8 WWE stars who made a surprising return to the company this decade

The hard truth about professional wrestling is that some stars - from both main-eventers to mid-carders - may one day leave a top promotion. The reasons can stem from anything to injury to wanting more opportunities to just getting burnt out with the everyday activity.

WWE has seen no shortage of stars that have come and gone through its doors. Being the biggest wrestling promotion in the world allows the company to land a lot of top talent, but that talent sometimes wants to leave.

Some stars often leave and never come back, but every now and then, a few do come back for one reason or another. Who thought the Ultimate Warrior would ever come back? How about Goldberg?

The fact remains that time can sometimes mend the fences that were broken between the two sides. Jeff Jarrett was someone we thought we'd never see in the WWE again but lo and behold, he was in 2019's Royal Rumble. He was gone as quick as he appeared, however.

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This past decade saw a lot of memorable stars return to the company. Here are eight such performers who made surprising returns to the company over the last ten years:

#8 The Hardyz

Left in 2009; returned in 2017

Both Matt and Jeff were regular fixtures in the WWE for most of the 2000s. They started out as one of the best tag teams of the decade but would later branch out into singles success. While Matt wouldn't get the main-event chances like Jeff, he was still an entertaining part of the mid-card when facing almost anyone.

Jeff would leave the company in 2003 and go to TNA but return in 2006. Matt would leave in 2005 but would also come back in 2006. The brothers would then both leave the WWE in 2009 with Jeff returning to TNA. Matt would work the independent circuit, including a stint in Ring Of Honor, before joining Jeff in Impact/TNA in 2014.

It would be during this run in TNA that the elder Hardy would craft the 'Broken' universe which took the wrestling world by storm. After a run with the top prize in Impact, the brothers made a surprise return to the WWE in 2017 at WrestleMania 33. In their comeback match, they won the RAW Tag Team titles. Neither man burned bridges with the company but it was somewhat of a shock for them to return more than seven years after leaving.

#7 John Morrison

Left in 2011; return confirmed in December 2019

During his time in WWE, Morrison was a staple of the mid-card and tag team title scenes. He was a three-time Intercontinental Champion and a four-time tag team title-holder. The man with many names then left the company in 2011 for a few reasons. One that he revealed on the Stone Cold Podcast involved wanting more control over his time while another was due to needing time to heal. He also later revealed that he was hoping to pursue an acting career.

In his time away from the WWE ring, Morrison had successful runs atop both Lucha Underground and Impact Wrestling. He won the top title in both promotions and was one of the top stars during his runs with each company. It was during his run on the independents that he would go by monikers like Johnny Mundo, Johnny Impact, Johnny Blackcraft as well as by his real name, John Hennigan.

Another notable non-WWE appearance came when he appeared on Survivor: David vs. Goliath. The season of the show pitted physical/social/attractive threats against a tribe of underdogs that utilized brainpower rather than physical/social prowess.

Rumors circulated towards the end of September 2019 that Morrison had inked a new contract with the WWE. Those reports were later confirmed on an episode of WWE Backstage in December. He has yet to reappear in a ring but could pop up during the upcoming Royal Rumble PPV.

#6 Bobby Lashley

Left in 2008; Returned on RAW following WrestleMania 34 in 2018

Bobby Lashley debuted for the WWE in the middle of the 2000s. He was blessed with an impressive physique and amateur wrestling skills. Those traits led him to two ECW Heavyweight Championship reigns and a run with the US Championship.

He frequently challenged the likes of King Booker, Batista, and John Cena for major titles but ultimately would leave the WWE in 2008. While he was away from the WWE, Lashley competed on the independent scene and most notably in TNA/Impact in two separate stints. His second stint was more fruitful as he was a multi-time TNA Heavyweight Champ and a featured star in the company.

Like Brock Lesnar and others, Lashley also desired to test his combat skills in MMA. His amateur background in wrestling helped the All Mighty to a record of 15-2 in the cage. When his contract with Impact Wrestling expired in early 2018, many felt that he would be coming back to the WWE after a ten-year hiatus.

On the RAW episode following WrestleMania 34, Lashley made his return to the promotion by attacking Elias. He's currently mired in one of the more polarizing storylines in recent memory, but it is at least getting him weekly TV time.

#5 Maria Kanellis

Left in 2010; Returned in 2017

Maria joined the WWE after one of its many 'Diva Searches' that took place in the 2000s. She didn't win but was one of the contestants that had a long run in front of the cameras. The Illinois native was used as both a backstage interviewer and as a love interest for the likes of John Cena, Matt Hardy, and Dolph Ziggler.

Once she was released from her deal in 2010, she did something that most former 'Diva Search' participants didn't do - stay in the wrestling business. Candice Michelle, Ashley Massaro, Joy Giovanni, and Amy Weber all had stints in the WWE, but none of those women continued pursuing wrestling once they were finished in the company.

Kanellis went on to be a part of a featured act in Ring of Honor from 2011-2015, managing her husband Mike Bennett in the Kingdom alongside Matt Taven and Adam Cole. She was also a fixture in both New Japan Pro Wrestling and TNA up until 2017.

The married couple joined the WWE in 2017 with the 'Power of Love' gimmick. Prior to this return, Kanellis had claimed that the Bellas were preventing her and the likes of Maryse and Kelly Kelly from returning to the company due to their "political stroke." It appears to be all in the past now as all the women worked with the promotion in some capacity in 2017.

#4 Kurt Angle

Left in 2006; Returned in 2017 as part of HOF Class at WrestleMania 33

The Olympic Gold Medalist not only won a gold medal with a broken neck but also won many titles in the WWE during his first run. Angle joined the promotion with a lot of fanfare due to his amateur wrestling and Olympic credentials. He was a focal point of the promotion until 2006, having feuds with everyone from Stone Cold to The Rock to Triple H to Brock Lesnar.

In a surprising move, Angle left the WWE in 2006. While it was thought to be due to injuries, he ended up signing with TNA a few months later. The WWE Hall-of-Famer later revealed a few years ago that he left Vince McMahon's company because he felt like a liability to the company due to his neck injuries and the medications he was taking to deal with the pain.

While he was in TNA, he was just as successful as in WWE with many great matches and title runs. Since he might have felt like he had some unfinished business in the WWE, Angle returned to the company in 2017 when he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. As we all know, he had his retirement match at WrestleMania 35 against Baron Corbin.

#3 Goldberg

Left in 2004: Returned in 2016

Goldberg was one of the many stars in WCW that rivaled those in WWE during the Monday Night Wars. Once WCW closed shop in 2002, however, many of the bigger names were reluctant to join the company that was once their main competition.

The former NFL player eventually showed up in 2003. He had battles against Triple H and his now infamous first match at the Showcase of the Immortals against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 20. The crowd was notoriously raucous due to the fact that both men were leaving the company following the match. Goldberg opened up a few years ago, stating that he wasn't having fun anymore and that he felt some "internal politics" were always working against him.

The wheels started turning for a comeback as he was a part of the WWE 2K17 video game. He returned in 2016 in a program against Brock Lesnar. The two men had a match at Survivor Series and then again at WrestleMania 33. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018 and returned for a match with The Undertaker at Super ShowDown in 2019. Is the WWE Legend done with in-ring action or does he still want to have one more match?

#2 Ultimate Warrior

Ultimate Warrior cut his last promo ever on RAW in 2014

Left in 1996; returned in 2014 to be inducted into WWE HOF

One of the biggest names from the 1980s and 1990s that left and was thought to never come back to the WWF/WWE was Ultimate Warrior. He was arguably becoming a bigger star than Hulk Hogan during his prime but would leave the company. Warrior had a stint in WCW before retiring from the pro wrestling business altogether in 1998.

He would have one of the longest periods between leaving and coming back to the company (almost 20 years). According to this wife, Dana Warrior, it was actually his last opponent in the company, Triple H, who was allegedly instrumental in getting the unique Superstar back into the WWE fold.

While he didn't return to the company in a physical capacity for matches (like Angle or Goldberg), Warrior did come back as a WWE Legend. The bittersweet reunion was short-lived as he passed away three days after his HOF induction.

The return of one of the biggest stars from the late 1980s and early 1990s signified the old 'never say never' adage regarding people coming back to the company. Some people never thought that CM Punk would be back in the wrestling business, but now, he's a contributor on WWE Backstage. He's not technically contracted to the WWE, but he's talking about wrestling. That's enough for me.

#1 Brock Lesnar

Left in 2004; Returned in 2012 after WrestleMania 28

The Beast is one of the biggest stars in wrestling history. He's been a constant main-event presence since 2014 and has held both WWE and Universal Championships in 2019. There was a time, however, when Lesnar and the company weren't a lucrative partnership.

Due to an impressive collegiate wrestling career, Lesnar was signed right out of college in 2000 to WWE's developmental territory at the time, OVW. The impressive physical specimen would debut in 2002 and enjoy a rocket-like ascension to the top of the card. He would leave shortly thereafter, however, in 2004. The Beast claimed that he wanted to pursue a career in the NFL. He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings and played in the preseason for the team but was released before the start of the 2004 season.

While still away from the WWE, Lesnar made a huge impact in MMA. He didn't start in the UFC but eventually made his way to the world's biggest MMA company. In the promotion, he won the UFC Heavyweight title but had to eventually semi-retire due to a bout with diverticulitis.

He would return to the UFC at UFC 200 but ultimately chose professional wrestling once more. The Beast came back in 2012 to confront John Cena. His return after WrestleMania 28 made the RAW episode following the Showcase of the Immortals one of the most anticipated shows of the year.

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