5 Shocking WWE Post-PPV Raw Returns

The E in WWE stands for Entertainment, and there is nothing more entertaining in WWE than a return. On this past Monday's WWE Raw, Bray Wyatt made his highly anticipated return in a shocking manner. The timing was perfect for the return of Eater of the Worlds lies in the fact that the Raw following a Pay-per-view always has buzz surrounding it.

This exciting return was just one of the many instances where WWE uses the hype following a pay-per-view to their advantage. There have been several such returns in WWE history that have caught the fans off-guard.

These unexpected returns surely create special moments and take the hype to another level. This is why we will be showcasing five such remarkable and shocking WWE returns that took place on the Raw following a Pay-per-view.

(It should be noted that Post-Wrestlemania returns won't be considered here as that category deserves a list of its own!)

So, without any further hesitation, let's look at our first entry!

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#5 Chris Jericho (Post-Survivor Series 2007):

Jericho's 2007 return will definitely go down as one of his career's best moments.

Chris Jericho took a two year break from WWE when his contract expired in August of 2005. It wasn't until the November 19, 2007 edition of Raw that he finally made his long-awaited return to Raw. The Ayatollah of Rock 'N Rolla emerged during Randy Orton's "Passing of the Torch" ceremony, after the latter had just defeated Shawn Michaels a night prior at Survivor Series.

Cryptic Vignettes, indirectly promoting Jericho's return, started airing in September of the same year. However, the first-ever Undisputed Champion took two months to return. It was the right call as the timing of his return was perfect, considering that Orton had just run out of credible challengers for his WWE Championship. Jericho's return was well received and he continued to work full-time until September 2010, before he took another hiatus.

#4 Shane McMahon (Raw after Fastlane 2016):

Shane McMahon's 2016 return shocked everyone.

Shane McMahon is undeniably the most athletic member of McMahon family. Due to this, he frequently competes in the ring and indulges in feuds with some of the company's top Superstars. He was a key part of the Invasion angle in 2001, but despite being an influence both on and off-screen, he left WWE in 2009 to pursue other ventures.

Fast forward to the February 22, 2016 edition of Raw featuring fallout from Fastlane, Shane made his long-awaited WWE return, much to the WWE Universe's delight. He interrupted Stephanie McMahon before she could receive the "Legacy of Excellence" Award by Vince McMahon. Shane expressed his demand to take charge of Raw, and was consequently booked in a Hell in a Cell match with the Undertaker at WrestleMania 32 in order to do so.

To this day, McMahon remains an on-screen character. However, the fan support he had back in 2016 has diminished with time due to him "taking up too much TV time". Regardless, his return to WWE after nearly a 7-year absence was an exciting moment to witness.

#3 Shawn Michaels (Raw after No Mercy 2007):

After successfully healing from a knee injury, Shawn Michaels made a surprise return to attack Randy Orton.

2007 was undoubtedly the year when Randy Orton did full justice to his Legend Killer moniker. He feuded with veterans such as Triple H, Rob Van Dam, Dusty Rhodes and Shawn Michaels that year, in addition to winning his first WWE Championship. While he was being built up for a feud with John Cena that summer, he crossed paths with Shawn Michaels.

The match between the two took place at Judgement Day 2007. Michaels was attacked by Orton prior to their match, which caused the Heartbreak Kid to collapse during the bout. The Legend Killer still dished out a vicious beating to write Michaels off TV for the time being.

When Orton successfully won the WWE Championship from Triple H at No Mercy 2007, he was supposed to have a Celebration Ceremony on the following edition of Raw. During the segment, The Showstopper made a surprise return to rekindle his feud with Orton. Michaels hit the new WWE Champion with Sweet Chin Music to confirm his status as the #1 contender for the WWE Title.

#2 The Undertaker (Raw after Stomping Grounds 2019):

The Undertaker's most recent return saw him teaming up with Roman Reigns.

The Undertaker has made countless chilling returns during the course of his WWE tenure. Still, he manages to catch the WWE Universe off-guard every single time. After a disappointing match with Goldberg at WWE Super Showdown, people expected The Deadman to not pop up until the next Saudi Arabia special in Fall 2019.

However, that didn't turn out to be the case as he ended up returning merely weeks after in a completely unexpected fashion. During Roman Reigns' match against Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre on the post-Stomping Grounds edition of Raw, The Deadman emerged out of the blue to even the odds stacked against his Wrestlemania 33 opponent.

The Phenom rarely pops up during the Summer season. Combine that with the odd choice of having him save one of his arch-rivals, the return left WWE Audience with plenty of questions. The Deadman is now expected to show up multiple times before WrestleMania 36 to prepare for a supposed "big match" at the Show of Shows.

#1 Sting (Raw after Summerslam 2015):

Sting made an Unexpected return on the Raw after Summerslam 2015.

If there is one Superstar we would have never expected to see in a WWE ring, it has got to be The Stinger. Prior to 2014, Sting did everything in his power to avoid signing with WWE. He was the cornerstone of both WCW and TNA (now Impact Wrestling). However, that changed when he finally made his debut in 2014 during that year's Survivor Series. He began a feud with Triple H that culminated at Wrestlemania 31, with The Game picking up the win.

As Sting didn't have a full-time contract and was just working limited dates, predicting his return was a difficult task. The Icon however, didn't take too long before he could grace the WWE Universe with this presence.

When Seth Rollins' statue was about to be unveiled during the post-Summerslam Raw in 2015, Sting ended up taking its place. He then attacked Rollins with his trademark black baseball bat, and made it clear that he was the next in line to challenge for the WWE Title.

What other post-PPV episodes of Raw had returns you'll never forget? Share your favorites in the comments below!