Over the past year, WWE has seen many former stars make their way back into the fold in different roles.
On the SmackDown brand alone, Andrade and Aleister Black have both returned after stints in All Elite Wrestling, and have since made their presence felt back in WWE.
Looking at the current free agent landscape and stars from other promotions, fans could see other former stars making their way back to WWE in the near future.
Here are seven former WWE stars to potentially return on SmackDown.
7. Paige
Back in March, Saraya announced her departure from All Elite Wrestling after a three year run with the promotion.
When this announcement was made, many fans believed that Saraya would return to her former ring name of Paige and come back to WWE.
In recent interviews, the former WWE Divas Champion has made it no secret that she would be open to making a return to the company in the future, but is content taking a break from wrestling for the time being.
Paige making her return could see her come back to Friday Night SmackDown where their women’s division would benefit from adding someone with as much star power and experience as she does.
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6. Mickie James
Another WWE legend who could make their in-ring return to the company is Mickie James.
The six-time WWE Women’s Champion made her return to the company’s programming as one of the coaches on WWE LFG on A&E.
After serving as a legend on season one, Mickie was replaced by her former rival Michelle McCool for season two of the series.
With her obligations to the show seemingly over, fans could see Mickie make a return to WWE TV proper by joining the SmackDown women’s division and mixing it up with the likes of Tiffany Stratton, Alexa Bliss or Charlotte Flair.
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5. Trevor Lee (Cameron Grimes)
In 2024, Cameron Grimes was released from his WWE contract after six years with the company.
Not one to rest on his laurels, Grimes, once again known as Trevor Lee, returned to the independent scene where he has proven himself to be one of the most reliable and dependable in-ring performers around.
Lee has competed for several different independent promotions around the world, such as Prestige Wrestling and RevPro over the past year alone.
Now with even more experience, Trevor Lee could return to WWE feeling refreshed and add some further depth to the SmackDown roster with his presence.
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4. The IInspiration / IIconics (Cassie Lee & Jess McKay)
Earlier this year, The IInspiration made their return to TNA Wrestling and immediately targeted the Elegance Brand, looking to regain the TNA Knockouts World Tag Team Titles.
Cassie Lee and Jess McKay took several years away from the squared circle to start their own families and have now looked like they are ready to retake their place as one of the best women’s tag teams around.
Recent reports and rumors have indicated that WWE has some interest in bringing in the former TNA Knockouts World Tag Team Champions.
The IInspiration once again becoming The IIconics could add a huge boost to the WWE women’s tag team scene and give the new champions Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss some intriguing challengers immediately.
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3. Matt Cardona
Another former WWE star who has made it no secret that he would be more than open to making a return to the company is Matt Cardona.
The former Zack Ryder has done everything in his power to reinvent himself since being released from the company in 2020.
Becoming “The Deathmatch King” and “The Indy God,” Cardona has transformed into a more complete overall performer who could stand toe-to-toe with the best WWE has to offer.
With his wife Chelsea Green currently on Friday Night SmackDown, Cardona could be a crucial addition to the blue brand where he has a litany of different storyline options for him to explore.
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2. Carlito
In June, many fans were surprised to find out that Carlito was leaving WWE after the company informed him that they would not be renewing his contract.
The former Intercontinental Champion re-signed with WWE back in 2023 and became an entertaining act alongside The Judgment Day over the past year.
Having departed the promotion without finishing his current storyline, it felt like WWE abruptly let him go before things could properly wrap up.
Carlito making his return and joining the SmackDown brand could give him a new lease on his career and allow him to finish his WWE run on his own merits.
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1. The Hardy Boyz (Matt & Jeff Hardy)
Earlier this year, The Hardys made their return to WWE as TNA World Tag Team Champions over on the NXT brand.
After several appearances, this run ended quickly thereafter. While this brief run has come to an end, it did prove that Matt and Jeff Hardy have a lot left in the tank and could be due for one final stint with WWE.
Signing with TNA Wrestling in 2024, The Hardys have more than proven that they could be considered one of the best tag teams in the world today and are bonafide draws when put into a position to be one of the faces of a company.
The Hardys returning and joining the SmackDown brand opens the door for a boatload of possibilities with the exceptional tag team division that includes the likes of Street Profits, DIY, Motor City Machine Guns and Fraxiom for them to square off with.
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