5 WWE returns that just didn't work out

There are not many things better in WWE than seeing the return of a beloved superstar. You only have to look back to WrestleMania last year, to see how a return can be pulled off effectively.

With little prior warning, at WrestleMania 33, Matt and Jeff Hardy returned to the company, after nearly a decade away, shocking new fans, and giving the older audiences a wave of nostalgia.

To make things better, the brothers were integrated into a Tag Team Ladder match, a match they invented at WWF No Mercy 1999 (alongside Edge and Christian).

Nearly 20 years after that historic match, Matt and Jeff were able to prove why they are one of the most iconic tag teams ever, capturing the RAW Tag Team Championships in a match that featured The Bar, The Club and Enzo Amore and Big Cass.

Since then, the two have had individual success, with Matt teaming with Bray Wyatt on RAW, and Jeff Hardy capturing the United States Championship on SmackDown.

But sadly, not all returns can go as well as The Hardy's had last year, and here are 5 returns to WWE that just didn't pan out.

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#1 Rob Van Dam

Often cited as the greatest star to never be a World Champion, Rob Van Dam realized his dream at ECW One Night Stand 2006, when he won the WWE Championship from John Cena.

However, not long after, RVD would quickly lose the title, after it was revealed he was pulled over for possession of drugs, along with Sabu.

A risky superstar, Van Dam left WWE in 2007, making a one-off return at the 2009 Royal Rumble, before returning full-time, starting at Money In the Bank 2013.

Despite a hasty fling into the World Championship picture, his returned failed to set the world on fire, as Van Dam seemed like a third wheel in the feud between champion Alberto Del Rio and announcer Ricardo Rodriguez.

After a year or so, RVD was gone, never capturing a championship, and leaving fans wondering why he returned in the first place>

#2 Shelton Benjamin

A star of the Ruthless Aggression era, Benjamin held the WWE Tag Team Championships 3 times, before going forward as a singles superstar.

In 2004, Benjamin won the Intercontinental Championship from Chris Jericho, and won the United States Championship 3 years later, defeating Matt Hardy.

In 2010, Shelton left the company but was supposed to return in 2016, with vignettes promising an exciting return for the Gold Standard.

However, a major rotator cuff injury sidelined him for a year, and by the time he did return in August 2017, some of the excitement had fizzled away.

#3 Batista

In late 2013, WWE announced the return of one of their most popular stars, former World Heavyweight and WWE Champion, Batista.

The next month, Batista made his big on-screen return and made it clear that he was back for one thing: to be the champion once again.

However, for the Guardians of the Galaxy star, it was a case of the right person, in the right place, at the wrong time.

The fans had made it clear, they were behind Daniel Bryan, who with his much smaller size and agility, was the antithesis of the Animal.

Despite this, Batista won the Royal Rumble, to a chorus of boos.

Eventually, Bryan made his way to the main event and captured the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

Batista left in May 2014, though fans are hopeful to see the superstar return and be beloved by fans one more time.

#4 The New Age Outlaws

In an effort to revitalize the tag-team division in late 2013, the classic team of Bad Ass Billy Gunn and the Road Dogg Jesse James were brought back. After all, the two had been two of the biggest tag team wrestlers of the Attitude Era.

Aligning themselves with Triple H in 1998, the pair were a crucial part of D-Generation X.

The pair even returned at RAW 1,000 alongside X-Pac, Triple H and Shawn Michaels, to a very positive reaction.

However, a lot had changed since the early 2000s, and the pair had not maintained their in-ring skills.

The duo captured the WWE Tag Team Championships against the Rhodes Brothers, but their reign was brief, as they would later drop the titles to the Usos, and before long, returned to their backstage roles.

#5 The Dudley Boyz

The most successful tag-team of all time, the Dudley Boyz have held championships in every company they have competed in.

The pair have held Tag Team Championships for WWE, WCW, ECW, TNA, ROH and plenty more companies

So when the pair of Bubba Ray and D-Von returned to the company on the night after Summerslam 2015, fans were not only excited, but prepared to see the two once again become the top tag-team in WWE.

However, the team were unable to upset the New Day, who would go on to break the record as the longest reigning WWE Tag Team Champions in history.