10 Most Underwhelming WWE Superstar Returns
Oh, so...you're back. Huh.
A superstar returning to WWE programming after a lengthy absence is usually a recipe for great television. 9 times out of 10, just the surprise factor alone is enough to get crowds on their feet. Throw in a little in-ring melee, an animated announce team, and a compelling score that is suddenly in dire need of settling, and you've got yourself an instant-classic moment.
Not all homecomings work out that way, though. Not everyone gets the huge reaction and subsequent career-defining run of, say, Shawn Michaels in 2002. (Or 2007. Or 2011.)
No, sometimes all they get is an unenthusiastic announcement, a languid audience, and an uninspired storyline that sinks them before they even have time to soak in that feeling of being back under a WWE spotlight.
The most unfortunate part of a bad return is that hopes tend to be pretty high. Everyone from the back office to the fans in the nosebleed section are usually pretty damn excited to see a truant face once again. Absence does make the heart grow fonder and more prone to giant pops, after all.
But the following superstars proved that sometimes - sometimes - absence just makes the heart indifferent.
10. Erick Rowan
The return of an absentee wrestler - especially one who belongs to the creepiest stable of WWE's modern era - should be cause for at least a bit of chatter. True, Erick Rowan may in fact be the most dispensable member of the Wyatt Family, but how could his return from a four-month absence be so completely overlooked?
Well, it helps when the announcers once again fail to notice that someone different has shown up on camera because their noses are buried in Vince McMahon's meticulously "crafted" script.
After the 6' 8", 320lb Rowan had walked down to the ring in his cutoff overalls and stood alongside his brethren for a few minutes, you could just barely hear the commentary team whispering to each other about whether that was Rowan underneath the sheep's mask. Was this supposed to be audible? Or were they genuinely asking each other about the night's booking whilst on air?
It doesn't really matter, of course, because even J.R. probably wouldn't have been able to sell the WWE Universe on Rowan's lacklustre return. He still wasn't given any substantial push after his return, and it's fairly obvious in hindsight that he was brought back into the fold primarily to gloss over the conspicuous absence of Luke Harper.
It really made you pine for the days when even a third-tier member of The Ministry of Darkness would've been afforded a good "gotcha" moment in an instance like this.