Pro wrestling companies depend on the continuous cycling of talent to keep things fresh, and WWE is no different.
Wrestlers move to other major promotions, work on the indies, or perform in other parts of the world.
Few things are, however, more exciting than when one of your favourite stars makes a grand return.
Here are eight stars we could see return to WWE at some point.
8. Cora Jade
Cora Jade was released from her WWE contract on May 2.
Of all the WWE releases, hers was arguably one of the most surprising, given the significant amount of exposure she’d recently had on both NXT and TNA.
It appears that the 24-year-old will be returning to the independent scene under her original moniker, Elayna Black, where she had started to make a name for herself before signing with WWE.
Given her age, it seems unlikely that we’ve seen the last of Cora Jade in WWE – a return somewhere down the line feels more like a matter of when, not if.
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7. Dakota Kai
Dakota Kai was another star released in the recent round of WWE departures.
The former Damage CTRL member is one of the most talented and underrated female wrestlers in North America, so she will likely have no trouble finding a new promotion to showcase her skills.
However, a WWE return should not be ruled out.
Damage CTRL has been one of the most popular and dominant factions in recent years, and like all great factions, it will inevitably be resurrected – potentially with Kai returning to reclaim her spot within it.
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6. The Hardy Boyz
The Hardy Boyz are undeniably one of WWE’s most iconic tag teams — for many fans, they defined an entire era.
Remarkably, they have managed to retain their popularity, continuing to sell tickets and draw attention in TNA, where they were previously tag team champions until recently losing to the Nemeth brothers at the Rebellion pay-per-view on April 27.
The WWE/TNA relationship recently saw Matt and Jeff appear on NXT programming, wrestling against Fraxiom.
Given their enduring popularity and legacy, a final full-time run as a team in WWE seems all but certain.
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5. Braun Strowman
On May 2, Braun Strowman was released from WWE for the second time in his career.
The 6’8″ powerhouse is sure to attract potential suitors in the wrestling world if he decides to continue his career.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see him appear in WWE’s partner promotion, TNA.
Nonetheless, whether it’s for a one-off appearance or another full run, we should also expect to see Strowman return to WWE at some point down the line.
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4. Ric Flair
There are arguably no more famous names in WWE’s Hall of Fame than Ric Flair.
However, The Nature Boy has not appeared for the company since 2021.
His brief run on AEW TV came to an end following Sting’s emotional retirement at Revolution 2024 – after which Flair disappeared from the promotion, although he is still under some kind of contract.
With his long-time friend and former stablemate Triple H now running WWE creative, and given Flair’s undeniable legacy, it feels inevitable that he’ll return — at least for a one-off appearance — sooner rather than later.
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3. Paige
Saraya recently ended her AEW run in March.
In AEW, she made her in-ring return after a near five-year layoff due to a serious neck injury — in addition to capturing the Women’s World Championship in a memorable moment at All In 2023 at Wembley Stadium.
The former Paige has since said on Booker T’s podcast that she would “definitely” return to WWE if the opportunity arose.
It’s been seven and a half years since her last WWE match — and it now feels like only a matter of time before we see her back in the company that introduced her to the world.
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2. Billy Gunn
Billy Gunn is one of the iconic stars of the Attitude Era — a time when WWE was at its cultural peak.
In recent years, he’s enjoyed something of a renaissance in AEW as part of The Acclaimed, but with the group now broken up, his time there may be drawing to a close.
With his D-Generation X stablemates now holding some of the most powerful positions in WWE, a return feels almost inevitable.
An intriguing twist to any comeback could be the inclusion of his sons, Austin and Colten Gunn — who also appear to have been written off AEW television — as a next-generation Outlaws team that would make a great addition to WWE’s tag team division.
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1. Goldberg
Goldberg has made it very clear in recent years that he wants a proper retirement match.
It certainly seemed like WWE was beginning to set that up at last year’s Bad Blood Premium Live Event, when the former WCW legend was involved in an angle with Gunther.
An interesting question now is: could we see Goldberg return at Backlash?
Gunther is set to face Pat McAfee, and given that both McAfee and Goldberg are former NFL players, there’s a natural connection that could be played up — especially if WWE is laying the groundwork for a high-profile retirement match later this year.
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