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I recent years in WWE we have seen some of the biggest stars return for one more run, the like of The Rock, Brock Lesnar, Goldberg, Kurt Angle, the Hardy Boyz and Chris Jericho, just to name a few.
However it is not just always the big names that have returned, sometimes WWE bring back former mid-card stars to see if they can do anything better with them a second time around, and sometimes it has worked out. Much of the time these returns don't really amount to anything, so much to the point where you may have even forgotten the returns happened. Here are ten of such.
#10 Chris Masters: 2009–2011
Chris Masters had a pretty damn good rookie year on WWE TV. Chris maintained a long undefeated streak, got his Masterlock Full Nelson finisher over, regularly shared the ring on RAW with the like of John Cena, Kurt Angle, Shawn Michaels and others, and was featured in the main event of two pay-per-views, Survivor Series and New Years Revolution. That's not too bad at all.
However, Chris was still very green when he received these opportunities and thus, did not make the best of them. After shifting down the mid-card, he was released from his WWE contract shortly after violating WWE's wellness policy for the second time.
Chris would return to WWE two years later in 2009. WWE had no plans to do anything useful with Masters as he been hired back as a favor from WWE to Masters close friend, then WWE Champion Randy Orton. Masters mostly engaged in lower-card feuds throughout 2009 until his release in 2011, none of which were notable for anything of interest. What was interesting was that by the time Chris was released, he had improved quite a lot in the ring. Chris has since wrestled on the independent and scene, and most recently, a 2-year stint with Impact Wrestling.
#9 Shawn Stasiak: 2001–2002
Son of former WWWF Heavyweight Champion, the late Stan Stasiak, Shawn Stasiak made his WWF debut on April 13, 1999, an episode of Sunday Night Heat under the name Meat, where he was the 'toyboy' of Terri Runnels, Jacqueline, and Ryan Shamrock. The meat was mostly a jobber, losing most of his matches, most notably putting over Kurt Angle in Kurt's WWE debut at Survivor Series 1999.
Shawn would then join WCW in 2000 where he had some success as a member of the New Blood stable and held the WCW Tag Team Championship with Chuck Palumbo. Shawn's WCW contract was picked up by WWE following the closure of WCW.
Shawn returned to TV as a member of the Alliance, where he had a gimmick of being very clumsy, which included running into walls backstage during attempted backstage assaults, and tripping over his own feet in matches, causing other superstars to take advantage and win. Shawn would then adopt a new character that saw him claim that he was from Planet Stasiak, heard voices in his head, talked to himself with rhymes, and acted comically insane.
During his return to WWE, Shawn would hold the WWE Hardcore Championship 15 times, under the 24/7 rule. He was bizarrely fired in 2002 for secretly videotaping other superstars private conversations. Today he is a chiropractor.
#8 Haku: 2001
Known as possibly the toughest wrestler in history, the former Meng had successful stints with WWE from 1986 til 1992 and WCW, from 1994 til 2001, as well as time spent in all over Mexico and Japan.
While he was the reigning WCW Hardcore Champion in 2001, Haku made a very surprising return to the WWE in the 2001 Royal Rumble match. WCW would never mention he or the Hardcore Championship ever again. After the Rumble, he formed a tag team with Rikishi, but the team did not last long due to Rikishi turning face and was left to wrestle on the lower card shows before being released from his contract in July.
#7 Chuck Palumbo: 2006–2008
Chuck Palumbo had a successful lower card run in WCW where he was a 4 times WCW Tag Team Champion. He was later picked up by the WWE when WCW closed and formed a successful, albeit controversial tag team with Billy Gunn, where the two were 2 times WWE Tag Team Champions, and then received a push as a member of the F.B.I faction with Nunzio and Johnny Stamboli. After almost a year of wrestling just on Sunday Night Heat, Chuck was released by WWE in November 2004.
Chuck re-signed with the WWE in March 2006 and officially returned to TV on the May 25, 2007, edition of Sunday Night Heat, with a biker gimmick, which was based off he in real life. Palumbo made his SmackDown re-debut later in 2007 and entered into an on-screen romance with Michelle McCool. After that and a partnership with Jamie Noble ended, he wrestled mostly on live events before being released in November 2008. Chuck would go on to present his own TV reality bike building show, Lords of the Car Hoards, on the Discovery channel in 2014.
#6 Justine Credible: 2006
Former ECW Champion Justin Credible was the first ECW alumni to sign with WWE in 2001 when ECW went out of business. He debuted on WWE TV shortly thereafter in March 2001, forming a new stable with X Pac and Albert, known as the X-Factor. Following the group's demise later that year, Justin would wrestle mostly on WWE's lower card shows like Sunday Night Heat, until he was released from his contract in early 2003. He was an 8 times WWE Hardcore Champion during this run.
Justin returned to WWE in 2006 as apart of the ECW re-launch. He returned to WWE television at the June 7 WWE vs. ECW Head to Head event and made several appearances on ECW in a jobber role before being released by WWE on September 28, 2006. Justin was released for no-showing a WWE event and not returning phone calls to WWE management.
Justin has been in and out of retirement ever since, most notably showing up at a recent independent event in no condition to perform, and electing the services of Diamond Dallas Page to help him with his alcohol abuse.
#5 D-Lo Brown: 2008–2009
D-Lo Brown was the first superstar in history to hold both the WWE Intercontinental Championships and Europeans Championships at the same time. This is a feat that would be later accomplished by Jeff Jarrett, Kurt Angle and Rob Van Dam, all of whom would later capture World Championships, but not poor D-Lo.
D-Lo Brown had so much potential at one point, but he would lose his push shortly after losing his duel Championships. Unfortunately, whether anyone will admit it or not, this was due in large part to D-Lo accidentally ending the wrestling career of WWE star Droz, after a botched running powerbomb paralyzed him. Following this, D-Lo was in and out of WWE TV before being released in early 2003.
After some time spent in TNA Wrestling and the independent scene, D-Lo returned to WWE in 2008, returning as a surprise opponent for Santino Marella on July 21, 2008, edition of RAW. D-Lo's appearances on RAW came sporadically almost immediately afterward and he was released in early 2009. He would later return to TNA in a backstage role and as a member of the Aces & Eights faction.
#4 Eugene: 2009
Easily one of the most controversial characters in WWE history, Eugene still became one of the most popular superstars in WWE in 2004. After his main storylines with Triple H and his 'Uncle', Eric Bischoff came to an end, Eugene shifted around the mid-card before being released from his contract in 2007.
Much like when I mentioned Chris Masters earlier, like him, Eugene was also brought back to WWE as the company doing a favor for Eugene's friend, then WWE Champion Randy Orton. Eugene returned to WWE TV on the August 10 episode of RAW, losing a 'Contract on a Pole' match to The Calgary Kid, who afterward removed his mask to reveal himself as the recently 'fired', The Miz. Eugene was released from his contract later that week.
He briefly returned to WWE as a trainer in September 2013 but was released in October 2014.
#3 Gangrel: 2004
Impressing officials with his vampire gimmick, Gangrel had a prominent run on WWE TV during the height of the Attitude Era, as a wrestler and manager for Edge & Christian, and the Hardy Boyz. He was also a member of The Undertaker's Ministry of Darkness faction. He was released from his contract in 2001.
Gangrel made a brief return to WWE in 2004, after not being seen on WWE TV in 4 years. He returned with former Ministry partner Viscera, attacking The Undertaker as hired goons, bought by WWE Champion JBL. Gangrel and Viscera would team up under 'The Ministry' name the following week on the 5th Anniversary episode of SmackDown, losing to The Undertaker.
Gangrel would also briefly work in WWE developmental in 2005 and also almost made a return to TV in 2006 as apart of a vampire faction with Kevin Thorn and Ariel, before WWE decided they were unhappy with his weight. Gangrel has since gone on to open up his own wrestling school with WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi and has also directed more than 15 professional pornographic films.
#2 Grandmaster Sexay: 2004
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross was the Vice President of Talent Relations for almost a decade in WWE. When he stepped down in 2004, he signed one more superstar to a contract as his final duty, and that would be the returning Brian 'Grandmaster Sexay' Lawler, as a favor to his friend and Brian's father, Jerry Lawler.
Grandmaster had a wildly popular tag team with Scotty 2 Hotty as Too Cool during the Attitude Era, but WWE clearly had no plans for him when he returned in 2004. Grandmaster returned to RAW in April 2004, immediately being squashed by Kane. The following week he lost a quick match to Christian on RAW, then picked up a win over an enhancement talent on an episode of Heat, before losing to Lance Cade on Heat the following week. Grandmaster would be fired a few days later, having his return last just one month. Grandmaster was fired after he showed up very late to a live event, as well as being suspected of being under the influence of something.
Ironically at the time of Lawler's return to WWE, his former Too Cool teammates Scotty 2 Hotty and Rikishi were the WWE Tag Team Champions on Smackdown, and 2 weeks into his return, they lost the titles and Rikishi got injured. It would have made complete sense to send him over to Smackdown to reunite with Scotty, but for whatever reason, that didn't happen. Grandmaster has since made appearances and wrestled on WWE TV in 2011 and 2014.
#1 Vader: 2005
A 3 times WCW World Champion and 3 times IWGP Champion in Japan, Big Van Vader is one of the greatest big men in the history of professional wrestling. When he finally made it to WWE in 1996, despite being a big jump at a time when all the big jumps were from WWE to WCW, Vader still didn't get the treatment he deserved, due in part to Shawn Michaels finding him too stiff. Vader parted ways with WWE in 1998 after being treated like a joke for too long.
After a few year return to Japan, Vader made a very brief return to WWE in 2005. Johnathan Coachman recruited he and Goldust as a back-up in fear of being attacked by Stone Cold Steve Austin. Vader and Goldust would then back-up Coach during his Street Fight with Batista at Taboo Tuesday 2005. Vader had only worked a two-appearance deal with WWE, in hopes of being offered a full-time contract after, however, Vince McMahon was not impressed by his performance and annoyed he had tripped over himself on RAW, and passed on re-signing him.
Vader would return to WWE for two more appearances in 2012, defeated Heath Slater on an episode of RAW and later appearing on the 1000th episode of the show.
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