Bret Hart and 3 other superstars the WWE Universe believed would never return
There are a few WWE Superstars who have been associated with the company forever. Names like Triple H and The Undertaker seem to have been around for an eternity, but these are rare exceptions. If lucky, the bulk of the employees lasts for around a decade.
However, once a superstar walks out the door, there is no guarantee that they will return. More often than not, surprise comebacks do happen. There have been several instances when WWE stars, who many thought were done with the company for good, have returned. Here are four of them:
#4 Kurt Angle returned to WWE in 2017 following an 11-year hiatus
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With a background in amateur wrestling and an attractive personality, Kurt Angle had all the makings of a mega WWE Superstar. Angle achieved what most could only dream of, from main eventing WrestleMania to winning multiple World Championships, in his eight-year tenure.
However, in 2006, The Wrestling Machine departed WWE in the most painful and heartbreaking of ways, which included a falling out with Vince McMahon, whom he considers a "father figure."
The primary reason for the Olympic gold medalist's departure was the physical toll the wrestling business was taking on his body. The pain and agony compelled him to take several painkillers daily, often causing him to pass out. Speaking on The Kurt Angle Show, The Hall of Famer described his anguish towards the tail-end of his tenure.
“The hardest part was the injuries, I just couldn’t keep myself together, That’s the main reason I even left WWE in 2006, I just couldn’t keep my body together. My hamstring, my groin, my abdominal, my shoulder, my neck, I was falling apart and I was having a really difficult time and the painkiller issue wasn’t getting any better."
The former CEO ignored his phone calls. Eventually, the matter blew up and the Hall of Famer lashed out at the man he considered his father. Angle pulled down his pants during a production meeting to show his bruised groin.
The former WWE Champion was eventually granted his release, but that didn't come under the most peaceful and cordial of circumstances. The release took a toll on Angle's relationship with Vince McMahon.
They didn't speak for years, and the Wrestling Machine was highly vocal about the company during his time at TNA. This included an allegation that the Stamford-based promotion copied and stole storylines.
After a successful stint with TNA, Angle buried the hatchet with the 77-year-old and returned to WWE for a Hall of Fame induction. He was later named General Manager of RAW and stepped into the squared circle for a farewell tour.
Given the circumstances of his departure and strained relationship with McMahon, his homecoming in April 2017 was a pleasant, if shocking, surprise for many fans. Everyone was glad to see The Olympic gold medalist, but few would've seen it coming.
#3 Brock Lesnar left WWE in 2004 in his physical prime
Billed as "The Next Big Thing," WWE launched Brock Lesnar into the stratosphere. The Beast Incarnate won the top prize in sports entertainment, the 2003 Royal Rumble, in his rookie year and main-evented WrestleMania 19. Lesnar achieved incredible heights in two years but high-tailed it out of the company while physically still at his peak.
What could have prompted the former Universal Champion to leave the company he had changed forever in many ways? It was a combination of several factors: A strong desire to pursue a career in football, backstage politics, and a hectic travel schedule. The Beast Incarnate left the company following his loss to Goldberg at WrestleMania 20.
Lesnar had become a massive player, and losing him meant a dip in the ratings and a quick search for a new top star. This was partly why John Cena and Batista were pushed to the moon much sooner.
While the initial split may have been cordial, The Beast's relationship with WWE soured when he violated his non-compete contract clause. WWE takes legal matters very seriously. Thus, Lesnar violating the clause, which in his defense made irrational demands, was considered a severe offense.
WWE sued Lesnar, and after a long legal battle which he won, the former UFC Champion continued to pursue other interests.
Eight years is a long time away, and it helped heal the wounds the departure left. The Conqueror sent shockwaves through the wrestling world when he surprisingly returned on the night after WrestleMania 28. He now enjoys a lighter schedule that involves less travel time. A decade later, Lesnar is still a significant player with a more impressive resume.
#2 Alberto Del Rio was fired in 2014
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Considering the other entries, Alberto Del Rio seems like the odd one out. While Lesnar and Angle may have been bigger stars, The Mexican Aristocrat had a successful stint, bagging World Championships, a Royal Rumble win, and the Money in the Bank briefcase. However, unlike the rest, Del Rio was fired from WWE.
The incident occurred in August 2014 when the company sacked the 2011 Royal Rumble winner due to "unprofessional conduct and a backstage altercation with an employee." The employee made a racist joke about Del Rio's Mexican heritage. After no apology was issued, the former World Champion slapped him.
Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer highlighted the incident, which was also reported in The Washington Post:
“Based on sketchy stories and what wrestlers have been talking about, at catering, somebody asked [Web producer] to clean off his plate. The person joked something along the lines of how that’s Del Rio’s job. Del Rio found out and confronted him. As the story goes, he didn’t apologize and then smiled at him, and Del Rio slapped him.”
His firing caused an outcry on social media, mostly in favor of Del Rio. As an explanation, WWE claimed that it expects its employees to behave professionally, and the Mexican Superstar may have crossed some boundaries.
Del Rio made an unannounced comeback in October 2015 to stun John Cena and win the US Championship. Considering the drama surrounding his firing and the public outburst, it was a shocking surprise as no one expected both parties to reach the middle ground so soon.
#1 Bret Hart returned 13 years after The Montreal Screwjob
Who could have imagined that Bret Hart would enter a WWE arena again following the embarrassment he endured in his hometown in 1997? In what became known as "The Montreal Screwjob," Vince McMahon double-crossed Hart in real life when he conspired with Earl Hebner and Shawn Michaels to take the title off the hometown hero.
Hart was understandably livid as he had refused to drop the WWE Championship to HBK. The Excellence of Execution punched the former CEO backstage and gave him a black eye. He left for WCW, and few expected him to return to the company that had humiliated him.
Providing insight into his side of the story, The Hitman said:
"you’ll notice that they still try to lie and pretend that they were somehow in the right or they did the right thing. That I was unprofessional and I should have just done as I was told. I’d never refused in my whole life, ever, to lose to another wrestler."
He added:
"Never mattered to me. It doesn’t matter to me now. I never refused. And it wasn’t because I was in Canada or anything like that. I lost many matches in Canada. It was just personal pride between two wrestlers."
They don't say "Never say Never" for no reason and Hart returned to WWE in 2010. He buried the hatchet with Michaels and McMahon. The company used real-life heat to book a match with the Hall of Famer and the former Chairman at WrestleMania 26.
This is widely regarded as the most controversial incident in pro-wrestling history. Much drama and controversy surround it to this day. Hence, it was a massive shocker when they let bygones be bygones.