10 Major WWE Returns That Flopped

2. Brock Lesnar

It's hard to call Brock Lesnar's return to WWE an outright flop, but it's absolutely nowhere near as big as it should have been. In 2004, Brock left the world of wrestling while at the top of his game. He would have been one of the top stars over the next decade, and made millions of dollars. He suddenly became fed-up with the travel and decided to quit. After trying out for the NFL, he entered the world of mixed martial arts and quickly became a huge draw. After leaving the sport due to injuries, there was speculation that he would return to WWE. It seemed doubtful, but it somehow happened. Brock returned, and WWE wasted no time in setting him up against the heir to his throne: John Cena. Instead of building the feud for months, and main-eventing a WrestleMania or a SummerSlam, it was given a measly three weeks of hype and took place at Extreme Rules. Through no fault of his own, Brock was put in a bad spot. The show drew under 300,000 buys which was less than a third of what his UFC events were recently drawing. After that, he feuded with extreme part-time wrestler HHH, and WWE booked the two as equals. Yes, Vince McMahon took one of the legitimate toughest men on the planet, paid him millions of dollars to wrestle a handful of dates, and decided that a 40+ year old COO/part time wrestler should be just tough as him. Sure, Brock can still perform at a top level in the ring. He was still given the honor of ending The Undertaker's Streak, but he is not the huge attraction that he should have been. A major sports star who is also a great wrestler was a once in a lifetime opportunity. WWE screwed up badly with Brock€™s return, and it€™s doubtful they€™ll ever be able to repair that damage.