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

8. Jake "The Snake" Roberts (1996)

There was a palpable irony in a company that showed its pride in 1996 as "The New Generation" bringing back 40-year-old Jake Roberts more than three years after he was last seen in a major American promotion. At the same time WWE was making fun of Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage in mean-spirited skits, Roberts was unleashing a 17-foot snake to the consternation of fearful heels. Roberts had lost more than a step since the last time WWE fans had seen him, lacking the sinewy grace that had once balanced his persona in better days. As for why he was even brought back in the first place, check out the 1996 Royal Rumble match. He received a bigger reaction than everyone except for Shawn Michaels.