10 WWE Stars Who Left And Returned More Badass

2. Sycho Sid

Two Drews
WWE.com

The 1991/92 iteration of Sid wasn't bad.

He stalked the ring with a menacing calm, and no-sold piledrivers, but the presentation of the character was confused, not least as a result of a very quick heel turn. Referring to Mean Gene Okerlund as a "fat, bald-headed little oaf" ahead of WrestleMania VIII was more Monty Python than Massive Badass, and his performance in the match itself was a parody of basic. In the six years between WrestleManias II and VIII, so little had changed, and the delightfully erratic Sid was even more gone as a headline act than Roman Reigns is now, leaving Titan that same month of April '92.

Equipped with a dangerous new stomach-scissoring aura, Sid returned to the WWF in 1995, decked out in badass black, an even sweatier, more intense beast, putting over a very believable "Sycho" character with an ever-present tormented snigger. Seemingly laughing off the fates of his hapless opponents, Sid arrived to the ring with a new horror movie-inspired entrance theme and hugely intimidating demeanour. So good was Sid at conveying badass intimidation that he supplanted a genuine badass in Vader as the choice of the hardcore fan de jour, the MSG contingent of which knew Shawn Michaels was doing the carrying at Survivor Series 1996, but couldn't care less.

As Sid barked at them with a rhetorical terror, he was, for a brief time, The Man.

Contributor
Contributor

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!