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WWE has been struggling with ratings over the past few weeks, which could be the main reason why the company has decided to present Legends Night this coming week on RAW.
There are several legends, including Melina and Carlito, who are not regular returnees for these shows. Several wrestlers are missing from the lineup, and this could be because there are plans for a bigger return later in the year.
The 2021 Royal Rumble is merely a month away, and it appears that there could be several surprise returns in both the men's and women's matches this year. 2021 could be an interesting year for WWE, and the company will be wanting to make up for all of the canceled plans in 2020.
Here are just five former WWE Superstars who could be looking to make their return in 2021.
#6 Former WWE star Eva Marie
Eva Marie has been teasing a WWE return over the past year. Reports now suggest that the former star has returned to the Performance Center and could be set for a return in the immediate future after being added to the internal roster.
She first came to WWE when she won the 2013 Diva Search alongside Jojo Offerman before the duo were added to the first season of Total Divas. Marie was then added to the main roster but received so much fan backlash that she was sent back to NXT to learn the ropes before being called back up.
Marie was suspended from the company in August 2016 for violating WWE's Wellness Policy and was then replaced by Nikki Bella in her match at SummerSlam.
This was the last time Marie was seen on WWE TV since she was then released by the company the following year and has since pursued a career in the acting business.
In recent months the former star has tweeted several times to tease that she wants to make her WWE return, and reports now suggest that she could return as early as the women's Royal Rumble. If Marie enters, it would be the first time she has been part of the annual match.
#5 Former WWE star Goldberg
Goldberg was last seen on WWE TV back at WrestleMania 36 when Braun Strowman defeated him. The original plan was for Goldberg to wrestle Roman Reigns at WrestleMania, but the former world champion could not compete after COVID-19 caused the country to go into lockdown.
In recent months, Goldberg has resurfaced and is pushing for the match that he could never have. The former WCW legend appeared on The Bump, where he talked about the match with Reigns and how they have unfinished business.
"He backed out on me at WrestleMania, he stole my move God knows how long ago, and he continues to perform it at a sub-par level, so Roman, it's coming and I'm coming for you."
At present, it's rumored that Goldberg could be the WWE star that faces Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 37 since the originally planned match against The Rock isn't likely to happen until 2022. The company has several WrestleMania options for The Tribal Chief, but Goldberg seems to be the most obvious choice at present.
#4 Former WWE Champion Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar walked away from WWE following his loss to Drew McIntyre back at WrestleMania in April and has since allowed his contract to expire.
This means that the former world champion is no longer under any obligation to return to WWE, but he could decide to make his return when COVID-19 is no longer seen as an issue.
Lesnar will want to exact some revenge on Drew McIntyre after his championship loss, but rematch clauses are no longer automatic in WWE, which means that The Beast will be forced to earn his rematch.
At present, reports suggest that Lesnar won't return to WWE until fans are allowed into the arena, which could be as early as the Royal Rumble.
One way for Brock Lesnar to ensure some revenge against the Scottish star could be to make his return at the Royal Rumble and win the chance to face the WWE Champion at WrestleMania.
Rumors suggest that the plan is currently for McIntyre and Lesnar to collide at WrestleMania in some way. This seems as though it could be the simplest way to insert Lesnar back into the storyline.
#3 & #2 Former WWE stars Nikki and Brie Bella
Nikki and Brie Bella last appeared on WWE TV earlier this year when the two women announced they were part of the 2020 Hall of Fame. The duo has since given birth to their sons and is not likely to make their return as part of the upcoming Royal Rumble match, but they could be teasing a return soon.
Nikki and Brie have been teasing a return to competing for the Women's Tag Team Championships in recent months. However, they need to ensure that they are in the best shape to compete with the elite of women's wrestling.
Nikki and Brie could not be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame earlier this year, which means that the two women could be added to the group next year instead.
If Brie and Nikki are called back to WWE TV, they could pick up a feud with the Women's Tag Team Champions before their official retirement.
#1 Former WWE Champion CM Punk
CM Punk left WWE back in 2014 following the annual Royal Rumble match, but he's a star that many fans believe will answer the calling to make his in-ring return at some point.
Punk came close to returning to WWE when he was part of WWE Backstage, which was sadly canceled. In a recent interview with Renee Young on her Oral Sessions Podcast, he made it clear that the door is now open for him to make his return if there was a good enough story.
"Without wanting to insult anybody on any either side of the fence, any WWE talent or any AEW talent, it would take – above all – an interesting scenario. A story that would be fun to tell. Also, just the stupidest amount of money. But they could just save themselves a whole lot of money if they just presented like a fun storyline."
It's unknown if this return will occur in 2021, but if WWE wants to improve their ratings, CM Punk would be the perfect man to call.
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