5 WWE returns that were unexpectedly cancelled

There are the turns, the dream matches, the unlikely alliances and then you have the returns. The present-day WWE fan loves a former Superstar coming back to the company's fold for another run.

Look no further than Goldberg's fruitful return to the WWE last year. Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar II was destined to fail on paper. However, nostalgia, bold booking and a solid performance from the myth ensured that the programme turned out to be one of the best of the year.

Everything went just according to plan and everyone, including the WWE, reaped the benefits of the wistful comeback. But, it can all go south within the blink of an eye in the fickle world of pro wrestling.

For every successful return, there is a failed attempt at getting back a popular name, as many superstars have come painstakingly close to walking down the WWE ramp after a lengthy absence only to see a last-minute swerve put a dent in those well-laid plans.

This listicle features five of those superstars whose returns couldn't see the light of the day for varied reasons:

#1 Trish Stratus

Better late than never.... — Better late than never...

Long before the so-called Women's revolution came about in the WWE, two women were busy revolutionizing the very concept of women's wrestling back when the opposite sex was still viewed as mere eye candy.

Trish Stratus, along with Lita, will always be regarded as the original flagbearers of the movement to give the women an equal playing field in WWE. While Lita has been a regular fixture on WWE TV in some capacity over the years, Trish Stratus' most recent return came at the Royal Rumble.

However, reports suggest that WWE did reach out to the legendary Women's Champion for a very big match against Asuka at NXT Takeover: Toronto.

Stratus is a Toronto native and WWE wanted to capitalize on the hometown advantage and at the same time, give Asuka a monumental win on her resume. Trish got pregnant and her spot was eventually handed to Mickie James, who is now prominently (umm...sporadically) featured on RAW.

#2 Shelton Benjamin

The Gold Standard's return would have been a much bigger deal had he returned back when the brand split happened in 2016. A torn rotator cuff and Benjamin's return was scrapped at an inopportune time.

Thankfully for Benjamin, he re-signed with the WWE in August 2017 and as we speak, could win the SmackDown Tag Team titles with Chad Gable in the coming weeks. It can be argued that Benjamin's current run seems a little lukewarm compared to the traction the original announcement in 2016 garnered.

He was penciled in for a solid mid-card title run in his initial run but an unfortunate injury may have just delayed the inevitable.

Vince McMahon and Triple H have been quite high on the former Us Champion, which was the biggest reason why despite coming off an injury at the ripe age of 42, WWE showed no resistance in getting the fan favorite back.

#3 Batista

This wasn't necessarily set in stone but pitched various times in the past few years. Batista has mentioned in various interviews that he is all in for a WWE return and has even spoken to Vince McMahon about the same, only to get a "meh, we'll think about it" in return.

However, McMahon was interested in getting the Animal back as a special guest referee for the Triple H vs Roman Reigns WrestleMania 32 match. Batista turned it down and was clearly not over his failed return from a few years prior to that.

The less we talk about Batista's last run with the company the better. Despite leaving a bitter taste in his mouth, the 6-Time WWE Champion wants to put the past behind him and return for one last match against the man that played a significant role in making him a top star, Triple H himself.

The Animal revealed on Talk is Jericho that he misses the world of pro wrestling -- the live events, traveling, the fans and the adrenaline rush that comes along. He condemned the bs that goes on backstage and just put out one condition on his full-time comeback -- another feud with The Game.

Being on the wrong side of the 40s, time is running out both for the WWE and one of the more successful Hollywood imports produced by the company.

#4 Rob Van Dam

RVD is one of the most popular yet underrated superstars of this generation. From innovating pro wrestling to advocating the legal use of marijuana, RVD is a revolutionary in every sense of the word.

At 47 years old, the former WWE Champion is as honest as a cat when the meat is out of reach. The grind of the business and an accumulation of injuries contributed to the end of a lackluster return in 2013-14 and while he was in contention to make a comeback in 2017, a concussion suffered in 2016 during an indie match ended all chances of Vince McMahon taking him back.

"I've talked to WWE recently, but it's about the new video games that are coming out. That was more of a business talk about that, but when the business is right and it's the right time to go back, that, of course, is then always a possibility"

He even weighed in on his thoughts on a possible match against AJ styles and just said left it all on Triple H.

Come on Hunter, make it happen!

#5 Shane McMahon

What was initially thought to be a one-off WrestleMania appearance turned out to be one of the most successful returns in recent memory. Shane McMahon has since defied all odds and for a brief period, even brought some freshness to the product.

However, Shane O'Mac wanted to get back into the scheme of things way back in 2012. It's said that McMahon Jr. went up to his dad's office and pitched the idea fo taking over Creative in a secret meeting.

Naturally, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon didn't take a liking to the proposal that came outta nowhere. There was said to be real tension between Shane and Stephanie, which ultimately led to Vince McMahon turning down Shane's offer.

WWE saw a slump in its ratings at that time and getting Shane on board could have been a blessing in disguise.

As time passed on, Vince would make up for his mistake by making his son do every possible thing that could have potentially incurred a serious injury. Well played, Vince.

Edited by Nishant Jayaram