A great way to reignite some momentum for a WWE star is usually by bringing back an older gimmick for that talent.
Over the past few years, Kevin Owens went back to his “Prizefighter” persona, while Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa and Talla Tonga started embracing their Guerrillas of Destiny past with their signature face paint.
Looking at the WWE roster, there are several stars on the roster who could bring back their older characters or presentation to refresh themselves in a significant way.
Here are six WWE stars to potentially bring back old gimmicks.
6. The Original El Grande Americano becomes Chad Gable again
At WWE Royal Rumble 2026, The Original El Grande Americano made his return to the company as an entrant in the Men’s Royal Rumble Match.
Since then, The Original El Grande has been feuding with the other El Grande Americano in WWE and Lucha Libre AAA.
This seems to be setting the stage for a Mask vs. Mask Match that could either happen at WrestleMania 42 or even back in Mexico at a show like TripleMania.
Once the mask is removed, fans could see Chad Gable make his return to WWE and become one of the more featured stars on the roster once again.
5. Johnny Gargano brings back his Rebel Heart
Over the past month, fans have seen Johnny Gargano down in the dumps and completely depressed on Friday Night SmackDown.
Losing possession of Axiom’s mask and his DIY tag team partner Tommaso Ciampa, Gargano has not been the same as of late.
This might truly take Gargano embracing his past self to rediscover his passion for the business once again.
Gargano bringing back his ‘Rebel Heart’ might be the only way for the former NXT Champion to start competing with the best on the WWE roster in a major way.
4. Rusev Day revived
On the March 9 episode of WWE Raw, Oba Femi defeated Rusev in just over three minutes.
This marked one of the most embarrassing losses for Rusev since his return to WWE back in April 2025.
Recently, “The Bulgarian Brute” was seen backstage rocking his old Rusev Day t-shirt, which may indicate him bringing back the gimmick.
Rusev Day making a return could be the best way for the former AEW star to regain momentum and make his mark on WWE once more.
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3. Finn Balor as The Demon
2026 has seen some big matches and massive changes for Finn Balor on Monday Night Raw.
Whether it be his battles against CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship or The Judgment Day turning on him, Balor feels like a man at a crossroads in his career.
Earlier this year, Balor’s original theme music made its return for his clash with Punk in his home country of Ireland.
With the music making a comeback and now that Judgment Day is no longer by his side, Balor might need to embrace “The Demon” inside again to take down his former stablemates.
2. Randy Orton transforms into the 2009 Legend Killer
On the March 13 edition of Friday Night SmackDown, Randy Orton snapped and turned heel on Cody Rhodes during their Undisputed WWE Championship contract signing.
With this brutal and bloody attack, Orton severed the ties that he had to Rhodes, making it clear what kind of competitor “The American Nightmare” would have to face at WrestleMania 42.
After this attack, fans should start seeing the older version of “The Legend Killer” at play. This being a character that made its biggest impact back in 2009.
Calling back to his past where he made The McMahon family and Triple H’s lives a living hell, Orton should do the same to the Rhodes family leading up to WrestleMania 42 this April.
1. Roman Reigns & The Usos reunite as The Bloodline
On the March 2 episode of WWE Raw, CM Punk took things between himself and Roman Reigns to a personal level by making reference to his rival’s late father.
This led to The Usos stepping up to Punk in an attempt to demand an apology from “The Best In The World” for disrespecting their deceased uncle and entire family.
This confrontation saw Jimmy Uso land a punch on Punk and clearly drew the battle lines between the two sides heading into WrestleMania 42.
With Reigns and The Usos hanging out backstage and being on the same page in this rivalry, it feels like The Bloodline will be making a comeback ahead of or following Mania in Las Vegas.
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