More than that, he not only moved on past the WWE, he has become the founder of the first company we might consider actual competition for it or at least a genuine alternative in All Elite Wrestling. Back in his WWE days, his Stardust gimmick split the crowd we were big fans , but there was never been any doubt about the raw ability and pedigree of the American Nightmare.
There's been a bit of bad blood between him and the WWE over trademarks and the like, but nothing nearly as ill-tempered as the feud between CM Punk and the company. Instead, Cody has just got on with it. Since then, AEW was formed and has gone from strength to strength to strength.
It's hard to think of an ex-WWE wrestler still doing it in the ring who needs the company less, and that's exactly why we'd love to see him come back and take the place by storm, culminating in a world championship run his talent and charisma deserves, capped with a WrestleMania main event.
After a soft start in developmental, Rusev absolutely exploded onto the main roster of the WWE all the way back in He had a strong Royal Rumble debut and bulldozed his way through countless feuds before picking up the United States Championship and setting himself on a collision course with John Cena. He ultimately lost to Cena at WrestleMania 31 and despite some occasional moments since then he never quite regained that incredible initial momentum.
There were highs Rusev Day! Rusev was maybe the biggest name to leave in the first COVID round of axing , and he's definitely the one we miss most. He's still a young man only in his mids and, of course, was picked up by AEW where he fights as Miro and is doing remarkably well. But surely he has another WWE run left in him? And we'd love love love to see him rolling into Mania in a tank once more. No-one stays quit forever, they say. Everyone comes back, they add.
And maybe they're right. After swearing blind that he was done with wrestling, CM Punk made a stunning return to the business after seven years away by signing up to AEW. But his abrupt departure after the Royal Rumble from which he was eliminated by a non-legal Kane means it always felt like there's unfinished business. His signing with AEW doesn't completely close the door on him walking through the most forbidden door of all.
After some time being Elite, he might just fancy popping by to drop one last pipe bomb. Both women got plenty of unfair grief from some sections of the WWE Universe during their careers. Dismissed as models, wannabes, reality TV stars, attachments to their top-tier male partners, now that their retirement has set in and we can look back at their work in its totality, they can be truly appreciated.
Gamechanging, era-straddling superstars, they as much as anyone were at the vanguard of the Women's R evolution. Never happy to rest on their laurels, they always strived to improve in the ring. Always brought it as characters. And with Total Divas and Total Bellas , they were responsible for some of the best, most consistent, most entertaining content to come out of the WWE.
Both confirmed their retirement in succession on Total Bellas in , with Brie's family life and Nikki's serious neck issues seemingly putting a permanent end to their careers. Yeah, things will be trickier now with Daniel Bryan over in AEW, but he left on good terms so that shouldn't be the biggest stumbling block. And talking of Daniel Bryan, it's amazing what medical science can do these days, and at only 37 years old, we think both could offer something special to the WWE if their bodies allow it.
Sure, he's not a co-founder of AEW, but in the short time since his surprisingly smooth split from the WWE, the reborn Jon Moxley has taken the independent wrestling world by storm. What's more, he's not reliant on the fortunes of the fledgling company, with matches in New Japan, Northeast and other promotions meaning he's got a lot keeping him busy.
Mox has been pretty vocal about what he didn't like about WWE long story short: Vince McMahon's daft ideas , but Vince is in his 70s and seems to be slowwwwwwwly giving up control. Jon is only half that age, and it's certainly possible to imagine a not-too distant future where Dean Ambrose returns to the WWE with a little more freedom to express himself though probably with fewer deathmatches.
Another one of those WWE supstars who made a big splash and wash pushed oh-so hard, before things fizzled out much too fast. As leader of the Riott Squad, Ruby was a big deal. Once Absolution fell and the Squad had no antagonists, she kept things together. Even after the Squad disintegrated, you hoped that Riott herself would push on for major solo glory.
It didn't quite happen like that, and like many on this list she's found greener pastures and a better spot over in AEW. But that doesn't make a comeback impossible, and despite the solid talent still at the WWE Becky, Sasha, Bayley , there's still a real need for fresh blood and solid talent to shake things up, and second time around Ruby could absolutely do that.
Of all the departures from the WWE over the last few years, this was undoubtedly the most shocking. Others like Braun Strowman and Ruby Riott seemed to have hit a ceiling.
But even when he wasn't a champ or going for the title, Wyatt was always hovering around the top, and always, always bringing something to the table. We wouldn't rule out a swift return for Bray Wyatt, and we're already excited about what form he might take. It's hard to think of a wrestler who had worse luck in recent yearswith injuries than Hideo Itami. A massive independent and foreign star, the capture of the then-KENTA was a sign that NXT was no longer just a training ground for home grown talent, but something much bigger and better for the industry.
He returned, but other injuries always seemed to disrupt his momentum. At 40 and with his hard-hitting style, his years are maybe numbered, but there's still more than enough time for the triumphant return to the WWE he deserves. What's more, she absolutely delivered on it. From her tag team debut alongside Kurt Angle to her storming title run, RR proved herself as maybe one of the most natural wrestlers in WWE history.
Technically, she went on a break for what she called an "impregnation vacation" with no hard feelings and she announced her pregnancy in April but things definitely went a bit more sour than they should have. Her rivalry with Becky Lynch was one of the best in the WWE for ages, but as it spilled over into social media things got a little too real for comfort.
Embracing the "reality era" is one thing, but undermining the business is quite another. But it's nothing that can't be salvaged with the right angle. Once her kid is old enough for a babysitter, Ronda Rousey vs Becky Lynch in a one-on-one match at WrestleMania is just that angle. The Hollywood star has shown interest in facing his cousin, Roman Reigns , but their match may not happen next year due to The Rock's upcoming movie projects. The People's Champion hasn't wrestled in over four years with his last contest being against Erick Rowan at WrestleMania In the past, WWE had to cancel many of their plans involving The Rock due to insurance-related reasons.
Becky Lynch announced her pregnancy in July She relinquished her Raw Women's Championship and literally handed it to Asuka, who had won the Money in the Bank contract. The current plan is to put her up against Ronda Rousey who's also expected to come back soon. Recently, The Viking Raiders' member Ivar went on to have successful neck surgery following an injury he sustained on Raw during an eight-man tag team match against The Hurt Business.
Cervical injuries can do critical damage to a person's neck and it takes a long time for wrestlers to recover from such unfortunate injuries. Currently, the former Raw Tag Team Champion doesn't have a return timeline and he's also not expected to return anytime soon. He was given a return timeline of six-nine months. Recently, his brother, Jey, updated the fans about his injury, saying that the multi-time champion will not return until January Although Jimmy Uso recently made an appearance on SmackDown , it's evident that his appearances are limited as he can't get too physical in the ring - not until he recovers completely.
Uso certainly won't be taking any bumps for the time being. His final match was against AJ Styles at WrestleMania 36 and it was probably his best match in recent times.
As is the case in almost annual fashion, Vince McMahon can bring back The Undertaker for yet another match at WrestleMania, but this time only if fans are present in the venue. After all, a Superstar of his caliber deserves a payoff match in a sold-out arena.
However, it is worth noting that McMahon reportedly has finally come to terms with Undertaker's decision. The first half of that last is a set of wrestling icons who shared a large portion of their era with that of The Rock His slate is pretty full after Red Notice , too.
Johnson's DC Comics movie Black Adam is in post-production , another Jumanji movie is on the way , and he might even have a presidential run in his future. Somewhere, though, he might squeeze a WWE match into his schedule, though it is unlikely he would continue on beyond what would be a headlining return match. It would have to make sense. From the perspective of Attitude Era fans, it certainly wouldn't take much to convince anyone it makes sense.
Though some fans get frustrated when WWE Superstars make short comebacks between making and promoting movies that they grow into after gaining fame from wrestling, The Rock seems to be a WWE character that the vast majority of fans would love to see tango one more time.
Plus, the story is writing itself.
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