Yet another positive element brought forth by Triple H rather that Vince McMahon, the re-emergence of many old faces on product that had once frozen them out has been far more common this decade than at any point in the company's history.
The old adage used to be painfully true - nobody ever left on good terms. In the 1980s it was because of diametric philosophical opposition, in the 1990s WCW's major money offers, and the 2000s because McMahon no longer had the time nor truck for sentimentality.
If not Hunter himself, something must have played to McMahon's softer side in later years. Wrestlers thought never to be part of the product again are unearthed for moving Hall Of Fame moments, then given beautiful sendoffs when they sadly pass. For all the organisation does wrong, it services fans with the memories and matches of anybody it chooses in its position as the gatekeeper of all wrestling.
For such a narrative to not be entirely and laughably false, this embrace was as necessary as it was welcomed.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
