5 WWE Superstars that became more popular after an absence

#1 JERRY "THE KING" LAWLER

Fans were thrilled to see The King back and healthy.

The King has had his fair share of critics throughout his career. Dating back to his infamous Memphis wrestling days, up through his legendary AWA run and beyond, Jerry Lawler has had more than a handful of naysayers.

When Lawler became a broadcaster, the shade just worsened. Jerry was always the heel announcer, but no matter what he did, there was always that selection of fans who don't think he's worthy of being behind the commentary table.

Once The King started teaming with Good Ole JR, something happened and it was certainly in his favor. Suddenly, Lawler became a much more respected broadcaster and a major reason why, was due to the man who sat next to him, wearing the cowboy hat, speaking in a deep southern twang.

It was Jim Ross.

Ross was capable of making anyone look and sound better. Not only could he sell the hell out of the most boring of matches, but he was able to make Jerry Lawler sound like the King of the announcers.

In September of 2012 during Monday Night Raw, Lawler and his broadcast partner, Michael Cole, were calling the show, just as they normally would, when suddenly, Lawler collapsed. This would happen during the match between Team Hell No and The Prime Time Players.

As the medics and ringside doctors worked frantically to revive Jerry, it became increasingly obvious that something was terribly wrong. Lawler had actually suffered a heart attack.

Following that match, Lawler had been taken to a Montreal area hospital and Cole, visibly shaken, announced to the viewing audience that Lawler had been taken in an ambulance and that he would keep us updated. For the remainder of the night, Cole struggled to maintain composure long enough to finish the show.

Thankfully, the doctors and medical staff were able to revive The King and eventually, he would return to his hometown of Memphis to recover. After taking some down time to recover and get some well-deserved rest, The King would return to claim his ringside throne on November 12, 2012.

In the ring, Jim Ross and Michael Cole welcomed Lawler back, in front of a sold-out Columbus crowd. Fans had a renewed sense of respect and adoration for Lawler. After suffering a near-death incident on live television, Jerry Lawler was back and the WWE Universe was grateful.

Despite CM Punk crashing his welcoming back celebration, The King was indeed back and more popular than ever.