There is a big assumption here that Shawn Michaels stays retired and only makes sporadic appearances. If HBK suddenly decides he wants a third act or would like to be GM, then this list has gone to hell. And while there's nothing that indicates that Stone Cold would ever contemplate coming back to WWE for more than a one-shot appearance, the mere fact that he's the biggest Attitude Era superstar out there automatically places him at the top of the list. Austin hasn't wrestled in more than a decade, although there's the annual rumor that he'll come out of retirement for one more match. Short of a Battle of the Promos with CM Punk or a sudden desire to end The Streak, it's doubtful that Austin will lace up the boots again. So what could Austin bring to the table in today's WWE? Everyone keeps wondering when Vince is going to return to reclaim his baby from HHH and Stephanie and who he'll bring as his avatar (since Vince isn't going to step in the ring as a 60-something grandfather). Who better to enlist than his mortal enemy, the Rattlesnake himself? Imagine Austin returning to stun HHH, the only person he hates more than Vince. That's a hell of an impact. Even if all we got was a one-shot appearance, the mere sound of glass breaking would send the crowd into a frenzy, which warrants placement on this list.
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.
