10 WWE Returns That Came Out Of Nowhere

1. The Headbangers

Tatanka Tomahawk Chop 2006
WWE.com

As promoters, Vince McMahon and Joey Janela share just the one narrative device in common - the Clusterf*ck - the difference being that Janela books this sort of thing with a meta nudge and wink, and Vince does so involuntarily as he struggles, hilariously, to keep track of the utter chaos that has come to define 2019.

But did you know that Joey Janela also booked SmackDown for a few months there in 2016? Bringing back a nostalgia act in better nick than anybody else could have imagined is his trademark. From PCO to the upcoming (side note: f*ck yes!) Essa Rios, this is what Janela does.

Only, WWE did it, and did it years after twice burying Mosh and Thrasher unnecessarily in the official WWE magazine. The RAW 15th Anniversary edition blasted the Headbangers as one of 15 acts "who overstayed their welcome", when it's not as if Vince couldn't have just told them to piss off whenever he pleased. He didn't feel awkward about it, Christ.

And yet, they returned, improbably, on the August 30, 2016 SmackDown - to a somewhat muted reaction, truth be told, one that didn't correlate with the endless 'BRING BACK TEH ATTITUDE ERA' comments on virtually ever pirated YouTube upload ever. The match versus Heath Slater and Rhyno wasn't particularly interesting, beyond an abysmal commentary call from David Otunga:

"These guys haven't been in the WWE for some 16 years - you gotta expect some ring rust."

Just because no other wrestling promotions want you, Otunga, it does not mean they don't exist.

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!