The 411 Wrestling Top 5: The Top 5 WWE Stars You Don’t Want Back

The 411 Wrestling Top 5: Hello everyone and welcome to 411 Wrestling’s Top 5 List. We take a topic each week and all the writers here on 411 wrestling will have the ability to participate and give us their Top 5 on said topic. So, onto this week’s topic…

Week 343 – The Top 5 WWE Stars You Do NOT Want Back

WWE IS REPORTEDLY LOOKING TO BRING BACK FORMER STARS, WHAT STARS DO YOU ABSOLUTELY NOT WANT BACK

Rob Stewart
5. Carlito – Okay, for clarification, I’m limiting my list to people I think have an actual chance to comeback for some level of relevant schedule. So I’m not including folks that would be, essentially, one or two match wonders (Rock). Also, I’m not just going to name a bunch of 70 years and call it day (WWE totally should not bring Jake Roberts back in the role of an active competitor, but to fill the list with a bunch of similar guys would be lame on my part). So with those restrictions, this list was actually relatively hard to fill out. I don’t really dislike Carlito, but of a lot of the names I’ve seen bandied about for a possible return, he’s the one I am most lukewarm to. Most I can see having some level of excitement, but Carlito? He’s not cool.

4. Melina, Kelly Kelly, Michelle McCool, Cameron et al. – The women’s division is still struggling a bit in terms of consistency, but at least it’s lightyears ahead of where it was five years ago. Let’s keep these glorified models away from the current product. How are Becky, Sasha, and Bayley supposed to work with these brooms?

3. Bill Goldberg – Ugh. no. There are some entertaining programs he could be put in, but he’d just be taking up time and space that the newer guys could be using. I never cared much for Goldberg, and I can’t imagine he’s exactly gotten BETTER with age.

2. Rey Mysterio – God, I hated WWE Rey. He was annoying, watered-down, and just so… “blah”. If WWE brought him back solely to put over the new talent, I’d be fine with that, but they wouldn’t. They’d have him on the fringe of the main event and fighting for titles so they could keep selling masks. No thanks. Also, Rey is doing better in Lucha Underground than he did for AGES in WWE. Hey, speaking of which…

1. John Morrison and Justin Gabriel – Now, this isn’t so much from a “God, I can’t stand these guys” front. I actually enjoy them both quite a bit. THE THING IS… I’m currently enjoying them in Lucha Underground, and I’d hate for the ‘E to come along and poach them back into the fold. Now, as I explained to a buddy of mine regarding Prince Puma, LU is probably the federation best built to lose wrestlers because they are STORY-driven even more so than talent-driven, so as long as they keep their writing staff, they’ll be fine. I always thought Morrison was criminally underused by WWE, but for now… nope. I’m getting too much of a kick out of him in LU. Hands off.

Kevin Pantoja
5. Carlito – I’m only making this list based off of the rumored names. For example, I really don’t want to see a Mr. Anderson or Tyrus back in the fold, but I don’t believe they’ve been contacted. With that out of the way, we start with Carlito. I feel bad listing him because he could probably add something to the show. He could be a solid mid-card guy or add some actual interest to the Shining Stars and rejoin his family. However, I’ve never found him to be anything special and definitely not enough to overcome his reportedly poor work ethic and bad attitude backstage. I don’t think it would be worth the return.

4. Rey Mysterio – This isn’t a knock on Rey at all. He’s taken part in some really good matches this year and has looked better in 2016 than he did in pretty much any year pre-2010. That’s the thing though. I like him in Lucha Underground. I think his spot there is perfect and the schedule does wonders for him (outside of working multiple matches in a day). He’s much more enjoyable in the Temple than in the WWE, where he had grown very stale. Stay where you are Rey, it’s for the best.

3. MVP – If you would have told me in 2008 that I’d be against MVP returning to the WWE after being released, I would have slapped you. I was hugely into the character and performer at the time. MVP for World Champion was something I really wanted and think could have happened if booked better. Since leaving the WWE though, MVP has fallen way off for me. I didn’t like much of his TNA run and I’m pretty much over him.

2. John Morrison – Consider this a Rey Mysterio like pick. Johnny Mundo has been great in Lucha Underground. He doesn’t have to do a lot of talking in front of a live crowd (a major weak point) and something about him just clicks in that world in a way it never did in the WWE. He came across as cheesy, overproduced and fake in the WWE. Not to mention that I think his ring work was massively overhyped during the time. I’d much prefer he stays in a world that I enjoy him in.

1. Jeff Hardy – This was an easy choice for number one. Don’t get me wrong. I bought into the Jeff Hardy train in 2008. His quest for the title and overall charisma made me a fan for a time. I liked him up until he left following the great feud with CM Punk and even found myself interested in his return to TNA. Then it all went to shit. His performances have dipped in quality ever since. His name value has diminished. Then came the Victory Road debacle. The fact that TNA would put the title back on him after that is laughable. After what he did that night, I could never see Jeff Hardy in a ring again and be perfectly fine with it.

Jack McGee
5. Rob Van Dam – Rob Van Dam is a one shot deal kind of guy, he’s good for that one night reaction, but in the long run easily overstays his welcome and becomes a very boring performer. Rob Van Dam is the guy you use as a Rumble surprise, or a mystery MITB competitor, but nothing more than that unless the roster gets completely ravaged by injuries.

4. MVP – As a wrestler, I have n desire to see MVP back in WWE. His TNA run, even before the injury, was very slow and uninspired. He got old, and he got slow, and that isn’t a knock, it’s a fact. IF they had to bring him back, I would love to see him in a “manager/advisor” role, because the other thing his TNA run showed us is that he can thrive in that role and I really think that we need more managers in wrestling today. Also, on top of being a good talker, MVP was never a megastar, and wouldn’t overshadow a young act. But as a wrestler, no thanks.

3. Goldberg – Just because there’s been so much talk about it ever since the WWE 2k reveal. I could see bringing him back for a Rumble to Mania run, and then Hall of Fame induction, but other than that, I have no desire to see Goldberg back in any sort of semi-regular role. A special occasion is one thing, but they need to elevate rather than supplement with too many former big names.

2. Carlito – Carlito seems to be one of those guys that is always rumored for a Rumble return or desired by a section of fans to return, and personally I cannot understand why. I think a lot of it is looking at his run through rose-colored glasses, being disappointed that he got released and hoping that he could have done more. Bus since his WWE release, the only think Carlito has done is “become a body guy.” He looks great, but if you’ve watched any of his matches the past few years, they are lifeless efforts. He mostly appears as if he doesn’t want to be there, similar to his ending days in the WWE. He runs a close second to Anderson in terms of people I personally have no desire to see back on weekly TV.

1. Mr. Anderson – Even when TNA has had (in the past, not now) issues with putting on quality TV, the thing that kept me coming back was the roster. But there was one man that constantly annoyed me, put on bad matches, horrible promo segments and made me want to change the channel, and that was Mr. Asshole himself, Ken Anderson. This man wanted to be Steve Austin SO BAD, and it never worked. He tried to be a bad ass, as he failed. He tried to be a main eventer, and he failed. He tried to be cool on the mic and he failed. TNA pushed and pushed him and it never worked. I highly doubt he’d even be considered for a WWE comeback due to the way he left, but if I am being honest, he’s the number one guy I never want to see back in WWE.