10 WWE Returns Nobody Saw Coming

3. Ric Flair (19 November 2001 - Raw)

Ric Flair Vince Mcmahon
WWE.com
"We're partners!".

With those two words, obviously accompanied by his trademark "Woo!" refrain, Ric Flair closed his first WWF appearance since the 25 January 1993 episode of Raw. Precisely 3,320 days following that 'Loser Leaves Town' loss to Mr. Perfect, 'Slick Ric' was back in the big time.

Obviously, the fact he'd been missing from the WCW invasion angle was regrettable; as the figurehead of some internal power struggle between his old stomping ground and a place he'd sought solace in the early-90s, Flair would've been brilliant. It wasn't to be, but his night-after-Survivor Series re-debut was arguably worth sacrificing that.

OK, so maybe some fans inside the Charlotte Coliseum might've known there was a good chance of some 'Nature Boy' action, but they were in the minority. People watching at home were pleasantly surprised by Ric's interruption just as it looked like Vince McMahon was going to gloat about killing WCW all over again.

Woo!

Advertisement
Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.