10 Forgotten One Night Only WWE Returns
They are here for a good time but not a long time.
Vince McMahon knows that wrestling fans have long term memories. He also knows that nothing sparks a crowd reaction quite like the return of an old school legend.
Whether it's a one-off appearance like The Rock at WrestleMania 32 or a fully-fledged run like Bill Goldberg earlier this year, seeing a veteran performer that can still go in the ring and do it one more time is as nostalgically satisfying as it gets.
However, not all returns are burned into our memory banks like the sight of Ric Flair walking that aisle, the night after Survivor Series 2001. In fact, some of yesterday's biggest superstars have returned for a one-shot appearance, only for their homecoming to be almost completely forgotten after the fact.
Such is the fickle world of sports entertainment...
10. RVD - Royal Rumble 2009
While there have been countless one-night only returns in the Royal Rumble match over the years, one of the more legendary yet, criminally forgotten surprise entrants was that of 'Mr PPV' himself, Rob Van Dam.
Bizarrely, RVD's shocking one night deal at the 2009 Rumble is very rarely even acknowledged, let alone shown in historic Royal Rumble discussions.
Nevertheless, on this night, the crowd erupted when the extreme superstar made his way down the aisle and chants of "RVD" shook the building from the moment he hit the ring. Unleashing his martial arts offence on everything that moved, the fans in attendance were definitely pleased to see 'The Whole F'n Show' make his return to the big time.
Van Dam would last just under 14 minutes in the match before getting eliminated by Chris Jericho. RVD wouldn't return to WWE again for four and a half years, instead opting to ply his trade in TNA.