“It’s stupid.” “Why did they bring him back?” “. “No one wants to see THIS guy wrestle again.” Some WWE signings are considered stupid by fans who just want a good moan, but they turn out to be inspired decisions that help either the creativity or the company’s bottom line. The same goes for concerning-signatures; in other words, returns.

Many wrestlers came back strong in front of thousands (if not millions) of rolling eyes. Then something wonderful happens: they show their value to the product. Even if it’s not true in the long run, it was worth a try…right? You bet. One thing WWE can’t be criticized for experiment with things to see what might happen.

After all, they produce a lot of television. Besides, what if the return of Wrestler A to the mix reinvigorated shows like Raw and SmackDown? It’s a gamble, but it’s certainly worth taking, and all the returns explored here have provided short-term fun or longer-term pots of money. This, dear readers, is Triple H’s number one priority – just as it was for his disgraced father-in-law, Vince McMahon.

Even The Undertaker openly criticized former WWE man Mabel/Viscera/Big Daddy D for being a bumbling oaf who injured many peers during a legitimately dangerous push in the mid-1990s. Diesel’s back, broke Taker’s orbital bone, and generally acted as a threat to workers who just wanted to wrestle without needing surgery afterwards.

So it was a bit of a surprise when Vince McMahon brought Mabel back into the fold for the 1999 Royal Rumble match. It was even more shocking when “The Deadman” had his subordinates in the Ministry of Darkness remove the former King of the Ring and turn him into a nightmare bodyguard for the faction, wearing contact lenses and carrying a trash bag.

Viscera was (re)born into the role, and he was absolutely perfect for it. He had a visually impressive physical size and could realistically outsize some of Undertaker’s enemies alongside the Acolytes, Mideon and more. No one took him out of this gig to become a possible gimmick of “the world’s greatest love machine,” that’s true. This raised a few eyebrows.

Bringing Mabel back might have failed, but the WWF found a place that helped mask her limitations and alleviate some of her unsightly in-ring work.