7 WWE Stars Who Could Be Surprise Returns Before SummerSlam
Even with several Superstars recently retiring from the ring or bowing out from television for the time being, WWE's roster is as stacked with talent as it's been in years.
Multiple NXT names have been brought up this year alone and have been integral to certain storylines on Raw and SmackDown. Meanwhile, many members of the active roster have found their footing and are fighting for their spot.
That isn't to say the current roster couldn't use an influx of familiar faces heading into SummerSlam season, however.
Naomi and Bianca Belair won't be back anytime soon, but Chelsea Green should be wrestling again in the near future now that she's been cleared to compete. Additionally, CM Punk hasn't been seen since the post-WrestleMania Raw, but he shouldn't be out of action for much longer, either.
Any of those stars returning imminently would be expected, but the following seven would be realistic surprises before SummerSlam.
Brock Lesnar
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Brock Lesnar was last seen at WrestleMania 42 losing to Oba Femi, leaving his boots in the ring afterward and emotionally embracing Paul Heyman.
All signs pointed to that being his swan song, but although WWE put together a tribute video for him on that Monday's Raw, it hasn't been confirmed that he's definitively done.
There would be nothing wrong with Lesnar going out with a loss to the newcomer Femi on The Grandest Stage of Them All, but it'd be odd for a WWE premium live event to finally emanate from his home state of Minnesota and for him not to be on the card.
Plus, the former WWE and UFC world champ has a history of his biggest career milestones happening at SummerSlam, and that could be where he officially calls it quits. Whether it be a rematch with Femi or a long-awaited outing against Gunther, there's any number of opponents Lesnar could wage war with in his retirement match.
Stephanie Vaquer
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Stephanie Vaquer and Liv Morgan had one of the better feuds going into WrestleMania 42, but the match itself left a lot to be desired due to time constraints. That's why fans were looking forward to them resuming their rivalry coming out of the event, except with the roles reversed and Vaquer in chase mode with Morgan as the Women's World champion.
Vaquer even confronted Morgan on the post-WrestleMania Raw to heavily imply that a rematch would be happening sooner rather than later, only to be ambushed backstage by The Judgment Day the following week.
Per Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the angle was designed to cover for Vaquer legitimately suffering from an AC joint sprain in her shoulder and that she was believed to be sidelined indefinitely.
That said, the latest update from PWInsider's Mike Johnson this week revealed that she could be back by the end of the month.
Morgan vs. Vaquer originally looked to be a lock for SummerSlam, but it might be happening a lot earlier than expected if she is ahead of schedule with her recovery.
Omos
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Omos shockingly hasn't been seen on WWE TV in over two years, with his last appearance to date being in an Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal over WrestleMania 40 weekend.
He flew under the radar for a long time after that and could have well been on the brink of getting released until he resurfaced in Mexico for AAA late last year. His heel alliance with El Hijo del Vikingo has been the perfect use of him and it's the best he's ever been booked in WWE.
It's unknown what use Triple H would have for him on the main roster long-term, but he'd be an excellent fit for a feud with Oba Femi between now and SummerSlam.
It wouldn't necessarily need to culminate at SummerSlam itself or even last more than a few weeks. WWE has done a few fun big-man feuds in recent years and could replicate some of that success with Omos returning to Raw to answer one of Femi's open challenges.
Femi would obviously have to go over, but Omos would at least pose more of a physical threat to him than just about anyone else on the active roster.
Sheamus
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Every time Sheamus appears to be on the verge of winning the one title that has eluded him his entire career, he goes down with an injury.
The Celtic Warrior was in hot pursuit of Dominik Mysterio's Intercontinental Championship late last year as well as in the middle of participating in John Cena's The Last Time is Now tournament when he hurt his shoulder and had to undergo surgery.
That was nearly six months ago and there's been no update on when he'll be back, but it would be a pleasant surprise for him to return between now and SummerSlam.
Penta has since dethroned Mysterio for the prestigious prize, but Sheamus would be a nice addition to the title mix along with Ethan Page, Je'Von Evans and Rusev. He could also just as easily be a filler opponent for World Heavyweight champion Roman Reigns in the next few months.
Sheamus is sorely missed on Monday nights at the moment and hopefully won't be out injured for much longer.
Nikki Bella
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Back in January, The Bella Twins reunited in the Royal Rumble for the first time in four years and immediately set their sights on the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship.
They were gradually building momentum when Nikki Bella rolled her ankle in a SmackDown tag team match against Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss at the end of March. What was initially believed to be a minor setback ultimately forced her to miss WrestleMania 42.
In her place, Paige made her triumphant return to WWE and won the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship with Brie Bella.
Their reign has been perfectly fine so far, but Paige's spot should only be temporary. Once Nikki is cleared to compete, she and Brie should turn on Paige and reclaim their spot in the growing women's tag team division.
The Bella Twins finally holding gold together is inevitable, so Paige should watch her back in case Nikki is fully healed by August.
Bronson Reed
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Injuries have halted Bronson Reed's momentum not once but twice now in WWE. This most recent instance saw him get hurt in an Elimination Chamber qualifier prior to the eponymous event.
He would have gone on to take part in the Chamber and likely get his first WrestleMania match with the rest of The Vision. The group hasn't quite been the same in his absence, and Bron Breakker clearly doesn't need them at all.
The only way The Vision can be salvaged is if Reed returns in the coming months and gets back to dominating the Raw roster. He can specifically target Seth Rollins, who remains a thorn in the side of The Vision despite losing to Breakker at Backlash.
Having suffered a severe right distal biceps tear, Reed theoretically shouldn't be expected to return this summer, but it's still possible that he's further along in his recovery than fans are aware of.
Kevin Owens
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Kevin Owens was weeks away from facing Randy Orton in the big blow-off to their feud at WrestleMania 41 when he announced that a neck injury would sideline him for the rest of the year.
KO has kept quiet about his road to recovery, but the belief is that he's still a ways off from returning to the ring. An in-ring return was never guaranteed to begin with, but now that he's undergone the necessary surgery, he has started taking steps toward lacing the boots up again.
Other than serving as a coach on the WWE LFG reality series, The Prizefighter has kept a low profile on WWE TV. Similar to Bronson Reed, it would be wonderful if he's closer to a comeback than what's been reported and will be around for SummerSlam.
It's merely wishful thinking at this point, but Owens would receive an incredible reaction if he were to pop up out of nowhere sometime soon and rekindle his rivalry with Orton in time for the two-night August extravaganza.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.
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