10 WWE Returns That Must Happen In 2024

DO call it a comeback, especially when the paydays are the biggest in wrestling history...

Bad Bunny WWE
WWE.com

Never has this been a harder list to write.

After Triple H's early creative run in 2022 showed genuine promise, the Chief Content Officer and (more importantly) Head Of Creative produced so many success stories in 2023 that business boomed in just about every metric more than ever before whilst satisfying the WWE core fanbase more consistently more than any period in the last 2023 years.

It shouldn't be so remarkable that the market leader actually leads the market in ways beyond the bottom line, but Vince McMahon's monopoly-squandering latter years lowered the bar to depths most thought impossible until they were discovered. Without his autocratic and ageing guiding hand, the shows have felt vibrant and well-plotted to such an extent that special guests, cameo appearances and returning stars have felt less necessary than ever.

The roster, exactly as they are, are enough! None of us ever thought we'd see the day. But it's wrestling - more is always more and there's always more of it, so to that end just who will resurface in 2024 for one classic match, one epic promo or even one more run...

10. Zack Ryder

Bad Bunny WWE
NWA

He’s earned it, as much as anything.

WWE definitively stopped being the only mainstream destination for pro wrestling back in 2019, and wrestlers like Zack Ryder have proven that they don’t need the brightest spotlight in order to shine…but he probably still wants it all the same.

A celebrated indie run has found Matt Cardona cast as an interloper on the scene, especially in GCW. A self-styled ‘Deathmatch King’, his mere presence was initially a transgression, but the fans buying into the joke has extended the lifespan of the character. This sort of thing is the story of Cardona’s career, and there’s only really one way for that specific kind of tenure to culminate - the fame-hungry fallen star reascending.

He can take the mother of all beatings on his way out, then return to WWE with an edge he couldn’t have ever gained remaining in a system that had become so mutually unsatisfying.

 
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Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett