10 times WWE missed the chance to bring back a former Superstar

Without question, WWE is the biggest wrestling sports entertainment company in the world. Countless people have dreamed of becoming a WWE Superstar, but few have achieved it. While other promotions are able to offer tremendous opportunities for people in the business, the WWE is usually able to resign or lure away previous Superstars for another run in the company.

However, this is not always the case, regardless of the stipulations or offer made by WWE, some former Superstars chose to forgo another run in WWE to continue down the path they were on.

Let’s take a look at some instances where the WWE were unsuccessful in bringing back a former star.

#10 Batista (2016)

Enter captio — Former WWE Champion Batista.

For WrestleMania 32 WWE felt they needed a bit more star power for the event to really get the fans invested in the show.

The company contacted Batista for a possible return spot as a special referee for one of the matches, most likely for the main event of the show between Triple H vs. Roman Reigns.

Batista declined the invitation to return stating that he was not interested in a one off match or appearance but would be interested in coming back for a farewell tour of sorts. Batista is currently enjoying a career on the big screen staring in movies such as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 & 2.

#9 Tommy Dreamer (2016)

After the brand split earlier in 2016, WWE felt that they needed to bring in some ring veterans to help bolster the rosters on both Raw and Smackdown, and Dreamer was one of the former Superstars they contacted to bring back.

Despite a willingness to help with anything WWE needed, Dreamer declined to sign a contract due to his commitments and goals with his own promotion/wrestling school, House of Hardcore.

#8 MVP (2016)

After leaving the WWE in 2010, MVP found success on the Indies and in Japan, even capturing the IWGP Intercontinental Championship.

MVP was another former superstar that the WWE was interested in bringing back in to bolster the roster after the brand split and help get younger talent over. However, he declined a contract to return due to a low ball offer from WWE.

#7 Ryback (2016)

Enter capti — Former WWE Superstar Ryback

After appearing on Tough Enough, Ryback signed with the company all the way back in 2004 beginning a long stint in developmental territories Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) and Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW). Once he made it to the main roster as Ryback, he was a force to be reckoned with, defeating two and three opponents at once, eventually earning the right to challenge for the WWE Championship in late 2012.

Ryback’s momentum stopped after multiple unsuccessful attempts to win the championship and the remainder of his tenure in WWE was largely forgettable.

According to Ryback on his podcast, when it came time to negotiate a new deal for him to resign with the company he turned down a three-year, $1.5 million contract and walked away. He now competes in the Indies all over the world, is an author, and is working on his line of fitness products.

#6 Rhyno (2006)

In 2006, WWE was in the process of reviving the ECW brand for a weekly show. In an attempt to bring in fans of the original product, WWE offered ECW original Rhyno a contract to return to the company.

Since his initial run in WWE ended, Rhyno had been signed by the TNA promotion. Out of loyalty to TNA, Rhyno turned down the offer in spectacular fashion, informing a live crowd during an event of his refusal to resign with WWE.

Rhyno continued to bash the ECW brand after refusing the contract, even going so far as to set the ECW Championship (later discovered to be a prop and not the real title) on fire and proclaiming “what’s dead should stay dead.”

Rhyno is once again back with WWE, the two sides mended fences and he resigned in 2015 to appear on the NXT brand, eventually moving up to the main roster. In September 2016, he teamed with Heath Slater to win the inaugural Smackdown Tag Team Championships, defeating the Usos.

#5 Rob Van Dam (2015)

Another attempt at bolstering rosters during the brand split, RVD was originally supposed to be brought to fill a spot in the Dudley Boyz and Wyatt Family feud.

RVD turned down an offer to return to WWE because he felt the money offered would not be worth the time and effort it would take him to get back into WWE shape.

His spot in the Dudleys/Wyatts feud was eventually filled by fellow ECW originals Tommy Dreamer and Rhyno.

#4 Shawn Michaels (2016)

Since retiring after losing to the Undertaker at WrestleMania 26, Shawn Michaels maintained that he was finished as an active performer and has since only appeared in one off non-wrestling roles.

However, during the build to the 2017 Royal Rumble, which took place in Michaels's hometown of San Antonio, Texas, WWE Superstar A.J. Styles tweeted a mock up image of himself vs Shawn Michaels at the event. This image sent the wrestling world into a fever pitch thinking there was a chance of Michaels coming out of retirement.

Although Styles only tweeted the image as a sort dream match with no thought of the match actually happening, it appears the WWE did approach Michaels with an offer to work a program with Styles leading to a match at the Rumble.

Ultimately Michaels declined the offer and continues to state that he will not return to the ring no matter what amount of money is involved or who he would be competing against.

#3 Carlito (2015)

After the departures of top Hispanic stars Alberto Del Rio and Rey Mysterio, WWE was on the lookout for a new star to bring into the fold. Since Carlito's own WWE departure in 2010 for his refusal to go to rehab after a wellness policy violation, he has wrestled all over the world.

A common face on the Indie scene, Carlito also wrestles for his father’s promotion, the World Wrestling Council (WWC) in Puerto Rico, where he is a 15-time World Champion.

After initial reports stated Carlito was likely on his way back into the company, he declined an offer to return reportedly due to a low ball cash offer from WWE.

#2 Macho Man Randy Savage (1994)

Wrestling fans from the early 90s remember the camera centring on Vince McMahon’s solemn face in late 1994 as he explained that the WWF(E) was unable to reach an agreement for the Macho Man to return to the company.

Savage wanted to return to being an in-ring performer, but the company, citing his age and the new direction of the WWE, attempted to convince him to stay behind the announcer’s table as a colour commentary.

After it was clear that he would not be returning to the ring in the WWE, Savage “jumped ship” to WCW where he enjoyed a rejuvenated in-ring career.

The WWE once again failed to bring in the Macho Man in the number 1 entry, allegedly due to uninterest on the WWE side to bring him back into the company.

#1 WCW/AOL contract holdouts (2001)

After the collapse of WCW in the late 90s/early 2000s and subsequent purchase of the company by WWE, many assumed their biggest stars would be on their way into WWE. Unfortunately, the contracts that stars such as Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Ric Flair, and others had received were from AOL and not WCW, so they could essentially sit at home until the contracts ran out and AOL would have to pay them.

WWE had the opportunity to buy out the contracts and bring in the talent but opted not spend the money and wait out the contracts. While most of them ended up in WWE anyway, the Invasion Angle of the early 2000s struggled mightily because of the lack of star power from WCW.

It may be more feasible than ever before to make a living outside of the WWE as a professional wrestler. Between the other major televised promotions (GFW, ROH, New Japan) as well as the smaller promotions that sell out in any building they are in, the opportunities to make a living are bigger and more numerous than ever before.

The Superstars listed here were in a position to consider their options and ultimately decided to remain outside of the WWE umbrella.

Bayley gives us a HUGE update on a top Superstar's upcoming return RIGHT HERE.