8 ways WWE could bring back former superstars in 2025

WWE in 2025 has seen the arrival of fresh faces such as Moose, Ricky Saints, Penta El Zero Miedo, and El Grande Americano. Weeks of vignettes have resulted in much buzz surrounding Rey Fenix's arrival and Aleister Black's possible return on SmackDown! Fenix is slated to make his WWE debut on this coming Friday's episode of the blue brand.

2025 has nearly finished up its third month, but there are still nine full months left in the year to showcase surprises in World Wrestling Entertainment. Promotions such as TNA and AEW seem to offer a smorgasbord of wrestling talent to the TKO-operated promotion, considering AEW's talent releases and the TNA-NXT cross-promotional material. The independent wrestling scene provides the potential stars of tomorrow through the WWE ID program.

But what about the former WWE Superstars looking to make an impactful return to the company once ruled by the McMahons? Without further ado, let's look at eight ways to reintroduce past stars on RAW, SmackDown, or NXT!

#8. Becky Lynch and AJ Lee could return and involve themselves in the feud between CM Punk and Seth Rollins on WWE RAW

On the RAW after 2025's Elimination Chamber, CM Punk cut a promo and told Becky Lynch that she "better come get (her) man because if I do before you do, I'm gonna put him in a wheelchair." The Man fired back in a now-deleted tweet, writing, "Catching up on RAW….. I don’t think I’m the one who needs to come get MY man." That now-deleted X post shared images of Punk and Roxanne Perez wearing matching ring gear during their Elimination Chamber matches in Toronto.

CM Punk is married to former three-time WWE Divas Champion AJ Lee. Lynch is married to one of Punk's WrestleMania 41 opponents, Seth Rollins. Becky was seemingly willing to get personal in her now-deleted tweet, which implied that Lee should be concerned about Roxanne's connection to The Straight Edge Savior.

The beef between Punk and Rollins goes back years. Their rivalry will reportedly lead them to the main event of the first night of 2025's Show of Shows in a triple-threat match also involving Roman Reigns. Judging by the intensity of their feud, it likely won't end in Las Vegas at The Showcase of the Immortals.

The program between the two Ring of Honor legends could be stretched out even further, potentially leading to a mixed tag team match involving both men's wives and possibly Roxanne Perez. As a singles bout, Becky Lynch vs. AJ Lee would be a dream match that would predictably capture the interest of many wrestling fans worldwide.

Lee's last match was on the RAW after WrestleMania 31 on March 30, 2015. Becky's last match before her contract expired was a steel cage match against Liv Morgan for the Women's World Championship.

#7. Mandy Rose can spark a storyline with NXT's double Women's Champion Stephanie Vaquer

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Rose has an issue with WWE seemingly overlooking her past accomplishments to praise the Chilean star who concurrently holds the Women's North American Championship and the main NXT Women's Title. The company recognizes Stephanie Vaquer as the only woman to hold two titles in the developmental brand's history. The former leader of Toxic Attraction also held two championship belts simultaneously, but the NXT UK Women's Championship was immediately retired and unified following Rose's victory at Worlds Collide 2022.

The former Fire and Desire wrestler has called WWE "pathetic" for allegedly ignoring Mandy Rose's history in NXT. A counterargument would be that, unlike Rose, Vaquer defends both titles individually and hasn't retired or unified either of them. There appears to be a conflict between Rose and how the TKO-owned company promotes Vaquer's title reigns, which could be played out onscreen if the company can re-sign the former Women's Champion it released in December 2022. A showdown between Rose and The Dark Angel would light the women's division on fire and grab multiple headlines.

A one-on-one match between Mandy Rose and Stephanie Vaquer has the potential to headline an NXT premium live event. Rose might also have to join forces with Vaquer and Jordynne Grace to take on Fatal Influence's Fallon Henley, Jacy Jayne, and Jazmyn Nyx. Mandy has a history with Jayne dating back to their time in the Fatal Attraction faction. Rose stated during an interview with Busted Open on Sirius XM that she'd be willing to return to WWE if the storyline were "something juicy."

#6. Rusev and Lana can try to spoil Jey Uso's run as World Heavyweight Champion on WWE Monday Night RAW

CJ Perry and the former Rusev are reportedly romantically linked once again as a couple in real life. With both stars out the door of AEW, perhaps their next stop as an onscreen duo will be in World Wrestling Entertainment.

If "Main Event" Jey Uso can win the World Heavyweight Title from Gunther at WrestleMania 41, there's sure to be a slew of challengers looking to dethrone the red brand's resident Uce. The Bulgarian Brute is heavily rumored for a WWE comeback, and he can do so in grand fashion by ambushing Jey. Rusev would shock the wrestling world by laying out Uso during his championship celebration on the RAW after WrestleMania.

WrestleVotes reported that WWE is interested in bringing back The Bulgarian Brute. However, they indicated that if he does return to World Wrestling Entertainment, his comeback will likely happen later in the year, more so toward the end of 2025. Despite this report, the Stamford-based promotion can still surprise fans and swerve the media by having Rusev return sooner than expected.

WWE released the former three-time United States Champion in April 2020. His longtime valet Lana was let go by the company in June 2021. After both wrestlers left AEW, there has been much speculation and many rumors regarding their return to the company once owned by Vince McMahon.

#5. Aleister Black picks the bones of Cody Rhodes after WrestleMania 41

Vignettes featuring the number "4" have been popping up on SmackDown in recent weeks, leading fans and wrestling journalists to speculate about the potential of The Dutch Destroyer returning to WWE. Considering that April is the fourth month of the year, perhaps he'll make an onscreen comeback sometime in the coming month.

Upon his arrival in AEW, the former Aleister Black immediately made an impact by sparking a rivalry with The American Nightmare. Malakai Black made short work of Cody in his AEW debut match. Malakai would win their second singles bout, but Rhodes would cap off their trilogy with a victory. Mirroring his introduction in All Elite Wrestling, a reinvigorated Black could arrive in WWE and make an example out of Cody.

Assuming that Rhodes loses the Undisputed WWE Championship to John Cena at WrestleMania 41, Black could arrive on the SmackDown after The Show of Shows to pick the bones of a freshly dethroned and vulnerable American Nightmare. By doing this, the company would effectively reintroduce Aleister as a main event talent on his first night back as an onscreen character.

#4. Becky Lynch could become Roxanne Perez's first major feud on the main roster

Lynch seemingly cast shade at the similar ring gear worn by Perez and Punk at Elimination Chamber in a now-deleted X post, implying that AJ Lee ought to be concerned with the bond forming between The Second City Saint and The Prodigy.

If and when The Man returns to WWE programming, Roxanne could confront her about the controversial post. Of course, that's assuming that the company doesn't decide to ignore that post outright, considering it could fuel rumors in the same vein as Shawn Michaels's "Sunny Days" comment about Bret Hart.

If AJ Lee doesn't return to battle Becky, Perez could take her place in a potential mixed tag team program involving The Man, The Visionary, and CM Punk. Alongside Cora Jade, Roxanne is one of Punk's wrestling daughters. Their bond could be further highlighted on Monday Night RAW sometime in the future.

Lynch is one of the most decorated women's wrestlers in WWE. It'd immediately boost Roxanne's stock on the main roster if she were involved in a rivalry with a WrestleMania main-eventer like The Man.

Earlier this year, Fightful reported that Lynch had re-signed with WWE. However, the TKO-owned company hasn't released any official statement regarding this report. She was pictured at a media event alongside numerous WWE talent at Netflix HQ in December 2024. Only time will tell when the former Women's World Champion finds herself back in a wrestling ring. Rollins foresees Becky making her in-ring return at some point.

#3. Aleister Black's return could involve Shinsuke Nakamura

If WWE plans to reintroduce Alesiter as a midcard talent rather than a main event star, Black's suitable first opponent back might be The King of Strong Style. Nakamura is a villain who concluded his third reign as United States Champion earlier this month, dropping the gold to LA Knight on the March 7 episode of SmackDown in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

While the current US Champion is arguably a hotter commodity than Nakamura is at the moment, it's safe to assume that the former one-time NXT Champion will be cheered upon his return, so it'd be wise to place him against a certified heel. Shinsuke versus Aleister might not become the talk of the wrestling world in 2025. Regardless, a singles program between the two would predictably produce entertaining bouts that can adequately reintroduce The Ominious Man from Amsterdam to the WWE Universe.

A win over Nakamura could see Black move on to greener pastures, such as pursuing his first singles championship on the main roster.

#2. "The Don of NXT" Tony D'Angelo brings wrestling's mafia families together

Tony D'Angelo was viciously attacked by the mask-wearing faction known as Darkstate on the March 18 episode of WWE NXT. The Don is furious and is looking for revenge against the men who ambushed him. To take down his newfound foes, D'Angelo might have to look beyond his family on the black-and-silver brand.

D'Angelo could seek an alliance with the various mafia families of professional wrestling, including the Full Blooded Italians and the Big V Mafia. If that happens, wrestling fans could be treated to the returns of Nunzio, Tony Mamaluke, and Big Vito. Retired wrestlers who've been out of the public eye could make cameos like Chuck Palumbo and Johnny "The Bull" Stamboli.

The Don of NXT could use this partnership to fend off foes like Darkside and The Culling. Tony D dropped the NXT North American Championship to Shawn Spears earlier this month. A newfound mafia alliance could return D'Angelo to prominence in WWE's developmental brand and beyond.

Former two-time Cruiserweight Champion Nunzio last competed in a WWE ring at the ECW-themed NXT episode at the 2300 Arena on November 6, 2024. He challenged Tony D'Angelo for the North American Championship but came up short. Tony Mamaluke accompanied his FBI leader at ringside during the bout. Nunzio is still somewhat active on the independent wrestling scene, representing the Full Blooded Italians alongside indie wrestlers like CJ Bambino, Nicky Primo, Ray Jaz, and Zack Clayton.

Former FBI member Big Vito remains active with his Mafia don gimmick on the indie scene. Vito was active in WWE from 2005 to May 2007. Nunzio had a much longer tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment, competing on the main roster from 2002 to August 2008 and then working as a referee from 2010 to 2011. Mamaluke made a one-off appearance at ECW One Night Stand 2005 before signing with the company a year later to participate in the extreme brand's revival. He'd last with the company until January 2007, being released four months before Vito.

#1. AJ Lee could return to WWE to battle Roxanne Perez

Rather than go after Becky Lynch upon her return, AJ Lee could target a woman with whom her husband has developed a mentorship-like relationship, someone he named as one of his wrestling daughters. If effectively capitalized upon, Becky Lynch's now-deleted X post could foreshadow various storyline angles. One possible angle could involve Lee becoming jealous of Roxanne's growing bond with The Second City Saint.

In October 2024, Roxanne Perez named AJ Lee as one of her dream match opponents. A collision between the 38-year-old Geek Goddess and the 23-year-old Prodigy would be a cross-generational showdown that would light up the women's division for months in 2025. Lee represented the best of her division during the PG Era, and Perez is making a name for herself as a standout talent of the current year.

Perez will have plenty of talented competitors to contend with as a full-time superstar on the main roster. But if she wants to become the talk of the wrestling world, she'll need a major name as her opponent, such as Becky Lynch or AJ Lee.

Edited by Jacob Terrell