10 Awesome WWE Returns RUINED By Awful Reactions
9. Jake Roberts (Old School Raw - 2014)
'The Snake's' very existence, let alone how good he looked at this Raw, should have been a cause for celebration. After decades of fighting substance use, Jake had found health, peace, and balance with Diamond Dallas Page as a mentor, and Roberts consistently credits Page with saving his life.
Roberts suffered from the same circumstances as Paul Orndorff. Despite being a key part of WWF in the late '80s/ early '90s, despite his legendary feuds with the Warrior and Randy Savage, despite being one of the best promos in the business in his day, fans under a certain vintage didn't know who he was, let alone the tortured path his life took.
As a result, while there were some cheers when he emerged, the bit quickly went quiet as Roberts took Damian out of his bag and laid him across the unconscious Dean Ambrose. Again, those who knew Roberts in his prime got a kick of out this, including Dean Ambrose, who can be seen smiling, but it is obvious from crowd shots that kids who were there to buy John Cena merchandise didn't care.
But if nothing else, it let one of the true redemption stories of professional wrestling get another moment in the sun.
And within a few years Roberts would be back to form in AEW.