5 More PG Era WWE Superstars That Could Return

WWE has managed to bring back some pretty big names in recent months. This year’s Royal Rumble match saw the returns of Edge, John Morrison and even Montel Vontavious Porter, all headlining talent from the often criticised time in pro-wrestling; The PG Era. Most WWE fans will recall some pretty awful memories of the PG Era, namely John Cena’s everlasting run as WWE Champion, the heinous treatment of Women’s wrestling and god forbid we mention the Juniors Division. It’s safe to say that it wasn’t the best time to be featured on weekly television.

Regardless, several superstars managed to make a name for themselves and forged a legacy in a time where it was hard to be taken seriously. Now that the landscape and general status quo have both changed for the better, it’s the perfect time for these superstars to make a comeback and claim what would have been rightfully theirs in the latter half of the 2000s.

Where some of these names might be in the process of winding down their careers, as exemplified by MVP and his low-key retirement match with Rey Mysterio, what better time to close the door on their WWE careers and go out on a high note rather than leave a bunch of ‘what ifs’ behind.

In this list, we’re going to run down 5 superstars that we’d like to see make a comeback on the big stage. Make sure you drop your own PG heroes in the comments below.

 

1. Carlito

The apple-spitting connoisseur of cool managed to make quite a name for himself after debuting in 2004. Carlito racked up a few championship wins and seemed forever on the precipice of becoming a big-time star for the brand throughout his storied tenure. Being connected to the historic Colon family made him an easy sell to the WWE fans, who were instantly attracted to his unique look with the Hawaiian shirts and bouncy afro, not to mention his fluid skills in the squared circle.

Carlito proved himself a worthy inclusion in both the singles and tags division, feuding with some top stars in the company including: Shawn Michaels, Randy Orton and even ‘Nature Boy’ Ric Flair at one time. Carlito could hang, and it was a shame that he never quite managed to make it into the main event scene after all that hard work.

Certain habits kept Carlito burrowed in the mid-card and tags divisions, yet he remained a popular babyface with the live crowds and an interesting heel that would manage to get heat when necessary. Even if he faded into the background since departing from WWE, he would most certainly receive a hero’s welcome should be make his anticipated return to the big leagues.

 

2. Beth Phoenix

Bit of a cheat here considering ‘The Glamazon’ has already made a couple of big comebacks in WWE. Not only is she one third of the NXT commentary team, but she has also recently competed at WrestleMania in a Women’s Tag match, and had a great showing in the 2020 Royal Rumble. So really, she’s already a fully-fledged part-time member of the women’s roster.

Regardless, it’d be great to see Beth Phoenix make a full-time return to in-ring competition. Unlike her hubby Edge, she was never given a reason to permanently retire, nor did she receive any retirement match or farewell celebration. Granted, she did enter the Hall of Fame in 2019, but that shouldn’t stop her from making a short comeback to shake-up the current Women’s division.

She’s more than capable of competing alongside the best and brightest stars of today, so why not let ‘The Glamazon’ have one last run outside of the outdated era of ‘Divas’?

 

3. Evan Bourne/Matt Sydal

Evan Bourne was another hot-shot that debuted in WWE and instantly sky-rocketed into superstardom. The high-flyer naturally fit in with the superhero-like ilk of Rey Mysterio, wowing live audiences with his sensational move-set. Now competing around the world as Matt Sydal, Bourne would easily fit in with the revitalised Cruiserweight division and maybe even finally capture the singles title he was promised all those years ago.

Bourne, much like Carlito, was a young star that was on the fast lane to a singles push in the late 2000s. Fans wanted to see Evan make it to the top, and things looked promising when he was personally selected by John Cena to be a tag partner of his in a main event of RAW. Although, as what seemed to be a trend back then, certain personal choices kept him from achieving those goals and he was eventually handed his release from the company.

Following in the footsteps of his former colleagues Drew McIntyre and John Morrison, Bourne reinvented himself on the independent scene and became a staple of certain worldwide promotions. Now an evolved performer, could Bourne become a main event star in WWE?

 

4. Santino Marella

Someone that has remained in a good relationship with WWE is the former Intercontinental and United States champion, Santino Marella. Santino never really broke through any glass ceilings during his time in the company, but he left a pretty good impression on the wrestling world, often leaving live crowds in hysterics in matches that could become the highlight of the show.

Santino recently made a brief cameo in the Women’s Royal Rumble match, reviving the ‘Santina’ gimmick from WrestleMania 25. Admittedly this wasn’t the best way for Santino to re-emerge on television, but it was great to see him up to his old hijinks nonetheless. I personally would love to see Santino and the Cobra make a dramatic comeback, perhaps not to win anything or go on any career-making runs but just for the giggs.

24/7 title material right?

 

5.  Mr. Kennedy

Mr. Kennedy became quite the star during the PG era, knocking everyone senseless with his limitless charisma and impervious in-ring skill. Kennedy was a ready-made star that could have easily won a world championship or two. Feuding with the likes of Batista and The Undertaker quickly turned him into a big deal in the PG Era, yet due to numerous injuries and certain backstage politics, he never quite made it to the top.

Kennedy would often be one of the most over performers on the card, whether that be as a face or heel. He captured the Money in the Bank briefcase on one occasion and came very close to defeating their top babyface stars on pay-per-view. What’s stopping the man with the microphone in hand from coming back to pick up where he left off and settle some unfinished business?

Perhaps WWE fans might have soured on Kennedy over the years, but I’m sure it wouldn’t take long for him to win everyone back over with his incredible promo skills. I still see big things for him in the future, if you don’t believe, go check out some Hogan era TNA (no, seriously).