10 WWE Returns That Came Out Of Nowhere

2. Tatanka

Tatanka Tomahawk Chop 2006
WWE.com

OR, A Tale Of Two Racists, the setting for which was the August 1, 2005 RAW emanating from the Mohegan Sun Casino - on which Eugene issued an open challenge to any "hometown hero" with the mettle to challenge for his newly-won Olympic gold medal.

In one corner stood Kurt Angle, whose blend of racism - "What hometown hero could possibly be from here? Who? Tonto?!" - was almost naive. There was no maliciousness to detect; the milk-drinking, square-jawed Angle was simply supremely white, as opposed to a white supremacist. In the other corner stood Jerry Lawler, who greeted the arrival of Tatanka - Tatanka! - with a sneering "It is Tonto!"

Tatanka, the proto-New Generation über-gimmick, had returned from out of nowhere. And he stuck around, enjoying (nominally) a full-time stint on SmackDown as a babyface - and then, hilariously, as a heel who blamed his losing streak on the years of persecution endured by his people. Vince probably just booked the streak because the act was over 20 years old, in fairness.

Everybody had the same reaction when taking in the André The Memorial Battle Royal of 2016. We thought we had seen a man that had somehow travelled forward in time, and when that thought became fact we all, to a man, even the churchgoers, said "Is that f*cking Tatanka?"

What is Tatanka doing in there? At WrestleMania? In 2016?!

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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!