15 WWE Returns That IMMEDIATELY Backfired

EVERY comeback is supposed to hit.

Live crowds are supposed to pop or boo someone mercilessly, fans at home are supposed to get up out of their chairs because they can't believe what's happening, and everyone backstage is supposed to get some pics for social media as Triple H maybe even does a little finger pointing action. In other words, literally everybody involved is supposed to react like the biggest thing in the world just occurred on WWE TV.

Sadly, sometimes it's a matter of weeks, days, hours or even minutes before the company realises they've made a terrible, terrible mistake. Some returns backfire almost immediately, and it's a painful experience. Awkward silences in arenas full of people who don't care one bit, ridiculously embarrassing in-ring performances that fall flat as a pancake and depressing dawning realisations that a former favourite just doesn't have it anymore - all of that is here.

A few creative decisions sure didn't help matters for several included. Force feeding unconvincing wrestlers into one of the most iconic tag-team gimmicks of all time springs to mind there, and so does an unfortunate decision to re-debut someone from the past under a cartoonish name in front of rowdy (likely drunk) fans post-WrestleMania weekend. 

Listen closely and you could almost hear the air escaping from rapidly deflating balloons. Wrestlers aren't daft. They'll have surely known that things weren't working out. Nobody thought these return bids would flop as quick as they did though.

Like social awkwardness and when WWE gets a bit rubbish? You've come to the right place.

Would be President of the United States (remember that?!) Bob Backlund became a perennial Royal Rumble surprise throughout the 1990s. He showed up in the match between 1993-1996, then returned at the start of the new millennium in 2000. That one off wasn't what it seemed. The WWF planned to bring Bobby back as a manager for Kurt Angle, which actually didn't seem like a bad idea.

It flopped. Hard.

Kurt has told a story via his podcast about Backlund forgetting they were live on Raw when shooting a backstage skit. This happened shortly after they'd been shunted together as a mentor and protege double act. According to Angle, Bob was a little too "over the top" and erratic during skits, but it was his character breaking moment on the flagship that tipped producers over the edge.

Bob was supposed to put somebody in a submission, but they were sitting down. So, he turned to Kurt and asked if the dude was supposed to be standing or not. This real life bewilderment caused Angle to turn and stare at a WWF writer who was standing off screen. He was a rookie, so he didn't know what to do, and he couldn't believe that a true veteran like Backlund could be so clumsy.

It was a mistake, but a costly one. The promotion decided to go in a different direction with Kurt and take Bob off TV. Oops. So much for high hopes that the celebrated former World Champ would help take Angle to the next level. He got there himself anyway.