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Disclaimer: This piece is an opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of Sportskeeda.
As we have seen throughout the years, WWE officials have a jaded history of bringing back Superstars of the past. Sometimes, they are welcomed back with open arms from the WWE Universe. But, other times, some former stars don't receive such a warm welcome back.
If you take a look at the WWE website, you can click on the Superstars tab and it will give you an option to view the WWE Alumni. After taking a quick browse through that list, you get a pretty good idea of who would benefit the company by returning for a quick stint, and who would be better off staying on the sidelines.
Also read: 10 most overrated legends in WWE history
In this article, we will take an in-depth look at five WWE legends who may have some fuel left in their tank but should probably not make a return.
#5 Rey Mysterio
Rey Mysterio is one of those former WWE Superstars who most fans have cheered for at one time or another. He has defied all odds stacked against him and achieved much more than anyone of his stature should've ever imagined.
Even at 42 years old, Rey is still shocking crowds with his insane in-ring ability and patented high-flying manoeuvres. Rey is currently adding a ton of value to the Lucha Underground roster, as well as keeping a pretty full schedule by making various appearances at independent promotions across the United States and around the world. Needless to say, there's no shortage of work for Mysterio.
During his time with WWE, Rey managed to become a 3-time WWE Champion, 3-time Cruiserweight Champion, 2-time Intercontinental Champion and a 4-time Tag Team Champion. Not too shabby for a guy who weighs about 170 pounds soaking wet and only stands up to Big Shows waist.
The point is, Rey has nothing to prove by making a comeback. Honestly, WWE has a tremendous opportunity to take a guy like Kalisto and mould him into the second coming of Rey Mysterio. The talent is there, the potential is unlimited and the sky is the limit with Kalisto. Give him the ball and let him run with it.
#4 The Undertaker
Some fans may want to hunt me down and give me a Tombstone Piledriver for this one, but just take a moment and try to understand my reasoning on this.
The Undertaker is far and away one of my all-time favourites. In fact, I'll go as far as to say he is probably the most revered and respected man who has ever stepped foot into a ring. However, is his health really worth the occasional brief comeback?
Year after year, we have grown to expect to see The Undertaker at every Wrestlemania. It's almost like we have forgotten this man is human. But, the fact of the matter is that Taker is 52 years old and every time he comes back, he looks as if he's aged 10 years. Granted, he can still pull off a great in-ring performance and his entrance alone is worth the ticket price. But, at this point, when is enough, enough?
The past several years have been very emotional for Undertaker fans. After dealing with the shocking loss to Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania 30, Taker won the next two years at Mania, with bouts against Bray Wyatt at Wrestlemania 31 and Shane-O-Mac at Wrestlemania 32. However, Roman Reigns came out on top this year and once again, fans had to stomach another heartbreaking defeat.
When Taker left the stadium after his loss to Roman, that should have been it. The man passed the torch to Reigns, despite what fans think of the Big Dog. But, following his exit, Taker should have been allowed to ride off into the sunset with his head held high, knowing he has done more for this sport than anyone in history.
I absolutely adore The Undertaker, but he's done all anyone can possibly expect. The next time we see the Dead Man rise should be at his Hall of Fame induction.
#3 Batista
Batista had it all. He had the look, the size, the presence and at one time, he had a tremendous amount of support from the WWE Universe. But, in recent years, fans have grown very tired with The Animal.
When Batista returned in 2013, WWE officials booked him as a babyface, hoping and expecting the fans to embrace his return. At first, many fans stood in his corner, but something happened shortly after and everything changed. When he entered the Royal Rumble match as the 28th entrant and then went on to win the match, fans quickly changed his name from Batista to BOO-tista.
For the remainder of his time with the company, Batista carried an enormous chip on his shoulder, all the way until his departure. This is something fans never got over and to this very day, they still remember it.
Batista had his time in the WWE spotlight. But, his ship has since sailed and a return would be a huge mistake by WWE officials. Batista is better off now just staying in Hollywood.
#2 Goldberg
Fans were shocked when Goldberg returned in mid-2016. For a long time, it was believed that Goldberg was pretty much finished with the business, aside from the occasional independent appearance. However, it seems that money does, in fact, talk and for about a year, Goldberg once again enjoyed time at the top of the WWE ladder.
Goldberg would spend the next few months absolutely destroyed and dominated WWE's top star, Brock Lesnar. This particular run would leave a bad taste in some fans mouths, mainly because the company had spent so much time building Brock into such an unbeatable, destructive force, only to feed him to Bill Goldberg.
As a nostalgic fan of a more exciting era, such as the Monday Night Wars, I can appreciate what Goldberg did during the streak with WCW. He was very instrumental in WCW's success during that time. With that said, it's time to let him stay at home and turn that effort into building the next Goldberg.
#1 CM Punk
Ever since his abrupt departure, fans have speculated about Punk's return to WWE. In fact, I actually fell into that line as well. I wanted to believe that Punk would soon return, especially after suffering such a one-sided defeat in his UFC debut. However, my feelings have since changed.
Punk was a dynamite performer. He had it all, from the in-ring ability to his pipe-bomb promos.However, CM Punk also possessed another attribute along with his great ring work and stellar mic skills. It was his over-inflated ego. Punk got to the point where he was a ticking time-bomb, ready to fly off the handle or throw a temper-tantrum like a 3-year-old, with no notice.
Ever since he left the WWE, CM Punk has not had anything positive to say about his time with the company. He has been very vocal about how miserable he was, despite being one of the company's top Superstars for a number of years. I just think that if he were given the opportunity to make a return, things would never get back to the way they were. WWE would have someone in the locker room who would likely be very negative, and he would spread a lot of unwarranted toxic energy.
For those of us who were once CM Punk fans, let's just recount the good times, with the understanding that the ship has indeed sailed.
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