5 WWE legends that should return for a championship opportunity

Goldberg
Goldberg

WWE recently brought back Goldberg and John Cena and it appears they will both be challenging for WWE’s World Championships at Summerslam on August 21st at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Given that it is such a major pay-per-view and it is the first of the big four events at full capacity, WWE have wanted to make sure they had major stars on the card. WWE is known for bringing back their legends when they are looking to boost their viewership and most times, it works well for them.

John Cena is not only one of the biggest stars that have come out of WWE but he is also a major Hollywood actor. Cena stars in movies and television shows, which brings a lot of interest back to the wrestling product.

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Goldberg is a multi-time world champion and has been in the title picture ever since he returned a few years ago. John Cena and Goldberg are two of the top names in the business, and there are plenty of other legends who would also make perfect fits to challenge for one of WWE’s World Championships.

Here is a list of WWE legends that should return to WWE to challenge for a world championship opportunity.


#5. WWE Hall of Famer - Bubba Ray Dudley

Bully as Champ
Bully as Champ

Bully Ray, formerly known as Bubba Ray Dudley in WWE, is a Hall of Famer and former world champion in many promotions.

Throughout his time in WWE, Ray was primary one-half of The Dudley Boys alongside D-Von Dudley. They have gone down in history as one of the greatest tag teams inside and outside of WWE.

Since he was so tied to the team, Ray hardly ever competed as a singles competitor for the promotion. However, he has been a singles competitor in every other promotion he has ever worked with.

He became Bully Ray during his time at Impact Wrestling (FKA TNA) and adapted the character to someone professional wrestling fans never expected him to be. He changed his look and had a tough-guy attitude making him one of the best characters that TNA had at the time.

Ray has had some historic matches outside the WWE and it might be time for him to bring his bully persona to the promotion even if only for a short run.

Bully Ray is currently one of the hosts of Sirius Radio’s Busted Open radio show where he talks about things that are going on in the wrestling world. He is one of the most sound minds in the business and if WWE were to bring him on for just one main event, it would really help their ratings as well.

Ray is an interesting character and truly cares about boosting the stars of the future. A younger superstar defeating him would elevate them and Ray can even help any of the current champions look even better.

#4. WWE's EVP Triple H

HHH with the NXT Championship
HHH with the NXT Championship

Triple H is still very much involved in WWE but has not competed in a match for a few years now. He is currently serving as WWE's Executive Vice President, Global Talent Strategy and Devlopment. The Game is also in charge of the NXT brand, and focuses on the development of future WWE Superstars.

NXT is highly considered one of the most exciting shows in professional wrestling, and a lot of that success goes to Triple H. Now, The Cerebral Assassin does not need another championship victory to solidify his already legendary career, but challenging for the championship would make for an exciting storyline.

He does not even need to challenge for the WWE Championship or the Universal Championship, it would make sense for him to challenge for the NXT Championship.

If WWE wanted to bring even more ratings to NXT, they could put Triple H in a storyline for the NXT Championship to help make the champion look better. If he really wanted to make a star out of one of his NXT wrestlers, a victory over the WWE Hall of Famer would make a significant difference in their career.

Considering WWE is now having the current NXT Champion appear on Raw, a storyline with Triple H could even flow into another brand. It does not have to be now, as Karrion Kross is already making a name for himself in NXT but maybe down the line with a star that needs a boost.

Either way, Triple H challenging for the NXT Championship would do nothing but help the brand and bring exposure to a future star in WWE.

#3. Trish's Stratusfying return to WWE

Trish Stratus
Trish Stratus

Trish Stratus is one of the greatest Women’s Champions in the history of WWE’s women’s division. She is a retired WWE Hall of Famer but has appeared on WWE TV a few times in recent years.

At one point in her career, she won more Women’s championships than any other woman in the history of the wrestling business. Many female superstars have said that they became wrestlers because they wanted to be just like Trish.

It would be a dream come true for many of WWE’s younger stars to compete against the legend, and she undoubtedly would still be able to deliver in a match. Stratus remains active and stays in shape; some have said she looks even more in shape now than she did in her WWE days.

She competed in the Women’s Royal Rumble match and was involved at Evolution a few years back. Stratus challenged Charlotte Flair in 2019 at Summerslam and that was her last match to date.

Now that WWE is returning to shows with fans in attendance, she could get a huge 'welcome back' reaction from the crowd if she does return. With stars like Nikki A.S.H. and Bianca Belair as Women’s Champions right now, it would make for an interesting scenario if Stratus were to show up and challenge these future stars.

She also would make a great addition to an NXT Takeover show if she wanted to challenge for the NXT Women’s Championship, just as Mickie James did when she returned to the company.

Even if it were not for a championship opportunity, it would be very “Stratusfying” to see Trish Stratus back in a WWE ring.

#2. WWE and UFC Legend Brock Lesnar

Brock as Champ
Brock as Champ

Brock Lesnar is considered one of the most dominant stars in WWE and MMA History. He has been absent from WWE TV since last year’s WrestleMania where he lost the WWE Championship to Drew McIntyre.

There were rumors that Lesnar was going to be returning to challenge Bobby Lashley at Summerslam in a few weeks. It appears that is not going to be the case as Goldberg seems to be filling that spot.

This came as a surprise to many fans as Lashley vs Lesnar is considered a dream match as it has never happened. Both men have wanted to compete against each other for quite some time and now that fans are back in the arena, it seemed like Summerslam would have been the perfect event for it.

Lashley has been compared to Brock Lesnar throughout his entire career. They both have similar backgrounds and paths to success. If Lesnar were to come back, it would make for a spectacle if he were to go right after The All Mighty's WWE Championship.

The Beast Incarnate also has a history with WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, though, as the two have competed against each other numerous times in the past. Reigns is currently managed by Lesnar’s longtime manager Paul Heyman, so it would be interesting to see who Heyman would side with, should Brock go up against the Tribal Chief.

Lesnar was recently spotted sporting a new look, and there are a few rumors that he might be gearing up for a return to MMA as well. No matter what the future holds for Brock Lesnar, he is well known to go where the money is and if WWE wanted to do something big, they should bring Lesnar back ASAP!

Even so, every time he has come back he has been criticized for being a part-time star, and given the state of WWE ratings, fans might welcome him back with open arms.

#1. The Most Electrifying Man in all of WWE - The Rock

The Rock with Reigns
The Rock with Reigns

Is there a bigger WWE legend than The Rock? He is a global superstar and businessperson that has his hands in many pots at all times. One thing is certain is that every time the Rock is involved in a project, it means that someone is about to make some serious money.

The Rock is always welcomed back by the WWE Universe and there is a massive pop awaiting his arrival. WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns is The Rock’s biological cousin but bills himself as “The Head of the Table”. What that means is that he is the breadwinner as well as the most successful man in the family.

Obviously, Reigns is a star but there is hardly anyone in the world that could compare to the stardom of The Rock. If Dwayne Johnson wanted to come back to WWE, this would be the perfect storyline for him to challenge Reigns for the Universal Championship or just for the title of the Head of the Table.

It is heavily rumored that this match will take place at next year’s WrestleMania but that all depends on The Rock’s busy schedule. It was also reported that there are talks about putting The People's Champion in a tag team match with one of the Uso brothers while the other Uso would tag with Roman Reigns. This way The Rock would not have to work that hard and risk injuring himself.

Regardless of how the bout might go down, The Rock is a star that WWE and the WWE Universe would love to see back sooner rather than later. He draws huge ratings for the company and is one of the most entertaining superstars the company has ever produced.

He has multiple movie projects coming out soon so if he doesn’t make it back for the WrestleMania match, he will certainly be back for something else down the line.

The Rock is up there with being one of the greatest stars that is not currently in the WWE Hall of Fame, so we do have that to look forward to at some point in the future. One of the very few men in history who can be assured of a Hall of Fame spot long before retirement.

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Edited by Arjun Kumar
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