12 Terrible Wrestling Returns That Should Have Been Great
12. Roddy Piper - 2003
Roddy Piper is one of the greatest heels of all time, but his work after the '80s was largely forgettable. He missed out on the WWF's Attitude Era completely, as he spent his time battling the elder statesmen of WCW. However, one last run in the WWE in any form could have been a great way to cap off his career. Unfortunately, the Hot Rod crashed.
It wasn't until WrestleMania 19, in a match between Vince McMahon and Hulk Hogan, did Piper make his triumphant, though incredibly random, return. It wasn't just a one-off either. He soon took on the role of a manager, and went to war against his old foe Hogan, who unfortunately, and ridiculously became Mr. America.
It was awful from every conceivable angle. Instead of a They Live type return for Piper, it was more like Hell Comes to Frogtown. His once brilliant promos lost their bite, he was out of shape and to top it off, his managerial work was incredibly unnecessary. Sean O'Haire and Piper were a bad fit, as The Devil's Advocate needed to be on his own to make his gimmick work.
Piper's last big match in his 2003 run was an embarrassing effort for everyone involved. He lost to Mr. America at Judgment Day in something that more closely resembled an indy show against two old-timers, and not something that belonged in the biggest wrestling company in the world.
The legend did show up a few more times throughout the years, but never came close to recapturing the magic he once had.