WWE was full of unexpected moments in 2018. Many of those surprises might have been Superstar returns, but there are plenty of ways Vince McMahon’s company can catch fans off guard.

We’ve seen a few big Superstars make their way back to the ring in 2018 and plenty more are expected next year. WWE compiled a list of their top 10 Superstar returns and you might just see a couple of your favorite Superstars on the list.

Trish Stratus returned at the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble match. Fans had an idea she might be around, but it was still a big deal to see. This is why she’s on the list.

Kane wasn’t expected to re-form Team Hell No at all. Unfortunately, a foot injury from Kane stopped a real return match for the former Tag Team Champions to take place though.

Advertising
Advertising

Kaitlyn returned during the second Mae Young Classic. She didn’t end up winning, but her appearance meant that she might not be done with WWE. All they need to do is call the former Divas Champion back.

Aleister Black’s return from injury wasn’t expected so soon, but when the former NXT Champion showed up it popped Full Sail Arena big time. He is now waiting for his WWE main roster call-up, but there are still plenty of stories for Black to tell in NXT until that time comes.

Ruby Riott also suffered an injury and was able to surprise the babyfaces on Raw and get the win for the Riott Squad in a pretty big moment. She’s been able to stay healthy since then and the Riott Squad have remained equal opportunity agitators.

Dean Ambrose’s return was big one. He would soon turn heel after that, but the pop he received from the crowd was still pretty epic on the Raw before SummerSlam. He also showed up looking way more jacked than he did previously. Ironically, this was his wife Renee Young’s first night as a regular commentator on Raw. It’s strange that she kept quiet during her husband’s return, but it was still a great moment.

Bobby Lashley’s return to WWE didn’t get a lot of a buildup. They just kind of put him on Raw. He had to turn heel since then, but it made sense to present him as a babyface at first because he was going to get a pop for his return either way.

Drew McIntyre dropped the NXT Championship without losing a match. Suddenly, McIntyre appeared on Raw to make his presence known in a big way. It looks like 2019 is going to continue as a big year for The Chosen One.

Tommaso Ciampa wasn’t 100% ready to compete when he attacked Johnny Gargano with a crutch, but that’s all he needed to do at the time. His return from injury took some time to make happen considering how badly he injured his knee, but it re-sparked a vicious feud between himself and Gargano that we might not have seen the last of by a long shot.

Finally, Rey Mysterio’s return was the biggest of the year by far. It broke the internet when he made his return as the 27th entry in the 2018 Royal Rumble match. He didn’t make a full return until months later after he got some indie dates, New Japan work, and an ALL IN appearance out of the way, but now we have Mysterio back and he’s on SmackDown Live practically every week.

Those are WWE’s picks for the top 10 returns of 2018. Can you think of any more they might have missed? Hopefully, the #1 entry on this list for 2019 will include Roman Reigns after he defeats leukemia to make a thrilling WWE return.

H Jenkins

I love pro wrestling and hate BS. These two things drive me. Years of experience in writing, journalism, and digging exclusive insider info for Ringside News. Worked in finance before realizing pro wrestling journalism made much less sense. Pro beachballs at pro wrestling shows, pro dives if someone catches, anti bullies, olives, and pineapples on pizza.

Disqus Comments Loading...