12 Ups And 7 Downs From WWE Clash Of Champions 2019

9. Welcome Back Harper

Erick Rowan Luke Harper
WWE.com

The rumor mill was calling for this, but until it actually happened, you had to believe it was just that: a far-fetched rumor.

But Luke Harper made his first notable appearance in WWE in more than a year Sunday, aiding longtime partner Erick Rowan in defeating Roman Reigns. Harper participated in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, but he hadn’t been in a WWE ring in five months after reportedly asking for – and being denied – his release from the company. It was widely assumed WWE was just going to pay him to stay at home rather than leave and go to a competitor.

If you’re a fan of Harper (as this writer is), then you know he is a pretty talented big man. If you need proof, watch his Worlds Collide match against Dominik Dijakovic from April. It was two big men going at it and did not disappoint. If WWE is planning on utilizing Harper once again (rather than this being a short-term deal), then bully for them.

Regardless, this was a perfect use of a surprise attack, with Harper being absent for so long that even with the rumors circulating, no one could be accused of expecting it.

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Contributor
Contributor

Scott is a former journalist and longtime wrestling fan who was smart enough to abandon WCW during the Monday Night Wars the same time as the Radicalz. He fondly remembers watching WrestleMania III, IV, V and VI and Saturday Night's Main Event, came back to wrestling during the Attitude Era, and has been a consumer of sports entertainment since then. He's written for WhatCulture for more than a decade, establishing the Ups and Downs articles for WWE Raw and WWE PPVs/PLEs and composing pieces on a variety of topics.