5 former WWE Superstars who could be surprise returns under Triple H
Triple H and the WWE may be gearing up to bring in some surprises soon. We’ve seen the return of Dakota Kai, Iyo Sky, Karrion Kross, Scarlett, Dexter Lumis, Johnny Gargano, and Braun Strowman over the past month. Each Superstar has made their presence felt and shook the WWE Universe to its core.
In the latest report from Dave Meltzer from The Wrestling Observer, Meltzer stated:
“We were told that Paul Levesque has some surprises coming who are not people being talked about.”
There have been a vast number of releases since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Many former WWE Superstars are floating around that are either free agents or under contract with other promotions. There are a plethora of stars Triple H could recruit that would make for excellent surprise returns.
With that said, let’s look at five names who could be the "surprises" Triple H is reportedly bringing to WWE.
#5. Alberto Del Rio
Former WWE Champion Alberto Del Rio has been making the rounds as of late. He is a former 40-man Royal Rumble winner who captured the United States Championship. He is known for having rivalries with John Cena, Edge, and CM Punk in his couple runs with the company.
Del Rio was interviewed by Sportskeeda, where he spoke about the potential for a future WWE return:
"We'll see amigo, this is one of the things I know they have, they have thrown my name out there, I know they have been talking about me and saying 'Hey, what if, what if, what if?' Well, let's please stop with what if and again, what people needs to be saying is 'Jesus Christ, look at this guy,' he got s******, he got s****** by someone and he proved that those things that he was saying since day number one were real." (3:10 - 3:45)
You can check out the interview in the video below.
If Del Rio were to return to WWE, this would be a very interesting and shocking return to say the least, given his past issues with the company. Triple H may help Del Rio rekindle the magic he once had with the company and become a major player for WWE.
#4. Bobby Fish
Bobby Fish recently finished up his run with AEW and surprisingly was not re-signed by the company. Fish was reunited with Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly as part of the Undisputed Elite. He and O’Reilly reformed the reDRagon tag team, but never reached their full potential while in AEW.
Fish was recently interviewed by NBC Sports Boston as he said he was keeping his options open for the future:
"I don't know. I'm open to all options and offers at the moment," said Fish. "I do know that there have been quite a few people who have gone back through those doors. I'm happy for the people that I know were left there after I had left a lot of friendships and whatnot, and things were weird there for a bit.”
If Bobby Fish were to return to WWE, he would be a great worker to have on the main roster. With Triple H in charge of WWE, Fish may be able to tap into his full potential as a singles competitor.
#3. The Dark Mist of Aleister Black Falls Over WWE
AEW star Malakai Black has been granted a “conditional release” from the company. Since AEW does not have a 90-day no-compete clause like WWE, this opens up the possibility for Malakai to make a future return to WWE under Triple H's regime as his former alias, “Aleister Black”.
What is AEW’s loss could be WWE’s gain, as Black was one of the most popular, dark, and enigmatic figures in WWE. While under Vince McMahon's regime, Black was mostly a mid-carder who never got to showcase his full potential on the main roster. With Triple H in charge, we could see a vastly different end result.
If Black were to return to WWE under the Triple H regime, we could see the true form of Aleister Black take shape. He may be given the push that many fans wished he could’ve gotten.
#2. Former WWE Superstar Mickie James could return alongside her husband Nick Aldis
Nick Aldis comments on rumors that WWE exec Bruce Prichard is burying his wife Mickie James wrestlingnews.co/wwe-news/nick-… https://t.co/09zsc15iNn
Nick Aldis and Mickie James would make for an excellent surprise for the WWE main roster. Nick Aldis has established himself as one of the top wrestlers in the world and carved his legacy with his NWA World Championship reigns. Not to mention his past tenure with TNA (IMPACT Wrestling) as their World Champion.
His wife, Mickie James, made a surprise one-off return during the 2022 Royal Rumble and had a great time. Mickie has been working prodiminately behind the scenes for NWA and also at IMPACT. With her in-ring career beginning to wind down, Mickie would make for an excellent trainer and/or producer for WWE.
With Triple H at the helm, both Nick Aldis and Mickie James will be treated as top talent.
#1. The Cardona Family Invades Triple H's WWE
Photo: Cody Rhodes with #WWE stars for Matt Cardona and Chelsea Green’s wedding nodq.com/features/photo… https://t.co/A1lw19jwGZ
This one would truly be a surprise for the WWE Universe to see. Rather than see the return of “Zack Ryder,” having the real Matt Cardona come out and be the villainous character that he currently portrays on IMPACT Wrestling and NWA.
Given how Cardona’s run with WWE ended, there is so much story and intrigue that can be created. Cardona could bring in the Cardona Family stable to WWE, designed with their own faction of rebels that were released by the organization.
Their mission upon return would be to come back and get their deserved push as these disgruntled former WWE employees. Triple H would get the blame, ultimately, since he was known in the past for holding back stars during his prime.
Names like Brian Meyers (Curt Hawkins), Chelsea Green, and other names could be brought in as part of the faction. They each have their ties to Cardona and a story to tell regarding their bitterness and newfound hatred towards WWE.
This scenario may seem a little unlikely, but it could be a nice surprise that truly no one would expect to see coming.