Seizing the opportunity when it matters is what separates legends from ordinary WWE superstars. But what if the opportunity never showed up in the first place? The chances of the same opportunity showing up in the first spell in WWE are pretty low and this is why a certain group of wrestlers deserve another run in the company.
With the NXT now in place, a lot of the superstars who had a forgettable run in the WWE during their first spell could come back stronger than ever and steal the show unlike their last outing. So here is a look at these superstars who deserve a second chance in the World Wrestling Entertainment.
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Mickie James
Mickie was one of the divas who changed the face of WWE’s divas division. She had excellent in ring ability and managed to produce a separate identity for the girls in a men dominated business. If we go by the rumors, it is her affair with John Cena that drove her out of the company but that isn’t a good enough reason to keep such a talent away.
She is currently an active name in the TNA roster and although she might have slowed down a bit after giving birth to a baby, the divas division could still use her star power and experience even if it is for a short period.
Mr. Kennedy
WWE was pretty high on Mr. Kennedy during his first spell. His entrance itself showed a lot of charisma and Kennedy backed this up with some excellent work in between the ropes. The creative team also rallied behind him by letting him beat a handful of former World Champions.
Kennedy went on to win the Money in the Bank contract as well. But the entire push came crashing down thanks to the backstage politics. A botched move against Orton earned Kennedy a bad name in the company and soon he was released. Kennedy still has a lot of good years ahead of him and WWE could make good use of this.
Evan Bourne
Adrian Neville has been a big success in the WWE roster so far thanks to his high flying skills. The right combination of his talent and push from the company is what makes Neville a stand out name in the company right now and the latter is what Evan Bourne missed.
He was similar to Neville when it came to the in ring performance but as WWE failed to make good use of his talent, his career only saw downward spirals. Of course, there were some problems with his wellness policy violations but so did the likes of Randy Orton and Rob Van Dam. Bourne has been blowing the roofs off in the independent scene and he could do the same in WWE if given a second chance.
John Morrison
Anyone who tunes into Lucha Underground would know how well toned John Morrison is at the moment. He is probably at the prime of his career in terms of physical condition and in ring performance. Morrison has everything that WWE looks for in a superstar and bringing him back would be a great addition to roster
He could have excellent matches with superstars like Seth Rollins, Adrian Neville and many more. Even if Morrison will not get the WWE championship, he could be an asset in the mid card.
Apart from this, it would be a great business deal for the company as they will be taking away the top star of their nearest completion.
Drew McIntyre
Most of the releases that WWE made back in 2014 were bound to happen. The release of Drew McIntyre however was a different story. Once tagged as ‘The Chosen One’, Drew had enough fire power in him to live up to the tag. The early days of his run in the company saw him win the intercontinental championship but soon, this run cooled off and Drew was relegated into being in the 3MB.
After running along with the job squad for more than a year, Drew was finally released last year as WWE wanted to ‘cut’ down their budget. Drew has been shining in the independent promotions ever since and has some new found experience in his resume.
AJ Styles
AJ Styles is a phenomenon in the Independent scene right now. He is a main event player for both New Japan Pro Wrestling and Ring of Honor and was voted as the most outstanding wrestler of 2014 by the Wrestling Observer. Now, if that is not enough to earn you a second chance in the WWE, then nothing is.
AJ had a brief run in the WWE back in 2002 where he wrestled a few matches in SmackDown and Heat. WWE did offer him a developmental deal back then but AJ couldn’t accept it due to family problems. The 37-year-old could still work wonders in the company and WWE should snatch him up before it is too late.
Hardy Boyz
The tag team division is seeing a period of renaissance at the moment with all the new teams that is flooding in. All these teams however do not match up to the Hardy Boyz when it comes to experience and star power. Keeping apart all the problems that WWE had with the brothers, Jeff and Matt have done some legendary work during their WWE run.
From what we are seeing in TNA, the Hardy boys still has a lot of gas left in their tank. The fans will have no trouble welcoming them back into the roster and we could some dream matches like Hardys vs. The Usos or Hardys vs. Wyatt Family once this happens.
Team 3D
How can we not include Team 3D in the list after talking about Hardy Boys? Just like the Hardys, Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley have a lot of good years ahead of them. Their experience will help WWE mould the Tag team division into a credible fan attraction and at the same time would raise the quality of in-ring action.
If WWE does not want to have them as a tag team, then they could always sign up Bubba on a singles deal. He had an impressive run in TNA as a main event heel and since WWE is desperate for some solid heels, Bubba would do just fine in the roster.
Alberto Del Rio
Alberto Del Rio did get a big push during his first run with the WWE. He was a World Champion, a Royal rumble winner and a Money in the Bank winner during his stay but this run came to an abrupt end for the Mexican. He was released for a backstage confrontation with a WWE official and it was clearly not the best way to exit from the company.
Most of Del Rio’s best moves were banned in the WWE due to their strict filtering system and this was one of the reasons for his career getting derailed during the final stages. The drawing power of Del Rio is there to be seen in Lucha Underground and Ring of Honor and if given a second chance with more freedom, Del Rio could go on and exceed what he did the last time around.
Kurt Angle
Isn’t it obvious for Kurt Angle to top this list? He was one of WWE’s biggest assets back in the 2000s and it was only the concern about his health that forced WWE to release him. Despite these concerns, Angle went on to wrestle in TNA for almost a decade and he apparently want another run in the WWE.
WWE however has been giving cold response to the same, which might end up being a big mistake. Angle is a big draw on any day and a star of his quality will help the company sell some tickets. The merchandise and network originals that come along with Kurt’s wrestling skills will be an add on for Vince McMahon. The new run could also give Angle a farewell that he deserves for his contribution to the wrestling business.
Honorable Mention: Victoria
Victoria might not be anywhere near her prime but she could still come up with some impressive performances in the divas division. The lack of a big name from the post- Attitude Era period is one of the things that the current divas division lacks now and Victoria could fill in that void perfectly.