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"Black Friday" is a day in American culture which represents a fun time of the year when shoppers cheerfully wake up at the crack of dawn and venture out to their favourite shops, in the hopes of cashing in on a sweet deal on a new television set or some other overpriced item on their Christmas wish-list.
With that said, the same phrase doesn't carry the same meaning when it is mentioned by WWE officials. Each year, typically shortly after Wrestlemania, WWE releases several Superstars. Some of the releases come from the main roster while some come from NXT as well. What makes these annual releases even more unique is that they normally occur on a Friday, thus the reason for the phrase WWE's "Black Friday."
Not all former WWE Superstars were released against their will. In fact, many simply come to a point in their career where they want a change. Maybe they reach an impasse, so-to-speak, where they feel they are being held back from a creative perspective, or it could be a number of other reasons. Regardless, people change, situations change and sometimes, feelings get involved.
When you look back at the releases over the past few years, there are a number of them who would, or actually should be welcomed back, at least for one more opportunity. This opportunity doesn't necessarily have to be about the fans. The return could be an opportunity for them to prove to themselves that they still have what it takes to compete at the highest level.
With all of this in mind, who are some names of former WWE Superstars that you would want to see come back for at least one final run? Take a look at the following list and see how many of these former Superstars you would like to see make a return.
#7 Justin Roberts
The job of a WWE ring announcer is an often forgotten and perhaps underappreciated position within the company. I mean, after all, a ring announcer doesn't have to go through the rigorous training and development that it takes to become a full-time, in-ring WWE Superstar. While that may be a correct assertion, it does not take away from the fact that the ring announcer is still an important component of the production of WWE programming.
I'm sure I'm a bit older than many of my readers, but when I was first really getting into professional wrestling, Howard Finkel was the first thing you thought of when anyone mentioned ring announcers.
The Fink would obviously go on to become a WWE Hall of Famer and, by all measures, he has set the standard to which all ring announcers should aspire. Lillian Garcia was another one who became an elite-ring-announcing personality.
Justin Roberts began his WWE career in 2002 and, for roughly a dozen years, he chased the standard left behind by the greats such as Howard Finkel and Lillian Garcia. Quite frankly, Roberts has become as close to that legendary status as anyone who has ever come along since that time.
Since being released in 2014, he has not been short on work, having been booked by Tommy Dreamer to do the ring announcing work for House of Hardcore events. Roberts has also performed at boxing events, MMA bouts and has worked for a plethora of independent promotions as well. It's also worth mentioning that Justin has landed a few acting roles as well. He has landed spots on 'The Messengers' as well as a couple of other network shows.
#6 Kaitlyn
It's a very rare occasion that you see someone come along with a body as absolutely flawless as what you see with Kaitlyn. A lot of that comes from her early background in bodybuilding.
Kaitlyn began her WWE career in late-2010, and while she didn't stick around too long, she certainly made her mark and quickly became a fan favourite.
Kaitlyn won the WWE Divas Championship in 2013 and held that title for 153 days before eventually losing it to AJ Lee. She was also recognized by PWI as the number 5 overall women's professional wrestler in the publications 'PWI Female 50' in 2013.
Kaitlyn left the company in 2014, at which time she announced that she would be leaving the business to focus more on her own business, which involved her clothing line, as well as supplements and fitness.
Since then, Kaitlyn has gone through a divorce from her former husband and bodybuilder PJ Braun. Following her divorce, she made another announcement indicating that she would be returning to in-ring action in the near future. She has indeed begun wrestling again, and many believe it's only a matter of time until WWE comes calling.
#5 Damien Sandow
2016 was a year of unexpected releases by WWE officials. Zeb Colter, Alex Riley, King Barrett and a host of others parted ways with the company. However, out of all of the Superstars releases, there was one shocker that stood out the most: Damien Sandow.
Sandow was extremely talented and what made him even more valuable was his versatility. He seemed to be the WWE resident chameleon, capable of adapting to any and all situations that were thrown his way. For example: MizDow. Just think of how much of a failure that gimmick SHOULD have been and would have been had the angle been assigned to someone other than Damien Sandow.
The way Sandow turned that whole storyline into something great should be talked about for years to come. In that storyline, Sandow became "MizDow," who was essentially the ultimate stunt-double for The Miz. However, no one would have ever expected MizDow to completely overshadow the "A-lister" quite like Sandow did. During this time, everything the former Money in the Bank winner touched seemingly turned to gold.
Life outside WWE has not been overly impressive for Sandow. A trip back home would benefit all parties involved.
#4 Rey Mysterio
The WWE Universe went into a frenzy when Rey Mysterio made an impromptu return at the 2018 WWE Royal Rumble. Many of us, including this writer, were hopeful that the 619 Superstar was home to finish his career where he belonged. Unfortunately, we would all soon learn that his participation in the Royal Rumble match was, in fact, a one-time deal.
The 43-year old is a mega-star who has accomplished more than most professional wrestlers ever dream of. He has done so by being a positive role model for fans, as well as a positive influence on fellow wrestlers he has come in contact with throughout his career.
While I would love to see him come back home to conclude his career under a WWE banner, that may not be exactly what Mysterio himself wants. In a recent interview, the former WCW legend was asked about the possibility of him returning to possibly join the 205 Live roster, and while he had high remarks for the newly branded WWE Cruiserweight Divison, Mysterio made it clear that he was happy to work with Lucha Underground.
#3 AJ Lee
I never thought I would miss a female Superstar quite as much as I miss AJ Lee. She was such a versatile performer with an extremely high ceiling and you never knew what she would do next. Lee's unpredictability is what ultimately made her so great.
As we now know, her relationship with CM Punk was the wedge that would eventually be just too much to handle and ultimately lead to her departure.
Since leaving the company, AJ has laid low for the most part. It appears that her marriage to CM Punk is healthy and doing well. While there has not been much talk, if any, regarding a potential return to the ring, a return of this magnitude would provide WWE with a shot in the arm and a significant boost in the short-to-medium term.
#2 Cody Rhodes
I'll never pretend to fully understand the issues that surrounded Cody Rhodes' departure from his WWE contract in 2016. While there has been an abundance of speculation, only Rhodes himself truly knows what triggered his desire to leave the company where his family has invested so much time throughout their generations.
Rhodes has mentioned in the past that he was pretty frustrated with his status with the company and that he felt he was not in a position of growth, especially with the Stardust character which was extremely limited, as far as creative growth was concerned.
Since leaving the company, Rhodes has been on fire. For those who felt that the former Intercontinental Champion would just walk away with his tail between his legs and stumble into wrestling mediocrity, now would be the time to partake of a well-deserved slice of humble pie.
Not only has Rhodes joined The Bullet Club, the most critically-acclaimed faction in wrestling today, but he has also had a great amount of success elsewhere, such as Impact Wrestling, Ring of Honor and NJPW.
If the theory that "time heals all wounds" is true, then maybe, just maybe, the 'American Nightmare' can one day have a seat in Titan Tower and resolve his issues with one Vincent Kennedy McMahon.
However, even if he never returned to a WWE ring, Rhodes has proven that it is certainly possible for talented performers to succeed an earn a good living away from the big show.
#1 CM Punk
When the history books are re-written, they will tell the story of CM Punk in it's rawest form and they will also show that no one has ever come along quite like the 'Straight Edge Superstar'. It takes a unique type of individual to truly march to the beat of their own drum, so-to-speak, but CM Punk was indeed that person.
It's obvious that Punk had a highly successful run and became one of the all-time greats of the modern era of professional wrestling. His boldness and the way he would unapologetically express his mind were traits that most of today's superstars only dream of having.
In a perfect world, we would all be able to forgive and move on... fans and superstars alike.
Again, in a perfect world.
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