Original subtitles

You know that feeling we all get when WWE is totally awesome?

Ooh, yeah!

That feeling of fun, nostalgia, the memories that made you a lifelong fan.

Like the most awesome returns in WWE history.

Simply put, The Rock is back!

From the unimaginable to the unbelievable.

Team Extreme is back.

Goosebump -inducing comebacks.

It's been nine long years.

And superstars who didn't miss a beat.

What? Becky Lynch is back.

These are the money homecoming that bring us to our feet.

Oh, my God, it's Roman Reigns.

To chant in unison, this is awesome.

Welcome to This is Awesome, the only show that celebrates the most awesome

everything. Then, now, forever, and together.

I'm your host, Greg Miller, at GameOverGreggy on Instagram and Threads.

today, we celebrate the most awesome returns in WWE history.

A shocking superstar return is one of the most thrilling experiences in all of

WWE. Whether it's a long -awaited homecoming...

or a comeback from retirement, injury, and in some cases, a stint in

The return of our favorite superstars is laced with so many emotions, and when

that moment finally comes, it's etched in our minds forever.

There are very few things in life better than a great WWE return.

The Undertaker is back!

Mmm, favorite return.

Wow, there's so many.

Rondo Rousey! Are you kidding me?

I prefer the surprise ones.

My God!

Tom Harkless is back!

You are a partner.

Wait a minute.

Ultimate Warrior coming back at WrestleMania VIII to save Hulk Hogan.

believe that? It's like shaking up the champagne bottle and waiting for it to

pop off.

Whether we miss booing you, we miss cheering you.

We missed you.

I don't think that there's one right way to do a return. I think it's

situational.

That anticipation is second to none.

What the hell is going on?

You know who it is? It's Bray Wyatt.

Bray Wyatt is here!

It's almost that absence makes the heart grow fonder type of situation.

Oh, my God!

Trish, when she came back, like, oh, my God, we're going to see Trish Russell

again. Looking for satisfaction here.

Delivers it!

Our whole business is built around moments and invoking emotion.

Claymore!

Returns can...

Really bring both of those out.

Welcome back, Matthew Platt!

Speaking from personal experience, making a surprising return is very nerve

-wracking. Because, honestly, when you don't know if anybody's going to care.

Ted Rose here!

There is nothing as gratifying as knowing that people still remember you.

I just came by to visit an old friend.

It was like a... Just a jolt of electricity just shot through your

I can't really describe it.

Oh, my God!

What? What? Oh, my God!

It's Seth Rollins!

A pedigree!

Seth Rollins is back!

It made me 20 years younger, man. I just wanted to get out there. He's back!

Thank God! Father!

Me and D -Bond were happy to be back.

Oh, my God! Are you kidding me?

Get the tables!

Go watch the people. I think it speaks for itself.

I made my return in 2017.

I wanted to do it because of the WWE fans.

They were my first love, and I wanted to come back and say goodbye to all of

them.

And I felt very much loved by everybody around.

It has been over a year since Bayley has appeared in...

I have never had a moment like that with the fans.

Charlotte Flair is back!

I could just feel the respect.

I don't think it's rocket science. It's just, we missed you. We care about you.

And it's nice.

Well said, Sammy. It's true. Us WWE fans love a comeback.

When a superstar we've missed walks out from behind that curtain, whether it's

been 10 months or 10 years, it evokes a special kind of elation that we welcome

with open arms.

And in 2002, at the world's most famous arena, Madison Square Garden,

the game, Triple H surely felt that collective embrace in what is widely

regarded as one of the all -time great return.

I am the game.

Triple H, every time that he would get into that ring, you knew that whoever

in the ring with him was going to get their ass beat.

Everybody hated Triple H.

Indeed he is the cerebral assassin.

Triple H, even with so hooky boss. The tag team title's on the line here.

From behind, Triple H saved Austin again.

And he tears his quad.

He tore his quad and continued the match and then had Jericho put him in the

walls of Jericho. I was like... In the moment of that, like, my big thing was

when I got injured was, oh, my God, like, I can't not finish this. We're not

just going to walk out of here.

That's tough. You go back down to starting over.

The injury was devastating.

And Triple H sought the top sports surgeon, Dr. James Andrews, and his team

repair his torn quadriceps.

He stood up on it after it happened, which is impossible.

The game underwent a strenuous surgery and embarked on a lengthy journey where

the recovery time, even for an athlete of Triple H's stature, could be up to an

entire year.

It had been months and months and months. And they started doing these

leading up to his return where they would show the arduous recovery process.

What I love was taken away from me before I was ready for it to be taken

But if you have the desire to do it, you can come back from just about anything.

How bad do you want it?

The vignettes start happening. You see Triple H working out. You see him

stronger.

Him running on the treadmill and working out hard, him being in the ring, he

made being injured look so cool in that return video package that I wanted to

have a quad injury.

You saw how much he cared about coming back.

I mean, he moved to Alabama to rehab. I don't know how many people would have

done that.

Been stuck in that little hotel with nothing to do but rehab and train and

and live like a hermit.

Every second of it was worth it if I get back in the ring and can get back to

doing what I love to do.

It's Madison Square Garden with the most passionate WWE fans in the whole entire

world. And Triple H got to make his comeback there.

And it was with me, which was crazy.

The time has come.

Coming up next, the return of the game, Triple Eight.

It was like as soon as his music hits, the place just erupted.

Yeah, the game's back, baby.

To go from probably the most hated man in WWE when he got injured to come back.

And get that ovation and just speak to how loved to blaze it.

Every moment of hell that he went through was thinking about this very

And I remember thinking to myself, do not cry.

Just in case you've forgotten, I am the game.

Obviously, somebody has to.

be there to ruin the party. Otherwise, it wouldn't be wrestling.

What the hell is this idiot, Kurt Angle, the audacity to interrupt this man's

return?

Hey, look out! Oh, the game! With those big old right hands! Get out of the face

of that pompous Kurt Angle! Get out of there, Kurt!

Look at the game! I got the game! It's in great shape!

Oh, no!

Oh, look out! They're coming to me!

The pedigree!

Pedigree! Pedigree!

Triple H going with pedigree, and there he was, man. He was back in the game.

Just everything about it.

Fairytale.

The response from the MSG crowd literally spoke volumes, letting the

that the game was indeed back and better than ever. And perhaps just as

electrifying was the return of one of WWE's most beloved and charismatic

superstars, The Rock.

Omega star in the squared circle and on the silver screen, The Rock's long

-anticipated homecoming was nothing short of Hollywood magic.

The Rock was gone for seven years.

He was off doing movies and doing all the Hollywood stuff, and we were all

happy for him. But The Rock in WWE always felt like home.

You know, seven years in wrestling is an eternity.

Seven years in wrestling is some people's whole career.

So leading up to WrestleMania 27, it was announced that WrestleMania would have

a death post.

Tonight, we learn the official host of WrestleMania 27.

We had never had a host of WrestleMania.

We didn't know what that meant. We didn't know what that would look like.

Rumors have been swirling on who the host will be, from Justin Timberlake to

Will Smith.

I thought it was going to be Justin Bieber.

There was a limo, and we see a woman walking, and everyone figured that was

going to be the host of WrestleMania.

And that, what?

Who is she?

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the host of WrestleMania 27.

All of a sudden, lights go out.

Obviously, it's going to be a big name. It's WrestleMania.

They want to do everything big.

Lo and behold.

If you smash, the rock is broken.

Oh, what an ovation for the people's champ. The rock is here.

Coming back like this, the best part about it was the connection with the

audience and to watch them respond the way they did after seven years of being

away.

It was very, very special.

Ladies and gentlemen, the most electrifying man in all of entertainment

joined us live tonight.

I still want to figure out whose legs were those coming out of the limo? Never

spoken of again.

After seven long years.

The Rock made his perfect return.

So what does that entail? What is Rock going to do?

No, The Rock is back because I wanted to do something unprecedented.

I wanted to host WrestleMania.

The Rock called Vince McMahon.

And Vince McMahon said, Rock, there is only one man capable enough to host

WrestleMania. That man is the Jabroni Beatings.

If anyone had been concerned about The Rock not having his basketball, if

anyone had those concerns, they were immediately banished out of our

minds.

would literally call out John Cena.

You can't see me. What are you playing, peek -a -boo? You can't see me. I can

see you. Can you see me?

Oh, believe me, we all can see you.

How the hell do you think we can miss? You come out here with your bright -ass

purple shirt, and before that, your bright green shirt. Before that, your

orange shirt. You're running around here looking like a big fat bowl of fruity

pebbles. What a great line. That is just what The Rock delivers each and every

time. It's one of the biggest moments in WWE history because it's The Rock

coming home.

100%. The Rock is the reason I'm here. The Rock was my favorite of all time. I

know there's lots of people who came back into wrestling because The Rock

back. Simply put, ladies and gentlemen, The Rock is back!

The rock supernova of a star exploded that night in Atlanta.

He didn't miss a beat on the mic and solidified. Once again, he is truly the

and only people's champion.

Now, just a year prior in 2010, the WWE would see another epic return.

Even though we as WWE fans know to expect the unexpected.

I don't think any of us had a Bret Hart return marked on our bingo cards.

But that's exactly what we got when the Hitman shockingly stepped back on WWE

soil after the bitter and controversial departure known as the Montreal

Screwjob.

During the 1990s New Generation era, the faces of WWE were without question Bret

the Hitman Hart and the heartbreak kid Shawn Michaels, who were born rivals

in and out of the ring.

You're a disgrace to professional wrestling.

I'll beat up your whole family if you get in my face one more time. I can't

stand you and you make me sick.

We saw the issues between Bret and Shawn play out on TV every single week. But

behind the scenes, you could easily say that those issues were... far worse. And

it all came to a head in the most explosive of ways at the 1997 Survivor

Folks, this is very, very personal. This is what it's all about.

I was there in 1997 for the Montreal Screwjob and the aftermath and Brett's

departure. It was a really sad time.

All kinds of speculation regarding Bret Hart and his future.

This is just what you gotta love. It's a good old -fashioned fight.

Are you going to try to beat Bret Hart with a sharpshooter?

Yes, he is.

Bret Hart gave up with a sharpshooter. Bret Hart is standing in disbelief. You

talk about controversy.

Michaels with a sharpshooter has become the WWF champion.

The betrayal that Hitman felt at the hands of Mr. McMahon led to his

from WWE, where he wouldn't be seen again for more than a decade.

Time heals all wounds, and both Bret and Shawn came to a point in their lives

where they wanted to put all of that history behind them. Bring Bret the

Hart back to the WWE.

I promise you, if you do, only good things are going to happen.

When Shawn Michaels made it happen, you were almost sitting there going like,

there's no way.

It's been 12 years, and it's an amazing feeling.

There was a lot of emotions in there, I think, for a lot of people. It just felt

right. The very first thing I want to do is I want to call back there and ask

Shawn Michaels to come out here and see me face to face.

Have they let the incident go?

Or will all those emotions come rushing back and overwhelm these two men

tonight?

I call for a truce, and I call for you to shake my hand, and if you want to

the hatchet, let's bury it right now.

If those two

can put their past differences aside, then all of us can.

It was like a big giant weight carrying around all that anger and grief.

It was really important for me to close that book and really close it. The best

thing I ever did was to make peace with it.

Such an emotional and memorable homecoming for the excellence of

His decision to let bygones be bygones solidified to his fans, he was indeed.

The best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be. Which

brings us to another GOAT, the incomparable Becky Lynch.

At the peak of her career, Becky made the emotional decision to step away from

WWE and pursue a totally new kind of adventure, motherhood. Which left the

universe to wonder if the career of one of the most revolutionary female

superstars of all time was coming to an end.

When I made my return in 2021, after having my first child, it was, yeah,

it was amazing.

One of the top superstars in all of WWE.

We're going, we're just getting started.

She's a headline maker for the first time ever. Women are in the main event

WrestleMania.

Shoulders down.

She did it.

She's a jawbreaker.

She's a man.

A woman who has set the sports entertainment world ablaze as of late.

Oh, Becky!

Becky Lynch is someone who has not only helped the women's evolution, she has

been pivotal to the growth of women in sport.

Becky Dubelle!

Becky Lynch had created as much history as anyone

could create.

Fast forward to just about a year later and to see where her life journey had

taken her.

I have to go away for a while.

No, I can't fight anymore, but you can.

So you go and be a warrior because I'm going to go be a mother.

That moment between Becky Lynch and Asuka is legitimately the most beautiful

moment in the history of Raw.

It was very intense.

It's got to be a whirlwind beyond anything that I'll ever really get to

understand. You work so hard to get somewhere and for Becky to be where she

and then to step away to have a baby, it's a very scary thing.

Welcome to the biggest party of the summer.

Watching Becky come back at SummerSlam was craziness.

Thunder is in here!

Goosebumps!

An injury is one thing, but your whole body changes as a woman being pregnant.

You've got to work to get all that back.

We put in the time, you know. She was working and working and working as soon

she was allowed to, and she put in the time. She was hustling, so she was as

ready as anybody could ever be.

It was really cool to see her go out there and get the reaction that she

deserved, being the best of all time.

She just had rue and she came back somehow looking better than when she

left. Absolutely shredded in fantastic physical form.

It is great to see you, Becky Lynch.

Well over a year, the man is back.

I just wanted to enjoy every single second of it because I'd missed it.

Watching her come back and walking around with this attitude like she owned

place, like she had never left.

Becky came back to throw people around.

It was Becky.

I thought we had too many dream matches tonight and we somehow add one

more. Becky Lynch.

Becky Lynch is taking care of bestest with America.

Becky Lynch is a true game changer in this industry, and she always has been.

She had this journey and came back, and it kind of made me go, So

this is possible.

She left 16 months ago as a champion. She returns as a champion.

Unbelievable.

I mean, it doesn't get any more pedal to the floor than that. Mom power.

Mom power is right.

Return. Kick ass and take gold.

Pretty amazing comeback for the man.

Now, speaking of power, this next guy just oozes it. Like literally, out of

every one of his pores, you guessed it, the tribal chief himself, Roman Reigns.

In 2020, the ruling WWE Universal Champion took a hiatus from the squared

circle, leaving an unfillable void. And his future with the WWE, very much in

limbo.

The fiend is champion again.

Oh, my God. What the hell? Who the hell?

Oh, my God. It's Roman Reigns.

Roman Reigns established himself as the greatest of all time the day he

went from the big dog to the tribal chief.

Prior to SummerSlam 2020, Roman Reigns was one of the most beloved superstars

WWE. It's the big dog's yard!

But then, a global pandemic hit. And due to health concerns, Roman Reigns made

the difficult decision to step away from WWE until the time was right to make

the ultimate return.

So, Roman Reigns, he's off the radar and he is gone.

We fast forward, we're in the Thunderdome era.

We go to SummerSlam. It's Braun Strowman. It's Bray Wyatt. It's The

the Universal Championship.

Ball count anywhere. This will be a flat out ball.

Huge match.

Huge implications.

It's complete chaos.

Face first with another Sister Abigail.

We have a new Universal Champion.

And here comes Roman Reigns.

When I came back as the tribal chief, I started to realize if they want me to do

my job, be in the face of WWE, I have to do it my way.

What a hellacious battle.

Oh, my God. What the hell? Who the hell? You know who the hell that is? Oh, my

God. It's Roman Reigns.

Roman Reigns.

Roman Reigns is back.

And he's beating the hell out of the universal champion.

Not only was Roman back, but Roman was back in a position that we had never

seen before.

Roman Reigns just speared the feed, and now he's got his sights set on the

monster.

Roman Reigns didn't come back as the Roman Reigns we all knew and loved.

Roman Reigns with a spear to Scrooge!

He came in with this dark, real serious attitude.

And I think that just, it set the tone.

Roman Reigns is mangling the steel chair over the fallen body of Braun Strowman.

And Roman back in the ring.

He looked bigger. He had a new shirt. And he went in there.

And he wrecked everyone.

And he left.

We said SummerSlam. You'll never see it coming.

We never saw this coming.

What were we supposed to think about this Roman Reigns?

Days later on SmackDown, it's revealed he's with Paul Heyman.

Believe that.

And of course, at payback, he would go on to win the Universal Championship and

change the course of history, not only for his career, but the entire WWE.

It's a new era of WWE.

Ever since that day he stepped in at SummerSlam, No one has found an answer

Roman. That was the start of Roman's reign. No pun intended.

It most certainly was.

And Roman's dominance since his return has been nothing short of incredible and

downright commanding. We acknowledge you, tribal chief.

Now, our next return, well... It was positively one of the most shocking

in WWE history.

There were no rumors or rumblings to prepare us for the moment. In 2016, when

the prodigal son Shane McMahon shuffled his way down the entrance ramp, fresh

Jordans and all, in front of an audience whose stunned faces gave way to one of

the biggest pops of all time.

My name is Shane McMahon.

Shane, let's be honest, was always the most beloved of all the McNams. They

Shane O'Mac here. He was the younger son.

He had pushed back against his father.

My God!

My God!

He had battles with his sister.

And I think Shane had always had that respect from the WWE Universe.

because of what he did in the ring. You don't want none of Shane O'Mac.

Shane McMahon was a fixture of the Attitude Era in WWE.

Shane McMahon had classic matches.

Shane McMahon was a key part of the corporation and the corporate ministry.

Every time Shane went out there, he proved he deserved to be there.

Falling off scaffolding.

He's going through glass.

Not going through glass sheets.

And then going through them.

Coast to coast drop kicks.

All the crazy bumps that he took.

Literally everything that he did, he earned his spot. So when he left, he had

lot of fans that would love to see him come back.

In 2010, Shane O'Mac shocked fans worldwide by announcing his resignation

WWE. Shane McMahon was an on -screen McMahon as much as anybody else was. But

when he was done, he was done.

So in Detroit, at a time when Shane McMahon was so far off the WWE radar

for years.

An announcement is made that Vince McMahon is going to be...

giving out some award.

It is my pleasure to introduce to you the recipient of the Vincent James

Legacy of Excellence Award to Stephanie McMahon!

Vince is giving Stephanie this award, and the crowd absolutely hates it. Thank

you, God. I just, I don't know what to say. I mean... There's raining down

booze, and it's the perfect build -up... If I may.

...to the ultimate surprise.

When that music hits and people realize what's happening, there's nothing like

it. One of the best music of all time.

No one thought Shane McMahon was going to come back.

Man, the crowd loves him.

We were all shocked to see Shane O'Mac back.

That was one guy you never thought would return, and we did. He was given the

hero's welcome that he richly deserved.

What's up, Detroit?

The reaction of the crowd is an absolute testament to how much they love Shane

McMahon, because after seven years, the excitement on everyone's faces was like

no other.

Shane's triumphant return not only ruined the day for Stephanie, but it

proved to the WWE Universe that no matter how long he was gone for, he was

the same old Shane.

Man, did I miss you guys.

I was at WrestleMania 32 when he faced Undertaker in Hell in a Cell.

And to this day, that is the craziest thing I've ever seen live.

I had been out about seven years.

My kids would always ask me, you know, Dad, you ever get a jump back in? You

ever think about doing that again?

We're in Dallas, Texas, in front of 100 ,000 people.

And it was just such an unbelievable honor to have my boys be able to walk

with me, to contribute back to the business I love.

It's an experience I will never, ever forget in my life.

What a moment. A collective freakout from the WWE Universe that I

will never forget.

Now, you won't see our next superstar jumping off 20 -foot cages or flying

to coast. And that's because, like, he just doesn't need to.

Brock Lesnar, the Beast Incarnate, is a physical specimen who in his first year

in the WWE became one of the most accomplished superstars of all time.

So, when he walked away in 2004 to pursue other endeavors, we wondered if

next big thing was a thing of the past.

No one is like Brock Lesnar.

He's unique.

He is one of a kind.

He's once ever.

Not human. I don't think he's human at all. He is just a special entity.

What the hell?

The ring just imploded!

Any fan watching WWE in 2002 thought Brock Lesnar was the next big thing.

The cover!

One! Two!

Three! Brock Lesnar has defeated The Rock! Brock Lesnar has become the

champion in WWE!

WWE history!

But Brock Lesnar wanted more. More challenges, more tasks, more universes

conquer. Being the biggest star in the history of WWE was never going to be

enough for Brock Lesnar.

What he was thinking back then was, I might be able to be a pro football

He was the final cut.

He almost made it. And just to let you know how good of an athlete he is, what

did he do after that? He went to the UFC and became UFC champion.

I don't know if there's been a bigger superstar in sports ever.

Everybody knew who Brock Lesnar was. So when he came over to the UFC, it brought

all eyes to the octagon and everybody was watching.

The kid becomes champion in anything that he does.

I knew someday he would return to the WWE.

13 ,000 strong in Miami for Monday Night Raw.

And are they jacked? Raw after WrestleManias are always special.

But The Rock, after WrestleMania 28, saw John Cena in this position where it's

like he lost to The Rock, and nobody knows what's next.

The Rock was the better man at WrestleMania, and I would really like to

congratulate him on his victory.

People just knew bad things were going to happen. And so his return after eight

years was a shot of adrenaline. I mean, that's the best way to put it.

The former WWE champion.

The American.

Brock Lesnar came back home, and he saw who was at the top of the A -game, and

he said, you know what?

I want a piece of him, too.

Even if you've never watched wrestling, if you have no idea who Brock Lesnar is,

and it's your first show, you know John Cena is about to pay the price.

We're now seeing somebody who was already very legitimate in WWE leave.

now we've got him back. And he's not just back. He's targeting John Cena.

That's a scary moment.

The landscape, the complexion of the WWE

has been drastically changed.

Brock Lesnar is back.

Brock started in that moment, this part of his career that has been

the best, most dominant Brock Lesnar that

we have ever seen.

What an I'm back statement from the beast who certainly did see.

John Cena unleashing his fury on the champ, sending the WWE Universe into

hysteria. Now, these returns really are as much about the fans as anything else.

It's their reactions, their joy, and their love for the superstars that

these unforgettable moments. And, man.

Was that ever on display when one of the greatest tag teams in history, the

Hardy Boys, made a shocking appearance at WrestleMania 33?

We are coming back home to where we started.

When you're here and this becomes part of you, you're always missing.

I'm very nervous, but to return is just unbelievable.

We've still got a lot of fuel left in the tank. We're ready to do this. I'm

ready to knock it out.

The memories, they'll be immortal after tonight.

The Hardy Boys are here!

I mean, who doesn't get excited to see the Hardy Boys?

They were one of the best actions I ever stepped foot in WWE.

Matt and Jeff Hardy, baby! Talk about excitement!

These guys are crazy! The Hardy Boys are crazy!

A lot of charisma.

They put their bodies on the line.

And that's exactly why people love him. That's why they're so successful.

Here can be the danger within, you know, what it is we do. If you do something

really, really good, you might want to do it every night.

All of those things take a toll.

This is not goodbye forever.

This is only goodbye for now.

After leaving the WWE.

The Hardys eventually began wrestling for the competition, leaving fans to

wonder if they'd ever be back.

There were times where I had dreams about returning, and I think as time

on, I felt like it was much more of a reality.

At WrestleMania, there were rumblings all weekend that the Hardy Boys were

returning to WWE.

It was wild because they were doing indie shows that weekend as well.

They had done such a good job of trying to throw people off the stand.

They posted something on Twitter about traveling somewhere else so that they

weren't even close to where WrestleMania was.

We pull up right after the show starts. We entered the arena.

It was crazy. Just people didn't know we were there.

Oh my God, this is really happening.

Nothing's changed. Everything's changed. I'm driving myself crazy.

The title's hanging high above the ring.

The team to retrieve him.

Become the tag team champions.

We made people think that we were coming out in order to be in this three -way

match. This ladder match has now become a fatal four -way.

But then all of a sudden.

What? Oh, my!

You've got to be kidding me!

When you hear that reaction, you don't just hear it, you feel it. It takes you

over. This is the first time in almost seven years that the Hardys have teamed

in WWE.

The match went well.

At the beginning where it was like some classic Hardy boys.

Poetry in motion.

The Hardys have completely turned this match on its head.

We know what the Hardys can do in ladder matches. They haven't lost a step.

I was a ball of nerve.

I got the opportunity to jump off a 14 -foot ladder again.

Oh, what is this maniac doing?

Jeff Hardy, the thrill seeker!

I was like, man, you have to take in this moment because it is special.

It is extremely special.

To see them return, it's like I get to hold on to that part of me that's a fan.

Everybody was just so cool and embraceable and happy that we were

The Hardys gave the fans everything they wanted and more that night. It was

unbelievable to witness after seven long years.

And while seven years can feel like an eternity away from the ring, try nine

long years.

It was an emotional and cathartic homecoming for one of WWE's most

performers, the rated -R superstar Edge, who had been forced into retirement

seemingly... To never wrestle again.

Eight years ago, I broke my neck. So fast forward, I made it through

WrestleMania, but the WWE wanted me to go get more tests.

The MRI showed that I have to retire.

When he gave his retirement speech, it was just heartbreaking as a fan and a

wrestler to watch.

I know Edge was devastated because this was his number one love. That was the

toughest thing to watch because he was so sad and the fans could feel it.

The thing that I wanted to do since I was a little kid was now gone and the

choice was not mine. For lack of a better term, it was taken.

To feel all of that, I can't even put it into words.

I've just moved on with life.

You can adapt and, yeah, you can move on. You can do other things.

Adam, personally, at that time, I think he was handling it really well.

He had kind of transitioned into acting.

We put it in the past.

Adam Copeland was acting.

Edge was gone.

I can't even really explain it. Maybe, strangely, almost nine years off.

Let my body heal a lot.

Okay, I want to see if I can do it. I think I can.

I just want to see if I can.

I've learned over the years.

To not doubt Adam.

I love the challenge of, okay, nobody's come back from the injury that I had.

And I wasn't supposed to do this ever again.

The following is the 30 -man Royal Rumble match!

Being able to surprise and shock an audience is really difficult.

Play more kick!

Lester eliminated!

It was kept so secretive. No one knew.

And in 10 seconds, entry number 21.

Who's it going to be?

You just hear the song. The whole stadium was just bonkers because they

believe it.

It was so many emotions running around and all pouring out at the same time.

I think the only way to really put it in words is to look at my eyes. It's been

nine long years!

It was very, very surreal for the audience, but it was something that Adam

worked towards for nearly a decade, making that comeback.

No other industry in the world can replicate that kind of an emotional

to a person. It gives you chills. Like, I mean, I'm getting them now.

Edge did not miss a single beat coming back.

Edge with a spear!

He actually was better than ever, and he looked better than ever.

Oh! A spear fest at the Rumble!

Now he just...

Better than ever, but just like extra fire and steps and moves and sessions,

everything. Now this is a Royal Rumble moment.

Nine years later, for him to come back, are there words for this? I

mean, wow, what a hero, Edge. What a hero.

That will end up being, I think, my greatest memory as a performer in

And it's one of my greatest memories as a fan of wrestling.

Coming back against all odds at the Royal Rumble and nearly going the

What a story.

And that is what WWE is all about.

Superstars who reinvent and continue to write new chapters.

And perhaps no better author of their own narrative is the American Nightmare

Cody Rhodes.

Who? In 2022, returned home to WWE in grand fashion.

I had anticipated I would never come back to WWE.

And it's still surreal to me.

Cody Rhodes, the young son of Dusty Rhodes.

Expect big things from Cody Rhodes.

Cody is really the ultimate story of betting on yourself.

To me, it always looked like Cody was trying to figure out who he was.

He went through his stages like Dashing Cody Rhodes.

He had the face mask for a while.

He was Stardust.

He was struggling to find himself, and then he left WWE.

Cody Rhodes' journey outside of WWE took him through the independent scene and

led him to start up his own sports entertainment company.

But in January 2022, rumors of the American Nightmare's free agency ran

just as Seth Rollins was left with a mystery opponent at WrestleMania 38.

Obviously living in this digital age where information travels so quickly,

was so many rumors swirling about who my opponent was going to be.

I remember a lot of people speculating, asking, you know, even people in the

back, like, is Cody coming back?

Everybody was hoping.

Maybe people were even expecting.

Seth Rollins has no clue who his opponent will be here tonight.

My eyes met a lot of people's eyes, and it was just a beautiful experience.

From undesirable to undeniable.

The pop that Cody got, I didn't just hear that, I felt it.

The prodigal son has returned.

I'm so excited for this match because I know it's going to be something awesome.

This has all of the makings.

Of one hell of a WrestleMania match.

I think he was the perfect opponent for me in that match. And I think you just

saw two of the best all -timers out there trying to push each other to the

limit. I sort of like looking around and everyone's faces are just like,

Crossroads!

And Seth freaking Rollins' WrestleMania dreams became a

nightmare.

Most people will not remember the match. And it was a banger. It was a doozy.

But they'll remember that return and they'll remember that entrance because

was all very real.

You have asked for a better way for Cody Rhodes to make his return.

Won an award. Won an ESPY, bro.

I'm very excited to be holding the WWE moment of the year. ESPY is very, very

special. It took him leaving.

To break through that glass ceiling he had on himself when he was here

originally. There is no ceiling for Cody Rhodes now.

What a moment for Cody Rhodes.

Bet on yourself and good things will come. I can't wait for Cody to punctuate

his story book ending.

We hope you've enjoyed this look back at the most awesome returns in WWE

history. I'm your host, Greg Miller, and it's been my pleasure to serve you.

Yeah.

On the next This Is Awesome, the most awesome high flyers in WWE history.

From the death -defying leaps and breathtaking maneuvers.

Phenomenal forearm!

To jaw -dropping jumps and eye -popping areas.

Watch as these daredevils soar to new heights. And go coast to coast.

Only on the next.

This is awesome.