10 Returning WWE Icons That Couldn't Live Up To Their Legend

9. Bob Backlund (1992)

If Snuka was anachronistic after four years away, imagine what Backlund looked after over eight years out of the spotlight. Backlund didn't stick around long after dropping the gold to The Iron Sheik in late-1983, and only popped up here and there in the fading territorial embers throughout the remainder of the decade. It was probably just as well, since Backlund's white-meat, no-frills persona would've stuck out like a sore thumb next to WWE's Rock 'n Wrestling movement. He was even more conspicuous in 1992 alongside the likes of Nailz, The Mountie, and The Repo Man, since Backlund's image hadn't changed. Kids of the time didn't understand what was so special about such a basic wrestler, albeit a technically-gifted one. His 1994 heel turn was a brilliant reinvention, but until then, what a mismatch.