5 Former WWE Superstars who are open to a return

WWE has made a habit of releasing talent over the past two years. The company has used the excuse of "budget cuts." But it has led to a boatload of ready-made superstars being on the open market.

With so many competitors with experience on television, it opens the question of which stars could return to the promotion.

There have been various superstars who feel some regret with how their runs in the company ended. This makes them want to come back better than ever and prove to those who wanted to let him go that they were wrong.

This is why multiple performers have publicly made it clear that they are open to return.

Whether it be one of these budget cuts or a past superstar who has spent time away from the company for a while, it remains to be seen who will return to redeem themselves. In this article, let's take a look at five former WWE superstars who are open to a return.

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#5 Former WWE Superstar Ryback

Ryback was one of the rising stars in WWE almost a decade ago. After humble beginnings during the first season of NXT as Skip Sheffield, he was injured during the Nexus stable's run. When he returned a year later, Ryback was born. The former superstar was an absolute monster and dominated the competition.

His undefeated streak, look and aura drew comparisons to Goldberg and led to a meteoric rise for the Big Guy. A mix of injuries and bad booking led to Ryback falling down the card and becoming expendable. He was released from the promotion in 2016.

Since his departure from the company, Ryback has consistently expressed being open to a return. On his podcast, The Ryback Show, the Big Guy said:

“I will be very open to going back to WWE if they are sold. I’ve always been very honest. If Vince is out of there and there’s new leadership, I will then be very interested in revisiting that, because that will be beneficial for me as a brand and as a performer going back to where I’m known from, where I built an audience that already knows me,” said Ryback.

His differences with Vince McMahon and the creative process are well established. Ryback has said that he would be very open to coming back, but it would have to be under new ownership.

It remains to be seen if that ever happens, but the Big Guy may be able to be convinced without that change.

#4 Former WWE 24/7 Champion Mojo Rawley

Mojo Rawley has been very vocal since his departure from WWE. The former Hype Bro started on NXT in 2012. He really found his stride on the brand in a tag team with Zack Ryder and made his way to the main roster in 2016. Rawley made an impact just a few months after his call-up.

At WrestleMania 33, he won the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal with the help of his friend NFL's Rob Gronkowski. Mojo added seven reigns as the 24/7 Champion to his resume as well.

In an interview with Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp, Rawley discussed his WWE release and being open to returning.

For a superstar who had a brief main roster run, Mojo Rawley's return will be welcomed.

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#3 Former WWE Superstar Top Dolla

Just three months ago, Top Dolla had his main roster call-up with the Hit Row stable and looked to have a bright future in the promotion. AJ Francis had the size, look and presence to be the kind of superstar that Vince McMahon would love. His talking ability and control of a crowd make him a potential headliner.

This made it even more shocking when Top Dolla was released from the company. It surprised the entire wrestling world, with many fans feeling Isaiah Swerve Scott would be picked up immediately. However, Dolla has so many skills that would be beneficial to a promotion.

In an interview with Ringsiders Wrestling, Top Dolla discussed a potential return, saying:

“The door is never closed with WWE, either. People go and come back to WWE literally every year. The only problem is, how does it look the next time? Is it all four of us? One of us? Two of us? Three of us? None of us?” said Dolla. (H/T- Ringsider Wrestling)

Whether World Wrestling Entertainment comes calling or not, Top Dolla can be a huge contributor for any company out there.

#2 Former WWE Intercontinental Champion Matt Cardona

Matt Cardona has been tearing it up since leaving WWE in 2020. After a brief stint in All Elite Wrestling, the Deathmatch King came to GCW and became one of the biggest heels in the business today. He has also made a mark on IMPACT Wrestling as an upper card star.

Matt Cardona, then known as Zack Ryder, slowly became one of the most popular fan favorites in World Wrestling Entertainment. Using social media and YouTube better than any superstar before him, Cardona connected with the fans extremely well.

As a guest on Busted Open Radio, Matt Cardona said he is open to a WWE return but won't give up his Major Wrestling Figures Podcast. He said:

“I’d definitely would listen, but I tell you right now if one of the things were you can’t do your podcast, I’ll say thanks but no thanks. That would be a deal-breaker, no way. If there were going to just take away everything that I’ve built with Brian Myers, like something we tried to do in WWE. The Major Wrestling Figures Podcast, they didn’t want it. We pitched it to them. They didn’t want podcasts. They didn’t want anything to do with collectibles. I think they’ve since had a failing podcast network, and they tried something with collectibles, but I’ve had so much fun with this, and this is setting me up for life after wrestling where I would never sacrifice that.”

It would be very fun to see Matt Cardona return to the promotion and get to a higher spot than when she left.

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#1 Former Two-time WWE NXT Champion Karrion Kross

Karrion Kross may be regarded as one of the most surprising releases from 2021. The former two-time NXT Champion had a dominant run on the third brand. He went on a lengthy winning streak, defeating the likes of Tommaso Ciampa, Finn Balor and many others along the way.

When he was let go in November 2021, many fans felt that there was a multitude of options for the big man. Kross and Scarlett are a money act that could work in AEW, IMPACT Wrestling or MLW.

Speaking to Chris Van Vliet, Kross discussed the possibility of returning to World Wrestling Entertainment and whether he would be open to the move. He said:

“I wouldn’t be surprised [if I returned]," said Killer Kross. "I respectfully wouldn’t go back in the same circumstances. Out of a logical standpoint, I definitely think I would be interested in [having] a lot more certainty about things.”

The company would be wise to make the call to the former superstar. They made many mistakes with Karrion Kross following his main roster call-up.

It makes sense if they would like him to come back. That's why Karrion Kross is the biggest WWE superstar who is open to a return.