If it weren’t for the retirement of Vince McMahon this past Friday, the biggest news of the week would have been Triple H becoming Executive Vice President of Talent Relations. And since then, it’s been announced he has also accepted the role of head of creative, meaning his influence on the product is at an all-time high. So given this, I thought it would be interesting to look at some talents that departed WWE in recent years that could potentially return under Triple H’s watch. And while there are names like Adam Cole, Samoa Joe, and William Regal, who he would likely love to bring back, as they are signed with AEW and seemingly happy, I’ve opted to omit them and focus on free agents.
Johnny Gargano: As soon as news broke regarding Triple H’s new roles, Gargano would begin to trend on Twitter, with the former NXT star having departed WWE in December 2021 through choice. This was down to him opting to take away from the ring due to the birth of his son Quill, who was born on February 17, 2022. Although, with Quill getting older and Gargano having not had a regular paycheck for a considerable period, perhaps a return to WWE would suit all involved. And considering how talented he is in the ring, it could even be as part of the main roster as he certainly wouldn’t be out of place. Alternatively, returning to NXT would allow him to work with the stars of tomorrow and pass on his experience.
Karrion Kross w/ Scarlett: For anyone who only saw Kross on the main roster, it’s likely unexpected to see him on this list due to his ridiculous outfit and the 50/50 booking he had to endure. However, in NXT, he was a dominant force that looked set to be a main eventer on the main roster for years to come. Yet, without Scarlett by his side, something was clearly missing, and losing to Jeff Hardy upon his Raw debut showed what McMahon thought of his prospects. Now though, enough time has passed, and with Triple H behind him to ensure he is booked like he was in NXT, he could still fulfill the potential he showed dating all the way back to Impact Wrestling.
Braun Strowman: Over the past year, Strowman has done a terrible job building his brand and finds himself mainly wrestling for Control Your Narrative, a promotion that draws fans in the hundreds. This is staggering for anyone who witnessed him having competitive matches with both Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar in years past. The belief is he has priced himself out working for second-tier promotions like Impact Wrestling and MLW, but WWE could comfortably afford his rate. And perhaps with Triple H at the helm, The Monster Among Men could find himself sharing a ring with fellow giants Omos, Commander Azeez, and T-Bar, even if it is only to put them over.
Bray Wyatt: As The Fiend, Bray Wyatt became one of the biggest stars WWE had created in recent years. Yet, he was shockingly released due to recurring creative differences with McMahon and Kevin Dunn. Since then, Wyatt has stepped away from the ring and focused on other projects. Nevertheless, he has recently been teasing a return to the ring and given he couldn’t use The Fiend character outside of WWE, it seems a no-brainer for him to return to the promotion where he became a star. And while his $4 million a year salary could be a stumbling block with Nick Khan still likely monitoring expenditure closely, The Fiend character would conceivably pay for itself in a matter of months through merchandise sales alone.
Sasha Banks: It still hasn’t been confirmed whether WWE has actually released the Boss. Although considering her agents are reportedly telling promoters she will be available for wrestling-related bookings from January 1, it appears she has been. Regardless, it’s believed the former WrestleMania main eventer’s issues originated with McMahon’s creative, so with him out of the picture, maybe she can be talked into returning. In fact, in my opinion, this should be a priority for Triple H, as while the previous names would add to the product, she would be a game changer for AEW’s women’s division. Especially when you add she has a fiercely loyal fanbase and some mainstream appeal due to appearing in The Mandalorian.
Whether these wrestlers are interested in returning to WWE is unknown. Still, I’d be surprised if Triple H didn’t reach out to at least a couple of them and others in the coming weeks. Particularly with him presumably wanting to demonstrate he will run things differently and is more talent-friendly than his predecessors. But, of course, it could later come out that McMahon is still secretly in control and using Triple H and Stephanie to work on his behalf, meaning this article was pointless.
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