11 MORE WWE Returns That IMMEDIATELY Backfired
1. Ronda Rousey (2022)
Speaking of somebody who was a "fish out of water".
Few can claim to have had a better debut match than Ronda Rousey. Her mixed tag with Kurt Angle vs. Triple H and Stephanie McMahon at 'Mania 34 should be held aloft as one of the best of its kind, but it was all downhill between the ropes from that point on. Ronda would barely even come close to matching the cyborg-esque skills she displayed in New Orleans across multiple WWE spells.
She'd left WWE by 2019, but returned as #28 in the 2022 women’s Royal Rumble and won the match to snag a WrestleMania title bout. On the next TV, Ronda then challenged Charlotte Flair. The problem? Nobody really wanted babyface Rousey. Her prior WWE stint had ended with a botch at ‘Mania 35, and she’d been known to badmouth fans online. The former UFC star never seemed to grasp the idea that she might be booed in a worked business and had really thin skin, which was fascinating for somebody who'd previously been punched in the face for a living.
History repeated itself, and Ronda got boo boo faced when heat poured in. She was one of the least likeable babyfaces in recent memory as soon as she returned in 2022. Like, it was immediate. People could see right through her smiles and high fives, and everyone seemed to be anticipating another online meltdown.
It's remarkable to say this considering her importance to women's MMA and sport overall, but WWE's female ranks are way better off without 'Rowdy' Ronda.
What other WWE returns backfired almost immediately? For more wrestling, check out 10 Worst WWE Moments Of 2006 and 10 WCW Fates Worse Than Death!