The Rock, Stone Cold, Hulk Hogan—these are guys that WWE “leaves the door open” for future involvement during the big seasonal events. It’s very “Hey, do you have any free time around Survivor Series? Well, we’d love to get you in an angle the month before!”
However, there were some people that WWE could’ve just closed the door on…or at least require them to have a passcode to let themselves in. Let’s look at three wrestlers that WWE could’ve left the door closed on or simply not leave it open as much.
It’s 50/50 with Roddy Piper
In the early 2000s WWE, Roddy Piper had a favorable legend’s return. It was similar to his first return where he feuded with Goldust and was the new on-screen president of the WWE.
The company used him well in the 90s and he did well in 2003 when he was paired with Sean O’Haire. His final run starting in 2007 was mixed. Piper went into the Hall of Fame, was involved in a few stories in a supporting role, and won the Tag titles with friend and rival Ric Flair in November 2006.
The rest of his WWE stay into 2015 saw him in Legends Contract mode popping up here and there and being involved in segments but not being a focus.
WWE’s usage of Piper was never particularly bad or too much. However, WCW’s usage of him is an entirely different kettle of fish and severely jaded my expectations of him when he returned to WWE television.
His WCW run was not good at all. Not only wasn’t it good, the guy kept popping up every year to be involved with something either Flair or Hogan-related. Both of those guys had more pressing WCW matters than to entertain the annual antics of Piper.
In a way, his appearances in WCW were similar to our next entry.
When Is WWE Going to Close the Door on Goldberg?
Goldberg was a hot star in the second half of WCW’s life. We’ve gone into Bill Goldberg’s past quite a bit on The Overtimer. In the present day, Goldberg exists as something of a semi-active legend.
Mind you, the entirety of his career is still shorter and doesn’t have the miles of experience of some guys who have signed to WCW in the past two years. However, he made a fast, large impression in a far shorter period of time during a truly contested period in wrestling.
Then WCW closed, Goldberg heads to Japan for a bit, and gets signed to WWE in 2003. It was a one-year deal that was kind of uneventful. There were some anticipated matches but you weren’t getting anything special out of Goldberg outside of name value and star power.
WWE even attempted to book something more of Goldberg’s speed but that was WWE acting against itself. Just like Triple H vs. Scott Steiner sometimes, the company just had to let things happen until the contract was done.
When he returned in 2016, there was some renewed interest from fans and the company. Absence makes the heart grow fonder or some such nonsense. Now, Goldberg is putting a little more effort into his performances while still doing what WWE brings him in for: a challenge, the Spear, and the Jackhammer.
Honestly, there’s no reason to challenge Goldberg post 2003. Most of the guys who have been challenged by him or challenged him have wrestled powerful guys, athletic guys, guys capable of going 10 or 15 minutes, and have even wrestled them in dangerous matches.
Goldberg is a challenge that you could turn down if you’ve survived Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, the Undertaker, Sheamus, Bobby Lashley, and so on. This isn’t the Undertaker we’re talking about.
For years, that guy was a walking, talking achievement that was harder to attain than the Royal Rumble or Money in the Bank. You can have multiple shots at the Rumble but at a certain point, not everyone gets return business on the Streak.
It helps if you’re Triple H or HBK, though.
The main reason to leave the door closed sometimes for Goldberg is that his appearances are exciting but the match tied to it is usual sub-mid. Not only that but this is guy you have to pencil into TV plans unless it’s the Saudi shows.
The Ultimate Warrior…Oof
I was thinking of putting Jake Roberts here but The Ultimate Warrior was someone where everyone should’ve locked their doors and not entertain him as a guest.
He was front porch company—or company that isn’t allowed into your house because of their behavior. You entertain them on the porch and it’s expected to be brief. This was Warrior after leaving WWE.
Sure enough, WWE talked with him again around WrestleMania XII time in 1996. Thankfully, he missed too many house shows and was deemed a problem thus saving the main event of In Your House 9 from being dumpster juice.
Then WCW brings him because Hollywood Hogan had a main event babyface diet to upkeep. There was no good reason for Warrior in WCW! He couldn’t be used after Halloween Havoc ‘98 and they had done enough penciling him in heading into Fall Brawl ‘98.
Ultimate Warrior just wasn’t going to work in WCW at that time and I’m not sure he would’ve worked at all.
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