CM Punk and 6 Retired WWE Stars Fans Are Still Obsessed with Making a Comeback

Edge made his return to WWE during the 2020 men's Royal Rumble match after being away from the company for nine years. It was a moment few fans will forget.

The Rated-R Superstar seemed like he was done in the ring for good when he was forced to relinquish the world title and retire due to neck and back issues in 2011, but he revealed during his promo on Raw that a second surgery and his unwillingness to give up led to him being cleared by doctors for in-ring action.

He will likely face Randy Orton at WrestleMania 36 based on what we saw Monday night. He said he doesn't know how long this journey will last but with any luck, he will be around for at least a few years. 

The WWE Universe never pressured Edge to return because we don't want to see him get hurt, but there was always a desire to see him end his career on his terms, and the same can be said for many other Superstars.

Let's take a look at the seven pro wrestlers fans are obsessed with seeing make a return. 

CM Punk

CM Punk left WWE following the Royal Rumble in 2014 due to a number of issues he had with the company, but that has not stopped fans from asking him to come back.

When he was announced as an occasional contributor on WWE Backstage, many people saw this as a sign he might be softening his stance on wrestling again.

Punk was a trailblazer who became one of the most popular stars of his era. He was there before the influx of indie talents and left before we could see a lot of dream matches.

Even if it was just for one match, his in-ring return for WWE would be a huge draw. Whether he faced an old rival like John Cena or someone new like Matt Riddle, the fans would turn out in huge numbers.

The way Punk left WWE meant there was no closure for his character. It would be great to see him bury that hatchet with management and return so he can end his career on a high note. 

AJ Lee

AJ Lee came into WWE at a time when the women's division was still being treated poorly by WWE. She worked hard to become one of the most recognizable faces in the entire company and helped usher in the Women's Revolution before it was even a thing.

The former Divas champion was an unfortunate casualty of husband CM Punk's battle with WWE following his departure. She was still being used on TV regularly, but her role was not as prominent as it once was.

In her book, Crazy Is My Superpower, Lee said damage to her spine and having fulfilled all her goals were the main reasons she chose to retire, but that hasn't stopped fans from hoping she would come back.

Lee was a special kind of talent. She helped the women's division in more ways than even she may realize. Unfortunately, we never got to see her test her mettle against Superstars like Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks or Charlotte Flair.

She seems to be happy in her post-wrestling life, but if the itch to perform ever became too much to handle, WWE would likely welcome her back and book her in a major storyline. 

The Rock

The Rock looked like he had hung up his boots for good before he engaged in a feud with John Cena in 2011 and returned to the ring for their epic showdown at WrestleMania 28.

He has worked several matches since then, but his last in-ring performance happened at WrestleMania 32 when he picked up a six-second victory over Erick Rowan.

On an episode of Live with Kelly and Ryan in August 2019, Rocky revealed he was officially retired from professional wrestling. It broke a lot of hearts.

The Great One is 47 years old and still looks just as capable as anyone on today's roster. No matter what he does outside the ring, the WWE Universe will always clamor for one more match.

His career outside of wrestling has made him one of the most famous men on the planet. Rowan may go down in history as his final opponent, which is an accomplishment in itself. 

'Stone Cold' Steve Austin

During a 2019  episode of his podcast, The Steve Austin Show, Stone Cold revealed he still felt like he was capable of working one more match. Of course, this set off a firestorm of social media posts begging him to return. 

His last official match happened at WrestleMania XIX against his greatest rival, The Rock. It has been almost 17 years since the last time we saw him compete in the ring but the yearning to see him come back for one more has never died down.

Austin has kept himself in great shape over the years and continued to make sporadic appearances while also hosting the occasional episode of his podcast on WWE Network.

Stone Cold is still very much part of the WWE family. If he decided he wanted to have another match, management would make it happen.

He is one of the most influential and successful pro wrestlers of all time. In fact, he might be the one guy who could talk Punk into coming out of retirement. 

Sting

Sting will go down in history as one of the most important Superstars to compete inside the ring, but his career did not end in a satisfying way.

He spent most of his life working for WCW and TNA before finally agreeing to sign with WWE in 2014. He spent almost a year feuding with The Authority before his final match at Night of Champions 2015.

A bucklebomb from Seth Rollins led to Sting being forced to retire. He has never blamed The Architect for the incident and told the Apter Chat podcast in 2018 (h/t Fightful) it was a "freak accident."

According to PWInsider (h/t Andrew Ravens of WrestlingNews.co), Sting could be coming out of retirement to work WWE's next show in Saudi Arabia.

While we would all like to see him battle The Undertaker at WrestleMania 36 rather than an event WWE usually ignores right after it happens, just seeing him make a comeback would be enough to satisfy most people.

Trish Stratus

Trish Stratus has made a few appearances for WWE in recent years, but for all intents and purposes, she is retired from the ring.

Every time the former seven-time champion shows up for a match, fans want to know when the next one will be. It is likely frustrating for her to get the questions of if and when she will return all the time.

Stratus appears to have found the fountain of youth with her yoga regimen, because every time she does lace up her boots and steps back into the ring, it's as if she never left.

She last wrestled for WWE at SummerSlam in 2019 in a losing effort against Charlotte Flair. That wouldn't be such a bad way to end her career, but she is the person on this list who is most likely to have another match in the future. 

Shawn Michaels

Shawn Michaels had one of the greatest swan songs in WWE history, when he put his career on the line against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 26 and came up short.

His emotional farewell speech the following night on Raw was unforgettable. He stayed true to his word and remained retired until WWE wrote a check he couldn't resist to perform in Saudi Arabia at Crown Jewel 2018.

That match with Triple H against Undertaker and Kane ended up being a disaster and slightly tarnished the legacy he left behind following his epic encounter with The Deadman at WrestleMania, which would no longer be considered his final performance. 

For that reason alone, many would like to see him face someone else for one final match. Dolph Ziggler is a prime candidate due to the number of times they have been compared over the years, and Johnny Gargano would be a favorite pick among NXT fans. 

WWE would have a lot of options if The Heartbreak Kid came back one more time. Stranger things have happened, so let's hope 2020 is the year we get to see all of these Superstars compete one more time.