S.J. Maximus
Championship Contender
One of the most famous sayings in pro wrestling is "Never Say Never". So many times we have seen guys leave WWE, only to come back later and absolutely dominate the business. The point of this thread is to tell me who you think did the best on their second run.
The only criteria for this is that they had to be relevant during their first run (So you can't say Daniel Bryan, his two matches on Velocity meant nothing) and that they can't be under contract during whatever hiatus they took (So no saying HHH after he came back in 2002 or Undertaker's American Bad Ass Gimmick). With that being said, this is my top 5:
5. The Rock 2011-present- I really really really really really wanted to put Eddie Guerrero on this list. Eddie Guerrero's second run did wonders for his legacy in ways that have rarely been duplicated (look at #3) but my heart simply wouldn't let me leave Dwayne off this list. Yes, he rarely appears, but how can you discredit 6 straight WrestleMania appearances, 2 back-to-back WrestleMania main events, and 1 title reign that outlasted the reigns HBK and Hogan had during their second runs. Memorable promos, hilarious segments, and great matches with Punk and Cena are too big for Latino Heat overcome.
4. Hulk Hogan 2002-2003- Easily the most anticipated second run of all time, Hulk Hogan absolutely delivered in 2002. His showdown with Rock was one of the most legendary matches ever and his battle with Vince one year later was definitely Vince's best outting at the big show. Add in a title reign, some more dream matches with guys like Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle, and you have an extremely successful (and absolutely memorable) second run in WWE.
3. Jeff Hardy 2006-2009- Probably the most controversial choice on this list, Jeff Hardy's second run did wonders for his legacy IMO. When he left in 2003, he was a popular mid-carder who had a great run on a very popular tag team. That sounds a lot like Marty Jannetty, or someone like John Morrison. His second run allowed him to become the 10th Grand Slam Champion ever, a 3-time World Champion and a 4-time Intercontinental Champion. There simply is no arguing that those are the accolades of a WWE Hall of Famer. When he left WWE in 2009, he was the single hottest attraction in the business, a bonafide main event star for the company. I wish they were able to work out a part-time deal for him so that he could've remained in WWE but it's fine: 2009 was good enough for me.
2. Shawn Michaels 2002-2010- I'd imagine this guy to be everyone's top choice, seeing how his second run was arguably better than his HOF-worthy first run! In 2000 it was doubtful, by 2002 it was a mere dream but later that year he proved us wrong and delivered the same (if not better) high quality matches that he was known for in the 90's. His return story hijacked the original Elimination Chamber match and gave us one of the best matches ever. His feud with HHH was probably the most intense and bloody rivalry in WWE history. His participation in the main event of WrestleMania XX is a big reason why to this day it is still my favorite WM main event and also my favorite triple threat match of all time. His match at WM25 with Taker is widely regarded as one of the best in history. 8 years, 1 World title reign, several high-profile feuds, and 5-star match after 5-star match. Damn, how the hell did I NOT put HBK first!?
1. Brock Lesnar 2012-present- Call me overzealous, call me crazy, but 4 years into his second run I think it's safe to say Brock Lesnar is having the best "rejuvenation" of any man in the history in WWE. A lot of it is due to how he spent his hiatus (proving yourself as a legitimate fighting machine looks way better to the public than just being home injured like HBK or in rehab like Eddie Guerrero) but regardless he came back to WWE and made an immediate impact. 2012 might have been a questionable year in terms of creative direction but by 2014 it was very clear that he was going to be the biggest draw in wrestling. His title reign was great, he ended the streak, and continues to be the most over guy in the business by and extremely large margin. The best part is that we still have many years to come, many more moments and matches that will bring us right from the edge of our seat into Suplex City.
Honorable Mention: Eddie Guerrero, Christian, Chris Jericho, Ric Flair, Batista
The only criteria for this is that they had to be relevant during their first run (So you can't say Daniel Bryan, his two matches on Velocity meant nothing) and that they can't be under contract during whatever hiatus they took (So no saying HHH after he came back in 2002 or Undertaker's American Bad Ass Gimmick). With that being said, this is my top 5:
5. The Rock 2011-present- I really really really really really wanted to put Eddie Guerrero on this list. Eddie Guerrero's second run did wonders for his legacy in ways that have rarely been duplicated (look at #3) but my heart simply wouldn't let me leave Dwayne off this list. Yes, he rarely appears, but how can you discredit 6 straight WrestleMania appearances, 2 back-to-back WrestleMania main events, and 1 title reign that outlasted the reigns HBK and Hogan had during their second runs. Memorable promos, hilarious segments, and great matches with Punk and Cena are too big for Latino Heat overcome.
4. Hulk Hogan 2002-2003- Easily the most anticipated second run of all time, Hulk Hogan absolutely delivered in 2002. His showdown with Rock was one of the most legendary matches ever and his battle with Vince one year later was definitely Vince's best outting at the big show. Add in a title reign, some more dream matches with guys like Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle, and you have an extremely successful (and absolutely memorable) second run in WWE.
3. Jeff Hardy 2006-2009- Probably the most controversial choice on this list, Jeff Hardy's second run did wonders for his legacy IMO. When he left in 2003, he was a popular mid-carder who had a great run on a very popular tag team. That sounds a lot like Marty Jannetty, or someone like John Morrison. His second run allowed him to become the 10th Grand Slam Champion ever, a 3-time World Champion and a 4-time Intercontinental Champion. There simply is no arguing that those are the accolades of a WWE Hall of Famer. When he left WWE in 2009, he was the single hottest attraction in the business, a bonafide main event star for the company. I wish they were able to work out a part-time deal for him so that he could've remained in WWE but it's fine: 2009 was good enough for me.
2. Shawn Michaels 2002-2010- I'd imagine this guy to be everyone's top choice, seeing how his second run was arguably better than his HOF-worthy first run! In 2000 it was doubtful, by 2002 it was a mere dream but later that year he proved us wrong and delivered the same (if not better) high quality matches that he was known for in the 90's. His return story hijacked the original Elimination Chamber match and gave us one of the best matches ever. His feud with HHH was probably the most intense and bloody rivalry in WWE history. His participation in the main event of WrestleMania XX is a big reason why to this day it is still my favorite WM main event and also my favorite triple threat match of all time. His match at WM25 with Taker is widely regarded as one of the best in history. 8 years, 1 World title reign, several high-profile feuds, and 5-star match after 5-star match. Damn, how the hell did I NOT put HBK first!?
1. Brock Lesnar 2012-present- Call me overzealous, call me crazy, but 4 years into his second run I think it's safe to say Brock Lesnar is having the best "rejuvenation" of any man in the history in WWE. A lot of it is due to how he spent his hiatus (proving yourself as a legitimate fighting machine looks way better to the public than just being home injured like HBK or in rehab like Eddie Guerrero) but regardless he came back to WWE and made an immediate impact. 2012 might have been a questionable year in terms of creative direction but by 2014 it was very clear that he was going to be the biggest draw in wrestling. His title reign was great, he ended the streak, and continues to be the most over guy in the business by and extremely large margin. The best part is that we still have many years to come, many more moments and matches that will bring us right from the edge of our seat into Suplex City.
Honorable Mention: Eddie Guerrero, Christian, Chris Jericho, Ric Flair, Batista