Wrestlemania: Potential Comebacks That Could Pop Buyrate For WWE

The exodus of established talent from WWE programming has been well documented during the last year. This is brought a flurry of new faces into prominent roles and some old faces into new roles since last year’s Wrestlemania closed with Shawn Michaels’ retirement match.

Change has put new life into the company, but that doesn’t necessarily translate into high ratings or big PPV buyrates. Eric Bischoff said on his blog earlier this year that the WWE youth movement was bad for business and that it would hurt the company’s bottom line. He may be correct in the short-term, but that mentality is what caused the top-heavy WCW roster to quickly become bloated and force the company out of business. Building these new stars is how WWE will remain a force in the industry, not just wrestling, but also cable programming as a whole, for decades to come.

At the same time, WWE is a publicly traded company that comes under much scrutiny over its quarterly financial reports. Vince McMahon is under pressure to produce a big payday this year after last year’s Wrestlemania didn’t produce the buyrate expected. This is a difficult task, though, considering the number of proven draws that have either left the company, the industry or have been sidelined for many month.

Here is a look at some of the names circulated that may return in time for the big show in an effort to pop the buyrate.

1)   Triple H – This is the only slam-dunk on the list. The Game has been biding his time, sitting in his corner office in Stamford, CT, waiting for the right time to come back. That moment will likely be at the Royal Rumble in the middle of the main event. He is considered by many a favorite to win the match and go on to headline Wrestlemania, most likely, in a title match against Sheamus.

Triple H will improve the buyrate as he’s a household name, one that long-time fans have paid to see for years. He’s also popular among the younger audience since they primarily remember him as the glow-stick-tossing D-X jokester.

2)   The Undertaker – The Deadman is the longest running draw in WWF/E history since Bruno Sammartino. He’s been an attraction for 20 years his aura takes Wrestlemania to a new level whenever he competes. He has been injured for the majority of the year, only coming back for a short program with Kane.

I imagine that Vince is going to do everything in his power to get Taker on the card in some manner. With Wade Barrett moving to Smackdown, I see this as his obvious foil. It was Barrett leading The Nexus that aided Kane in burying the Undertaker alive to send him on his latest hiatus. Barrett won’t lose any momentum taking the pinfall, even if it’s a quick match that barely lasts as long as Taker’s entrance.

3)   Chris Jericho – It was speculated when Jericho lost to Randy Orton a few months ago before heading out on tour with his band Fozzy that he’d be back in time for Wrestlemania. Jericho doesn’t draw the mainstream audience, but he’s an IWC legend that when paired in the best program, could really bring elevate a show.

]The dream match would be suit-wearing, pretentious Jericho returning in his heel character to challenge Daniel Bryan with a story built around their association with Shawn Michaels, leading to Jericho putting over the young star on the biggest show of the year. More likely, though, is Jericho returning as a face since the crowd will want to cheer him.

4)   Batista – This is where the list starts to dwindle into the less and less likely. After last year’s loss to John Cena, Batista quit in one of the more memorable send-offs we’ve seen. He was over at the time and really just starting to get into his “Bad Guy” character. WWE hasn’t had a vicious, monster heel that could realistically wreck a top face in a long time, and Batista could really bring something fresh to the table.

He’s a proven draw and has been gone long enough that just about any program other than Cena, HHH, Edge, Taker or Orton would feel fresh. Unfortunately, Batista is still very fragile and getting up there in years. More so than Jericho, I doubt Batista would return as a heel.

5)   Shawn Michaels – First, let me put this to rest. Shawn Michaels will NOT wrestle at this year’s Wrestlemania. I could, though, see Vince coaxing Shawn into returning in a non-wrestling role. In the aforementioned Bryan-Jericho feud, Michaels could play a great mentor to Bryan if WWE were serious about getting him over as a serious top card player. Michaels trained Bryan, so the story there is natural. Michaels is a company man, owes a lot to Vince for his career and has always been dedicated to putting over new talent. Once again, he will not compete on the card.

6)   Sting – This isn’t a return, but rather a name that could pop the buyrate. Sting’s contract will run out with TNA before Wrestlemania, and with the show being in Atlanta, this is the perfect place for Sting to make his Wrestlemania debut and get his moment. His time is running out and if he ever wants to be remembered, this is his chance. A HoF induction, a DVD set and a Wrestlemania match against just about anyone would definitely produce a strong buyrate.

The money Vince would make on the deal on the DVD and other merchandise sales alone would more than make up for whatever Sting demands financially. It would just come down to whether or not he is willing to hang up the boots and/or work for WWE to end his career.

7)   Goldberg – An induction into the HoF doesn’t seem out of the question. As noted with Sting, the show is in Atlanta, so a WCW theme is likely. Having Goldberg wrestle, though, would be unlikely. The man flopped during his prior run with the company, including one of the greatest WrestleCrap matches in ‘Mania history. His presence would pop merchandise sales, though.

8)   Brock Lesnar – As I said with Batista, the further down this list we go, the further we get from it actually happening. We’ve nearly bottomed out with this listing. Dana White has made it clear that he will not authorize a wrestling match between Brock Lesnar and anybody else. White takes the legitimacy of UFC very seriously, and having Lesnar wrestle would damage his biggest draw’s reputation as a fighter. Vince will surely write out some massive offers for Lesnar’s services, but I don’t see it happening this year. The Next Big Thing returning to WWE some day may occur, but I put that three to four years away at minimum.

9)   Steve Austin – Stone Cold is always available for a cheap pop, but that there really isn’t any obvious, logical reason for him to be inserted into any storyline. We’d all love to see him revealed as the Anonymous GM as reprise his role of Sheriff of Raw. People say Orton is trying to develop Austin-esque characteristics, so I would avoid having them cross paths because it would remind us all just how great Austin is/was and how much Orton isn’t Stone Cold.

10) The Rock – No, it’s not going to happen. The list ends here.