10 Times Wrestling Legends Returned (And NOBODY Cared)
2. The Great Khali (2017)
The Great Khali did receive a reaction when he monotonously waddled to the ring like a moribund penguin to save Jinder Mahal's WWE title from landing in Randy Orton's hands.
This reaction wasn't of joy or of surprise or of gratification though; it was a reaction of the worst possible thing that could've happened in the worst possible match.
Mahal and Orton's mid-2017 feud was mid in every sense. WWE, leaning heavily on their stereotype-heavy essence, were obviously planning a Punjabi Prison match from the minute they decided on crowning their first Indian World Champion two months prior. The match is one of WWE's worst creations, a somehow worse take on the Kennel From Hell match, but dogs p*ssing and sh*tting all over the floor would have been welcomed on this occasion, taking some of the shine away from what was objectively an abhorrent creative decision.
The seven-footer hadn't been in WWE for three years at this point. He hadn't done anything remotely notable since the night of his debut in 2006; even then, the only aspect making it notable was the audience's plodding reaction that went a little like this:-
"He's a big lad, isn't he?"
"Yes, mum."
This, extraordinarily, wasn't Khali's last surprise return either! He rocked up in April 2018's Greatest Royal Rumble match to an ample reaction. Perhaps he was there because the Saudi government demanded Giant Gonzales.