Man, was Smackdown a strange place in the mid-2000's or what? Road Warrior Animal joined Tatanka as a past-it veteran on the blue brand. Animal first flirted with a WWE comeback in May 2003 when, along with Hawk, he returned to face Tag Team Champions Kane and Rob Van Dam on an episode of Raw. It was a nostalgic surprise for fans, but the Warriors' performance left a lot to be desired: they spent most of the match refusing to sell for the unlikely champs and comeback plans were scuppered further when Hawk died in October. But Animal did eventually come back, issuing a challenge for MNM's tag team gold in July 2005. Animal and makeshift Road Warrior Heidenreich won the belts at the Great American Bash. He dedicated the victory to Hawk. Fans were indifferent and, in the ring, Animal was clearly struggling. Heidenrich was released from his contract in January 2006 and Animal was given a solo run, turning heel and having a mini-feud with the long-suffering Matt Hardy. Animal changed up his look, wearing a slightly more flattering jeans and leather vest combo and became simply The Road Warrior. The once larger-than-life Animal looked decidedly ordinary in his new get up, and he was released in June 2006. Animal's run in a prominent position in 2005/6 was about as weird, if not weirder, than Tatanka's. Of course, the fact that Animal's brother John Laurinaitis was the head of talent relations at the time probably had something to do with it.
