00:00 10.
00:21 The Rock
00:32 Ring rust can affect even the greatest WWE performers, but what about The Great One
00:37 himself, The Rock?
00:39 It had been nearly eight years since the real-life Dwayne Johnson had wrestled in a WWE ring,
00:45 having successfully transitioned into the world of acting.
00:48 Dwayne Johnson's final two years in the company showcased what was essentially a part-time
00:54 Rock back in 2003 and 2004.
00:58 That said, when Rocky returned in 2011 to feud with none other than John Cena, it was
01:03 a big deal.
01:15 The face that runs the place collided with the People's Champ at WrestleMania 28 the
01:20 following year and did not disappoint.
01:23 Let's just forget that supposedly "once in a lifetime" matchup actually had 50/50
01:28 booking, shall we?
01:30 9.
01:31 Chris Jericho
01:32 Jericho possesses an uncanny affinity for reinvention.
01:45 No other wrestler seems to be able to compete with the man when it comes to consistently
01:49 making his career feel fresh, vital and interesting.
01:53 That said, Jericho has been able to return again and again from both a storyline and
01:57 real-life point of reference.
02:00 One of his greatest returns was following a series of cryptic binary code videos, Jericho
02:05 would come back to confront WWE Champion Randy Orton.
02:16 And let us not forget Jericho's last WWE return and run from 2012 to 2018, wherein
02:22 the man officially became a Grand Slam champion.
02:25 Truly, Chris Jericho is one of the GOATs.
02:35 8.
02:36 Shawn Michaels
02:37 It takes a certain special kind of talent to not only return from injury, but to potentially
02:42 be better than they had been in the past.
02:45 Yet here we are with the heartbreak kid Shawn Michaels, a man who came back from addiction
02:50 and a career-threatening injury to become an all-time great.
02:58 Michaels had been badly hurt during a casket match with The Undertaker in 1998, forcing
03:04 him to retire.
03:06 Taking nothing away from what Michaels did in his career prior to 2002, it's not hyperbole
03:11 to say that the Shawn Michaels we know today can largely be traced back to his post-injury
03:16 return.
03:17 The heartbreak kid absolutely killed it in the WWE between 2002 and 2010.
03:22 It's truly the stuff of legend.
03:28 7.
03:35 John Cena
03:36 Speaking of injuries, it normally takes wrestlers a lengthy amount of rest and rehab before
03:41 they're ready to make a return to the squared circle.
03:44 That's in part what makes this comeback story from John Cena so incredible.
03:49 He who cannot be seen was the surprise number 30 entrant in the 2008 Royal Rumble event,
03:55 a mere three months after suffering a torn pectoral muscle.
03:59 The injury had occurred on October 1st, 2007 during a match with Mr. Kennedy, with absolutely
04:05 no one expecting to see Cena back in the ring until at least six months.
04:10 But there he was with the sort of swagger that said, "Hey, I'm an inhuman dynamo
04:15 that can't be stopped.
04:17 Let's do this."
04:19 Incredible.
04:20 6.
04:21 Triple H
04:22 Triple H's return from injury didn't occur with the same sort of speed as John Cena.
04:26 However, it could be argued that the Game's return was just as validating.
04:31 The man once known as Hunter Hearst Helmsley had suffered a completely torn quadricep muscle
04:36 during a tag match on May 21st, 2001.
04:40 He was out of action for three-fourths of a year before making a triumphant return on
04:45 January 7th, 2002.
04:53 This time Triple H was a babyface or good guy and looked to be in incredible shape.
04:59 He reminded the rapturous WWE faithful that he was indeed the Game and that he was back
05:04 in action.
05:05 It was definitely a feel-good moment.
05:11 5.
05:15 Drew McIntyre
05:16 Not every WWE superstar gets a second chance at glory.
05:20 Then again, not every WWE superstar is Drew McIntyre.
05:24 The Scottish Superman was legitimately let go from the company back in 2014 after sliding
05:30 down the roster to chopper status.
05:32 In other words, wrestlers consistently booked to lose.
05:42 McIntyre picked himself up by his bootstraps however, competing in indie promotions while
05:47 also getting into the best shape of his life, before finally making his way back home to
05:52 the E.
06:00 This time his career was running in the opposite direction all the way from the company's
06:05 NXT division to a world championship run in 2020.
06:12 4.
06:15 Edge
06:16 It was a moment that many wrestling fans never thought they'd see, the longtime fan-favorite
06:20 Edge back in a WWE ring.
06:23 The rated-R superstar had been out of action for years after neck injuries had developed
06:28 into cervical spinal stenosis.
06:30 Edge stayed retired for nearly a decade before his return at the 2020 Royal Rumble shocked
06:36 the world.
06:37 Here was a healthy Edge, doing what he loved and doing it well.
06:41 It was a rapturous reception by the crowd in Houston, Texas too, creating an atmosphere
06:46 that was positively electric.
06:48 3.
06:49 Roman Reigns
06:51 The very nature of this list means that we thankfully have a lot of feel-good stories
06:55 to relate.
06:56 This definitely feels like one of those, since the WWE's head of the table was once
07:00 sidelined by a very real leukemia diagnosis.
07:07 Sadly, Reigns was no stranger to battling the disease, as he admitted to the WWE audience
07:21 during a promo on October 22, 2018.
07:24 Roman's leukemia had been in remission for 11 years before coming back, forcing the former
07:30 SHIELD member into a temporary hiatus.
07:41 The Big Dog proved resilient, however, and Reigns triumphantly returned to the WWE on
07:46 February 25, 2019.
07:49 He informed fans that his leukemia was, once again, in remission.
07:59 2.
08:01 Daniel Bryan
08:03 Here was a man who gave everything he had to the wrestling business, who wanted nothing
08:07 more than to compete in a wrestling ring.
08:10 Concussion issues and a lesion on Bryan's brain had resulted in an early retirement
08:15 back in 2016.
08:31 Yet a little over two years later, Daniel Bryan was medically cleared to wrestle again
08:37 during a very emotional promo on SmackDown Live, and the WWE Universe couldn't have
08:43 been more excited.
08:58 It was a truly emotional and wonderful moment in wrestling television.
09:26 1.
09:27 Eddie Guerrero
09:28 Eddie may be gone, but his legacy will never be forgotten.
09:32 The man's contributions to the wrestling industry will live on forever, as will this
09:36 incredible moment from a career defined by incredible moments.
09:41 Latino Heat had battled back from injuries, as well as personal demons, to become a man
09:46 revitalized.
09:55 This was Eddie Guerrero firing on all cylinders, delivering what could easily be described
10:00 as the best work of his career.
10:02 And it was all rewarded when Guerrero achieved the WWE's top prize during an iconic bout
10:07 with the Beast Brock Lesnar.
10:09 True to fashion, Eddie lied, cheated and stole to beat Lesnar at No Way Out 2004, but the
10:15 resulting celebration was nothing if not validating.
10:19 Eddie truly was one of a kind.
10:30 1.
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