7 WWE returns that were very underwhelming

When a beloved superstar leaves WWE or is fired, it is always a near heartbreaking moment for many fans. The only ever upside to this is seeing that said superstar(s) return to WWE one day.

Over the years we have seen so many big and incredible returns. Superstars such as The Rock, Brock Lesnar, Goldberg, Kurt Angle, Ric Flair, The Hardy Boyz and many more have given us some memorable moments. especially when they all return to big angles and matches. However it isn't always as great as it looks on paper. Sometimes WWE will bring back a former big star and book them in a way befitting someone of a much lower caliber.

They can even be lost in the shuffle or booked so badly that seeing them no longer thrills you and fans stop caring. Whether it be to very poor booking decisions or some other factors, here are those who I believe are the top 7 worst big time superstar returns to WWE.

#7 Rob Van Dam: 2013 - 2014

After being burned out for quite some time, Rob Van Dam left WWE in 2007 to take some time to heal up and pursue some other ventures outside of wrestling.

After wrestling for various independent promotions throughout 2008 and 2009, RVD joined TNA Wrestling in 2010 for a pretty successful three-year run. RVD would become the TNA World Heavyweight Champion, X Division Champion and have many top feuds with AJ Styles, Sting, Jeff Hardy, Jerry Lynn and many more before departing in 2013.

Just a few months after his last TNA appearance, WWE began airing vignettes for RVD returning to WWE at the 2013 Money in the Bank event. Now, to be honest, I thought the first portion of RVD's return in 2013 actually fared off alright. He returned in the main event of Money in The Bank and would spend two months feuding with Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship, challenging him on two pay-per-views.

However, it is his second return which brings him to this list. RVD left WWE TV in October 2013 so WWE could still have some dates for him in 2014. RVD's return to TV just after WrestleMania in 2014 pretty much saw him take on almost near-jobber status. While he did have some wins here and there, he was mostly used to put over talent like Seth Rollins, Wade Barrett, Curtis Axel, Neville, Rusev, Cesaro and others, before finishing up in August.

RVD has since been wrestling throughout the independent scene.

RVD was in great physical shape during his return to the WWE and was still drawing huge pops from the crowd. However, it was a situation where there were too many midcarders in the WWE's ranks who were looking at being the next star and Van Dam did not feature in the creative team's plan.

#6 Vader - 2005

This one is cheating just a little bit because the late Big Van Vader never actually signed a contract to return to WWE in 2005, but he was supposed to.

While Jonathan Coachman was feuding with Stone Cold Steve Austin in 2005, a match was announced between the two for Taboo Tuesday. Coach decided to bring out some backup on the October 31 edition of RAW to be in his corner at the pay-per-view, in the form of Vader and Goldust. During their segment of beating up Funaki and a confrontation with Coach's new replacement opponent, Batista, Vader would botch several moves and even trip over as he exited the ring.

Come Taboo Tuesday itself the following night, Vader would make a few more botches during his interference during the street fight between Coach and Batista. If Vader and Goldust had impressed Vince McMahon on these two nights, then they may have been offered contracts to return to the promotion.

Goldust would eventually be offered a contract and make his return two months later in the Royal Rumble, but they would be unhappy with Vader's performance and he wouldn't be offered anything.

#5 Scott Hall & Kevin Nash: 2002 - 2003

With ratings starting to take a bit of a decline, WWE decided to go up a level and bring WCW's most successful angle to WWE, the nWo.

And for a while, it seemed like it would be a success too. Where the angle had eventually become boring in WCW thanks to adding so many members, WWE brought it back with its original three core members, Hollywood Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash in 2002.

Hogan would instantly take in the loudest cheers in every arena, even upstaging The Rock at WrestleMania, and would even defeat Triple H for his 6th WWE Championship at Backlash. The same kind of success did not follow for Scott Hall and Kevin Nash, however, not even close.

It all mounted up to May, when Scott Hall would be fired for his conduct during the UK tour. As for Kevin Nash, he had nagging injuries upon his return and only wrestled two matches before it was decided to keep him out of the ring until he was fully healed. Immediately upon returning to action in July, Nash suffered a quadriceps tear in his first match back and would be out of action until April 2003.

When Nash returned to TV, he feuded with Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship until he left TV after SummerSlam 2003, and wouldn't be seen again in WWE until 2011. Nash only had one really entertaining match during his comeback, with Triple H at UK PPV Insurrextion 2003.

This was a case of both poor performance and bad booking. The duo were unable to replicate Hogan's success back in the WWE and slowly faded away along with the nWo storyline in tow.

#4 Alberto Del Rio: 2015 - 2016

Former WWE Champion Alberto Del Rio had a very controversial firing from WWE in August 2014 when he was released due to "unprofessional conduct" following an altercation with an employee who allegedly made a racist joke.

Del Rio would make a triumphant and surprising return to WWE at the 2015 Hell in A Cell event, where he answered John Cena's United States Championship open challenge match and pinned him clean, in less than 9 minutes to win the match and Championship. I can't imagine a superstar ever having a more incredible and better return than that.

Unfortunately, things just went downhill from there. Allegedly, WWE had big plans for his return as he was paired with Zeb Colter as his manager, forming a "MexAmerica" alliance. For whatever reason, the angle was dropped shortly after and Del Rio was thrown into The League of Nations stable with Sheamus, Wade Barrett and Rusev, which solely existed to put the then struggling face Roman Reigns over.

Del Rio would spend the next several months not being involved in many storylines, and would depart the company in September, during a suspension.

#3 The Ultimate Warrior - 1992 & 1996

At least these returns were better than his WCW run

The late Ultimate Warrior was one of the biggest superstars of the '90s and at one point, seemed like he was to replace Hulk Hogan as the face of the company, even defeating him for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania VI.

Warrior was fired in 1991 but was reinstated in 1992. After aiding Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania, Warrior would have a ridiculous feud with Papa Shango and unsuccessfully challenge Randy Savage for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam, before departing WWE again in November. Warrior would make another surprising return to WWE four years later at WrestleMania XII, quickly defeating Triple H.

Warrior would then feud with Goldust and Jerry Lawler before being fired after no-showing several events, and thus his wrestling career with WWE came to an end. Although his life came to a tragic and sudden end in 2014, he had at least returned to being on great terms with WWE and is remembered as a hero.

The fun fact here is that The Ultimate Warrior sold more tickets for WrestleMania XII, than the advertised iron man match between Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart.

#2 Batista - 2014

After being one of the biggest superstars in wrestling for the previous five years, multi-time WWE Champion and World Champion Batista returned to WWE in January 2014.

Around the same time as his return to WWE RAW, it had been leaked out that Batista was the planned winner of the 2014 Royal Rumble, and fans were not happy. The big problem for The Animal was that he returned during the era of Daniel Bryan. WWE had portrayed Bryan as a B + player who would never be 'The Guy' in WWE, and his build-up had been perfect for winning the Royal Rumble and headlining WrestleMania, it was like hand in glove.

So upon Batista's victory at the Royal Rumble, the babyface was loudly booed in a reaction that can still be heard today. WWE were forced to turn Batista heel and he lost at WrestleMania and had a couple more high profile losses before departing WWE in early June.

When most people are making a list like this, they would probably rank Batista's return as the number #1 worst return ever. However, I don't think it was a complete failure because, at the very least, Batista did provide us with three of 2014's best WWE matches. His Triple Threat with Randy Orton and Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania was superb, and the two Evolution vs. The Shield matches were fantastic too.

#1 The Dudley Boyz: 2015 - 2016

In my opinion, The Dudley Boyz are the greatest tag team in the history of professional wrestling. They have held 26 Tag Team titles and have had some of the best matches in the history of WWE, ECW and TNA Impact Wrestling.

The Dudley Boyz were released by WWE in July 2005 after Vince McMahon had felt that had become stale, they had even been taken off TV six months before for just that reason. After a very successful run in TNA and Japan, The Dudley Boyz returned to WWE for the first time in 10 years on the post-SummerSlam episode of RAW. They returned to a thunderous ovation as they took out The New Day.

After unsuccessfully challenging The New Day for the Tag Team Championships during a three-month feud, Dudley's quickly went right down the ladder and fast. They would feud with the Wyatt Family, putting them over in every match they had and would then spend the remainder of their return not even seeing any pay-per-view time.

The Dudley's would lose nine of every ten matches they had and wouldn't have any proper storylines. They would even lose matches pointlessly as well, as the Lucha Dragons would defeat them on an episode of SmackDown, and then announce two days later that they were mutually splitting up as a team, so who did that win benefit?

The Dudley Boyz announced they would be leaving WWE on the August 22 episode of RAW. The Dudley's WWE run at least ended on a high note when they were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2018.