10 Most Unsuccessful WWE Returns Of All-Time
Second chances are far and few between, and these WWE stars didn't make the most of them.
It isn't uncommon for wrestlers to leave or get fired from WWE only to return later down the line. Of course, that begs the question of why WWE would bother releasing them in the first place if they were going to bring them back.
In the time that they're gone from the company, they could show WWE what they were missing out on initially by getting better, or perhaps the two sides make up and come to terms on a new deal.
Look no further than Luke Gallows, who recently resurfaced on Monday Night Raw. He had a less-than-stellar run with the company from 2005 to 2010 as Imposter Kane, Festus and later Luke Gallows, largely being relegated to an enhancement role and never being utilized to his full potential.
Following his WWE release, Gallows journeyed over to New Japan Pro Wrestling and formed a successful tandem with Karl Anderson, winning their illustrious tag team titles on three separate occasions.
Now, he's involved in the hottest angle in WWE right now alongside Anderson, AJ Styles and Roman Reigns, so his immediate future is surely looking bright.
Sadly, it's rare wrestlers come back to WWE with as much fanfare as he has, and even if they do, they fizzle out faster than they rise to super stardom. Let's look at ten talents who weren't as fortunate the second time around.
10. Batista
Batista left WWE on less-than-stellar terms in May 2010 when he didn't approve of the PG direction the company had been heading in.
That said, he made it clear he would be back at some point when the product got edgier and he wasn't as busy with other endeavors such as mixed martial arts and acting.
Following a nearly four year hiatus, Batista returned to WWE at the onset of 2014, and although fans were initially excited to have him back in the fold in time for WrestleMania XXX, the timing couldn't have been worse.
The way he was reintroduced made it quite clear he was the predictable pick to win the 2014 Royal Rumble match and go on to main event WrestleMania opposite Randy Orton.
The fans might just have accepted Batista's push had Daniel Bryan not been as hot as he was at the time, causing a major backlash to The Animal's Rumble win.
As a result of the fans' incessant demands for Bryan to headline 'Mania, any plans to put the strap on Batista before he left in June were nixed all together.
It's unfair to rank The Animal any higher than the No. 10 spot because he did in fact make the most of what he was given and became a hilarious heel in his final few weeks with the company, in addition to putting over Daniel Bryan and The Shield on multiple occasions.
Whether you liked it or not, you have to admit that his "Bluetista" phase was phenomenal.