wrestling / Columns

The 411 Wrestling Top 5 1.13.10: Week 57 – Wrestling Returns

January 13, 2010 | Posted by Michael Bauer

Hello everyone and welcome to 411 Wrestling’s Top 5 List. What we are going to is take a topic each week and all the writers here on 411 wrestling will have the ability to give us their Top 5 on said topic, plus up to three honorable mentions.

So, on to this week’s topic…

THE TOP 5 WRESTLING RETURNS

We had a couple hot returns this week in Hulk Hogan going to TNA (and several others on Impact, but those were less hot) and Bret Hart ending his twelve year hiatus. This doesn’t apply to guys who were injured for a few months to a year and stayed under contract a la Edge, HHH & Taker, but people who came back after a long hiatus of some kind whether injury, retirement or whatnot. Here are the rules we gave to the writers:

Basically:

Not Working In Business –> Not Working in Business –> Working in Business = Good

Working In Business –> Working in Business for Another Company = Bad

Working In Business –> Injured and Leaves Company/Retired –> Returns With Old Company OR New One = Good

Working In Business –> Injured But Still Employed –> Returns From Injury = Bad

So Flair’s WWF Return in 2001, for example, is fine because he was out of contract with WCW, took six months off from March to November 2001, then showed up on WWE Television. Same applies to Goldberg & Hogan.

Christian jumped from TNA straight to WWE this year…not eligible.

If someone wanted to include Jeff Hardy’s TNA appearance, or his WWE Return for that matter, that’s be fine.

So what did our group of writers select? Let’s find out…

The Cleric Larry Csonka

5. 2002: Mr. Perfect – Kicking off my list is Mr. Perfect. He was a special entrant in the 2002 Royal Rumble, Mr. Perfect came in at #25, got a HUGE reaction from the crowd and then proceeded to work like he never left, hanging with Kurt Angle and HHH into the final three. His good performance and reaction from the crowd got him a new contract with WWE, making the return a great one for fans of the man who was simply, perfect.

4. 2010: Bret Hart – In 2010 it looks as if hell did in fact freeze over as Bret Hart made his WWE return. Bret had come back for the HOF, his DVD and even taped something for the Vince McMahon appreciation episode of Raw, but when it came to coming back into the fold, something had always stopped him. Bret finally came back after 12 long years; living through divorce, the death of his brother, the end of his career, and a stroke. He came back, the crowd loved him, in his words he had a real reconciliation with Shawn Michaels and he is looking to put his past behind him. I think this is one of those returns that simply made people happy, and that is a good thing.

3. 2001: Ric Flair Is The Consortium – I will forever say that the INVASION was completely fucked up and that they ruined the license to print money. But the one thing that was good when the angle was over was that Ric Flair came into the company. His return and reveal as Vince’s new business partner made this old NWA fan a happy camper, simply for the fact that Ric Flair would be on my TV every week.

2. 1999: Raven Returns To ECW – Raven vs. Tommy Dreamer may be the greatest feud in all of ECW, and hell, WWE should put that on a DVD, along with other great feuds that they have the video for. Dreamer finally beat Raven, and he left for WCW, leaving Dreamer to be the heart and soul of ECW, which he was until just a few weeks ago. But when Raven left WCW, there was only one place to go, and that was home. This time, he would return as al ally of Dreamer, in what was a surreal moment for ECW fans…

1. 1999: The Sandman Returns To ECW – While the Raven return was great, and while there were many surprises in the history of ECW, by far the best return and biggest reaction ever was in 1999 when the Sandman came home. The Impact Players and Rhyno were kicking the shit out of Dreamer and Raven, the lights drop, and then the Sandman appears. If you didn’t live through this time, you just have no clue how awesome and electric the moment was…

Aaron Hubbard

HONORABLE MENTION

Goldberg (2003) – I admit that I was pretty freaking excited about this at the time, since I was thirteen and still remembered Goldberg as being awesome. And then he started wrestling, and it was not awesome.

Ric Flair (2001) – Is it bad that the thing I remember most about the whole alliance angle was Ric Flair coming out on RAW after “purchasing Shane and Stephanie’s stock”? Maybe, but it’s still Ric Flair.

Bret Hart (2010) – Hell has frozen over with this return that was never supposed to happen, but it’s a little too early to give it anything but an honorable mention just yet.

5.Jeff Hardy (2006) – This isn’t something I thought I’d ever see after Jeff was fired from WWE in 2003. His year or so in TNA was also mired with drugs and no-showings and he hadn’t been on television at all in 2006. And then WWE starts hyping his return, and he comes out flying onto WWE Champion Edge on RAW, just as popular as ever. Then he went on to become one of most exciting wrestlers in WWE and a three time World Champion. I’d definitely call this a successful return, even with the wellness violations and leaving in 2009.

4.Sting (2006) – If you were a kid watching WCW in the 1990’s, Sting was your Hulk Hogan. That would be me. So to say I was excited when Sting announced his comeback in TNA would be a drastic understatement. Sting has had many memorable feuds with TNA stars since then, held world titles, and perhaps surprisingly, delivered in the ring at a level higher than anyone expected of him. What was definitely surprising is that he finally had a successful heel turn after what, twenty years in the business? Sting is still awesome.

3.Mick Foley (2004) – Mick Foley’s return to the ring in 2004 was one of the highlights of the year. He cut intense promos that were far beyond anything anyone else was doing at the time, and he had two matches that showed different aspects of Foley. Teaming with The Rock against Evolution showed just how great Mick is as a “sports entertainer”, and his match with Randy Orton at Backlash showed why he is called “The Hardcore Legend”. He gave Randy a huge rub and really made his career, but he also gave Foley fans a reminder of the man we all loved. As for his subsequent returns? Well, okay, let’s just forget about those for now.

2.Shawn Michaels (2002) – The return is surprising both due to the why he had been gone, a severely injured back, and because of how long and successful the return has been. When he had a match with Triple H at Summer Slam 2002, many thought that would be it. Almost seven and a half years later, Shawn Michaels is still going strong and entertaining fans. Before his return, he was known for his excellence in the ring and the controversy outside of the ring. Since his return, Shawn’s legend has grown even more, and he is making a very run at eclipsing Ric Flair as the best “sports entertainer” ever.

1.Hulk Hogan (2002) – The biggest star in pro wrestling history returning to the company where he achieved his greatest fame. He came to challenge The Rock to a match at Wrestlemania, which was perhaps the biggest dream match possible (I say perhaps only because of Hogan vs. Austin). And he was wildly cheered by fans, receiving standing ovations that lasted several minutes. There are better wrestlers, there are longer returns, there are returns that helped make future stars. But there is only one Hulk Hogan.

Chad Nevett

5.Mr Perfect (2002) – Mr Perfect returning at the 2002 Royal Rumble was a delight. Curt Hennig had never gotten as over in WCW as he had in the WWE and returning to the company that made him so big was great — and in such an excellent way. A lot of veterans have returned at the Rumble to trot out an old move or two for show before getting eliminated, but Mr. Perfect came in and more than held his own against guys like Triple H, Kurt Angle, and Steve Austin, finding himself among the last three and lasting just over 15 minutes. Plus, he busted out the Perfect Plex. His tenure with the company was brief due to backstage issues, but this was an example of a return done perfectly.

4.Hulk Hogan (2002) – Hogan finally comes home… how could you not love it? While Hogan was just as big in WCW after leaving the WWE, he hadn’t wrestled full time in a couple of years, and he returned at No Way Out to lead the nWo once again. This led to a number of great feuds, including wrestling against the Rock at WrestleMania X8, fulfilling the fanboy wish of… well, everyone, and the great feud with Shawn Michaels where Michaels turned on Hogan. It was done right and seemed like a genuine passing of the torch of the greatest of his generation to those of the next.

3.Bret Hart (2010) – Maybe it’s too early to tell, but on the appearance on Raw alone, this makes my list. No one expected to see Bret Hart in the WWE again. He worked with the company on his DVD set and attended the Hall of Fame ceremony when he was inducted, and that semed like that would be it. In public, he still seemed quite bitter over the Montreal Screwjob and his various dealings with Vince McMahon, making the events of January 4 nothing more than a longshot fantasy. But, there he was, looking comfortable and making peace with Shawn Michaels. No heel turns for either, just a genuine end to all hurt feelings. You don’t often see that sort of thing in this business where backstage feuds and beefs never seem to die. One of the classiest, most heartwarming returns that one could ask for… and we’ve still got a few more months with Bret!

2.Shawn Michaels (2002) – He wasn’t supposed to wrestle again. While Michaels continued to work with the WWE from time to time, his retirement from the ring in 1998 was meant to be permanent after back surgery. However, in 2002, Michaels made his in-ring return against Triple H and, since then, has gone on to have one fantastic match after another with guys like Trips, Chris Jericho, Kurt Angle, John Cena, Ric Flair, the Undertaker… it seems every year, when it comes time to declare a match the best of the year, something involving Michaels is mentioned (and often takes the prize). His return wasn’t just big at the time, it’s a return that’s resulted in wrestling getting back one of the best in-ring performers ever and him delivering the best work of his career… after it seemed physically impossible for him to wrestle ever again.

1.Chris Jericho (2007) – Jericho’s in-ring return in the fall of 2007 may not hold special meaning for many, but, for me, it happened to coincide with my return to wrestling. Earlier in the decade, I grew tired of the circular stories and seemingly never-ending swerves, of the tedious stories and… well, I was just tired, so I quit watching and put wrestling behind me. In the fall of 2007, I moved in with my friend Adam, a big wrestling fan, and, slowly, got back into watching it with him. Jericho’s return on Monday Night Raw happened to occur just as I was getting back into the swing of things and has always seemed like a sign. I always liked Jericho and, now, he was better than ever with a new finisher and a renewed passion that seemed to mirror my own. He’s gone on to be one of the best in-ring and on-the-mic performers for the company over the past two years, turning good feuds into great ones and seemingly awful angles into surprisingly entertaining ones. A big return that holds some personal meaning for me.

Jeremy Thomas

HONORABLE MENTION

Bret Hart (2010) – Bret Hart’s return to Raw was an unforgettable moment and, along with one other mention, were the inspiration for this list. Depending on how it turns out, he could rank higher down the line.

Hulk Hogan (2010) – See Bret Hart.

Raven (1999) – .Anyone who has heard me talk about Raven knows I’m an admitted mark for the man. So when he returned to ECW, I was all kinds of jazzed and paid attention with baited breath to see what would happen next between him and his life-long enemy Dreamer. It’s a return I still have fond memories of.

5.Bob Backlund (1992) – Some might raise an eyebrow at this, but I loved Backlund’s return. It was actually kind of sad when he first came back because he seemed lost in the new, more colorful Rock N’ Wrestling WWF. But then he set a record in the Royal Rumble by lasting 61:10. Eventually he hit his stride when he turned heel on Bret Hart and became a maniac of sorts. The whole return was sort of goofy but featured some great wrestling and a classic feud between Hart and Backlund that culminated in a WWF title reign ten years after everyone believed his career with the company was permanently over. Backlund was the first big comeback/return I remember, and it got me interested in the earlier generations as a result.

4.Ricky Steamboat (2009) – Some might question whether this counts as a return, since Ricky was only around for a couple of months as part of the “Chris Jericho hates legends” storyline. However, there’s a reason that we the staffers voted Ricky the 2009 Comeback of the Year, and you have to return to make a comeback. No one ever thought Steamboat would be likely to perform again after his back injury, but he did last year and amazed the fans with his ability to do so. I know of more than one person who would have liked to see him continue his run, but we got something special out of it regardless.

3.Jeff Hardy (2006) – Jeff has had a whole host of returns…his return to wrestling when he debuted with TNA in 2004 is one that comes to mind. But the one that helped kick-start his place in wrestling history was when he vanished from TNA after a couple no-shows, then signed with the WWE months later. It was a surprising development and a lot of people criticized the ‘E for bringing him back considering his drug problems. Certainly, those problems hindered his career, but he also found success like he never had before. The ‘E pushed him hard, and this was an example of exactly how to push someone right. He didn’t get shot straight to the moon but he worked his way up, flirting with the title before he finally attained it at Armageddon 2008. People may love to talk crap about the man for his personal life, but no one can deny that this was a huge return for Jeff and the WWE’s landscape wouldn’t be the same if it had never happened.

2.Ric Flair (2001) – In terms of wrestling returns, few things surprised me quite as much as Ric Flair basically picking up the steaming corpse of the Invasion angle and creating something great out of it. Flair debuted as the new co-owner of the WWF, having bought Shane and Stephanie’s stock in order to allow them enough finances to purchase WCW and ECW. Frankly, this was a retcon booking move but it made complete sense and Flair ended up on our televisions, feuding with Vince McMahon. When you think about it, a lot of huge changes for the WWE came from this. This was, in retrospect, their test-piloting of the “General Managers” authority role, with Flair running Raw and Vince running SmackDown. It also, of course, helped lead to the formation of Evolution (and hence the careers of Randy Orton and Batista) and the Ric Flair retirement tour. Think about how it would have been without Flair’s return. Quite a bit dimmer, eh?

1.Shawn Michaels (2002) – No return, in my mind, has been a greater or more successful one than that of the Heartbreak Kid. Shawn Michaels was effectively retired when, during his feud with the Undertaker, he herniated two discs in his back on the edge of a casket. He toughed it through until WrestleMania so he could pass the torch onto Stone Cold Steve Austin, and then faded off into the sunset. Sure, Shawn would come back from time to time—including a month or so as commissioner—but he was retired, and focusing on his wrestling school. Then came 2002. Shawn came back as a part of the WWE’s version of the New World Order. That would eventually lead to Shawn and ‘H reuniting, then feuding…which of course led to their “unsanctioned” match at SummerSlam 2002. Shawn did things no man with a fused back should ever do, and has continued to do so for the last seven and a half years. Since he “retired,” Shawn has had two Tag Team Title reigns (one of them his current Unified reign) and a reign as World Heavyweight Champion, had Matches of the Year on two straight WrestleManias and headlined two others, and what’s more impressive is that he’s remained a man on top of the WWE without needing a title to do so. Best wrestling return ever? Sounds about right to me.

Julian Bond

HONORABLE MENTION

RVD (“one shot deal” to WWE) – To me live in attendance (in my hometown of good ol’ Detroit) and to many watching at home on PPV, this “one night only” return appearance by RVD in last year’s Royal Rumble match was crazy as hell and was fun to witness.

Ricky Steamboat (in-ring return to WWE) – When ring legend Ricky Steamboat came back to the ring at last year’s Wrestlemania, I myself just thought of it as a “standard” one-shot deal like other legends (Roddy Piper, Jimmy Snuka) had recently done beforehand. But when the man went ahead and put on a great clinic against Chris Jericho in an one-on-one match a month later (and even was an awesome highlight in a tag match on Raw), that provided for a suprising and great return.

Bret Hart (to WWE) – I honestly STILL can’t believe that he’s really back…probably won’t until he’s gone again.

5.The ECW brand/wrestlers (to the wrestling world) – When Vince McMahon brought out ECW back in the day, I personally thought that he would just ignore most of the wrestlers on that roster and focus more so on the more recognizable WCW brand also brought out at the same time. So when I saw like most of the roster slowly show up to “invade” WWE back in 2001, I was surprised as hell that the brand and alot of the wrestlers had returned in one piece. Sure a good of these wrestlers were let go afterwards, but I’ll never forget the craziness of seeing guys like Amish Roadkill and Tony Malmaluke return to the mainstream ring after their company was shut down.

4.Hulk Hogan (to WWE) – During the time that Hogan left WCW before it officially went under and then help start his friend Jimmy Hart’s wrestling company (remember the XWF?!?…scary), I thought that there was a little chance that the man would properly return to the WWE in any way. But he then finally show up again in WWE as the leader once again of his landmark stable with the nWo, it shocked the hell out of a lot of people. And the fact that man ended up staying and “actively” wrestling in the company for way longer than anyone expected in his return was even more a shocker.

3.Matt Hardy (to WWE) – Back in the day when Matt Hardy was sadly released by the WWE to some girl problems, I thought the poor Hardy brother wouldn’t ever make his way back to his home company. But when the guy suddently showed up on WWE Raw shockingly beating the living crap out of his “real-life” nemesis Edge, it was one of the most jaw-dropping moments I’ve ever seen. For a split second I seriously thought that Hardy had actually invaded the show and beat the crap out of his former friend.

2.Eric Bischoff (to the wrestling world/WWE) – The hug heard around the world! When McMahon had called out his former major rival in WCW owner Eric Biscoff to join him on the stage as the brand new Raw GM back a few years, the jaw almost dropped down to the floor. Seeing Paul Heyman come to WWE a little bit before as a commentator was kind of a believable since he was once one a long time ago AND he kind of seemed like he would need the money after being horribly shut down by McMahon with ECW. But imagining the super-cocky Biscoff come crawling towards his main rival was definitely a sight to behold.

1.Shawn Michaels (in-ring return to WWE) – I swear…the way the WWE and many other wrestling publications described the severely of HBK’s back injuries after his “last” match with Stone Cold, I thought that the man wouldn’t like be able to walk properly again let alone wrestle. But lo and behold, when he stepped from his semi-odd random appearances as WWE Commissioner and as a member of the (100th incarnation of) nWo to once again step in the ring as regular full-time wrestler, everyone was shocked as hell. Back then it was pretty insane to see the man finally return and it’s even crazier to think now that the man who was once was told that he would never wrestle again is still going on pretty damn strong today.

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Michael Bauer

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