker, The Big Red Machine was now haunted by his past self.
After beating Kane at Vengeance 2006 and getting unmasked on a later RAW, Gallows returned as Festus for the short-lived tag team of Jesse and Festus. Fans enjoyed the team, but being a giant that only responded to a ringing bell could only get him so far.
Eventually he aligned with CM Punk, joining the Straight Edge Society and claiming Festus was part of his alcohol problem that Punk was trying to fix. After the group disbanded in 2010, Gallows was released.
He would return in 2016 with his longtime tag partner Karl Anderson, bringing a bit of the Bullet Club to the company. In four years, The OC captured two RAW Tag Team Championships and earned the Tag Team World Cup in 2019.
After joining with AJ Styles and Finn Balor a handful of times, The OC would be released in 2020 on Black Wednesday when a large number of wrestlers and employees were released during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Now, Luke Gallows is back for his third run with the company. We've yet to see what's in store for the duo as far as championship gold is concerned, but The OC has realigned themselves with AJ Styles for a feud with Finn Balor and Judgment Day.
#4. Former WWE Tag Team Champions The Hardy Boys
Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy both made the list, but since they're a tag team, we'll just pile them onto one spot.
The legendary brothers both debuted in the company way back in 1994 as enhancement talent. By 1998, the Hardy Boys were signed full-time and picked up a feud with Edge and Christian. After capturing championship gold multiple times, the duo split in 2002.
Jeff's first run with the company ended in 2003, and he'd go on to wrestle in the indies and TNA Wrestling.
Matt's first departure was a sudden and shocking move in 2005 when his private issues with Lita and Edge became public knowledge. While he was released in April, he'd been brought back by July to begin feuding with Edge.
Jeff would return a few years later in 2006, reuniting with his brother for another successful run in the tag division. After another split, both men would go on to be successful singles stars.
Jeff would earn the Intercontinental and WWE Titles in his second stint while Matt captured the US and ECW Titles. By 2010, both brothers were gone from the company again, wrestling in ROH, TNA, and various indie promotions.
They'd make their second return at WrestleMania 33 in a four-way RAW Tag Team Championship Ladder Match in what was considered one of the greatest Mania moments of all time by many fans. The Hardy Boys strengthened their legacy with more titles and accolades before both would eventually depart in 2020 (Matt) and 2022 (Jeff). Both are now in All Elite Wrestling.
When it comes to brothers who were able to reach the top of both tag team and singles divisions in multiple major companies, no other team comes close to The Hardy Boys.
#3. WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam
One of the most exciting wrestlers to grace the mat, Rob Van Dam received a well-earned WWE Hall of Fame ring in 2022 after his 2021 induction was delayed due to Covid-19.
Since his time in ECW in the late 90s, Rob Van Dam has been one of the most unique competitors to ever grace the squared circle. His innovative offense and arrogant yet laid-back personality earned the love of fans around the world.
So it's no surprise that he was a major player in WWE for several years. His first run with the company started with the Invasion in 2001 and lasted all the way to 2007. During that time, he became a grand slam champion, most notably defeating John Cena for the WWE Championship at One Night Stand 2006 by cashing in his Money in the Bank Briefcase.
He left in 2007, claiming to be burnt out by business and travel. He'd head to TNA Wrestling for a few years while also working the indies, capturing the TNA World Title during his time. He returned to the company in 2013, challenging for several titles before leaving again in 2014.
After another stint in the indies and IMPACT Wrestling, he returned in 2019. He'd soon be announced as an inductee in the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2021.
#2. Former WWE Undisputed Champion Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho has etched out a legacy that few will ever be able to meet. The Demo God was a fantastic player during his time in WCW, but proved himself to be a main event talent in WWE.
In his first run, lasting from 1999-2005, he became the first ever Undisputed Champion, beating The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin on the same night. He'd go onto capture the Intercontinental Championship seven times during that run as well.
After leaving in 2005, he focused on his music career and other aspirations. He'd return in 2007, and this is where Chris Jericho started to become the master of reinvention. After an epic feud with Shawn Michaels, Jericho adopted a new persona. Almost the antithesis of all previous years in his career, he dressed in a suit, brought in a monotone voice, and insulted fans and wrestlers alike for being fickle.
After several more successful runs with the world and tag titles, he left again in 2010. His latest run with WWE kicked off a year later with cryptic vignettes airing, hinting at his return. He'd dropped his previous gimmick, claiming the "end of the world" at the 2012 Royal Rumble. Between that and 2018, we'd see Jericho introduce several new catchphrases, props, and gags to his segments and promos.
By the end, Jericho had gotten scarves, lists, and potted plants over with the crowds. Since leaving, Jericho's gone on to have another successful run in a different company, AEW, becoming their first world champion.
Le Champion has been a vital component to the success of AEW and has apparently helped quite a bit as a locker room leader as of late. He also successfully captured the IWGP Intercontinental Championship back in 2018.
Jericho's been a proven hot commodity in four different decades now, reaching the mountain top over and over again. The question is, will Chris Jericho ever return to WWE, or was that last run his final one?
#1. WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan
Yeah, the Hulkster is easily at the top of this list. When you think of professional wrestling, it doesn't take long before Hulk Hogan crosses your mind.
The man was responsible for the golden age of WWE, as well as being a vital component for WCW when the nWo formed. No matter the public consensus of the man, Hogan's name will forever be etched into the history of the business.
Knowing that, it's wild to think of how many times he's stepped away from WWE. Not only is he topping the list for his name, but he's actually left the company the most out of anybody named here, returning for a total of five times.
Hulk Hogan's first stint with WWE was actually pretty brief, between 1979-1980, where he wrestled Bob Backlund and Andre the Giant as a heel. It wasn't until his first return in 1983 that Hulkamania truly began to run wild.
After a decade of dominance, Hogan left to pursue a career in Hollywood. It didn't last long, and he quickly moved on to WCW, where he'd eventually change the business as a founding member of the nWo.
A few years after Vince McMahon bought WCW, Hogan returned to WWE for an nWo invasion, leading to an epic match at WrestleMania X8 with The Rock as well as a short final WWE title run. After leaving in 2003, Hogan would return for two more stints in 2005 and 2014, the latter of which ended after his sex tape scandal.
In 2018, Hulk Hogan returned for his sixth run in the company, and has worked as an ambassador and hosted several events for WWE.
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Jacob Terrell