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The Magnificent Seven: The Top 7 WWE Part-Time Talents of the Last Five Years

June 27, 2016 | Posted by Mike Chin

While part-timers aren’t exactly a new phenomenon in pro wrestling, the contemporary era has seen a surge in talents of yesteryear returning for brief runs—sometimes just a single match—for a short, high-profile run before disappearing again. This model has been heavily debated. After all, when part-timers show up around WrestleMania time, they’re inevitably taking spots that might have gone to full-time roster members and relegating them to battle royals, large-scale ladder matches, or the pre-show, rather than working proper rivalries en route to the biggest show of the year. In addition, the more times that part-timers go over full-timers, the less opportunities there are for the full-time talents to get over as legends in their own era (besides the issue of part-timers working with part-timers so full-time guys aren’t even in the equation).

While a fair share of critics focus on the points above (and I’m certainly among them), there is also significant value added by part-time acts. First and foremost, they are draws who can lure in wrestling fans from yesteryear and, in a few cases, even mainstream media attention. Secondarily, there are those part-timers who can still very much go in the ring and legitimately further their legacies upon each short return. Finally, while the stereotypical part-timer—and, indeed, at least half the guys on this list—tends to go over more than he puts people over, there are also high profile instances of a major star coming back only to successfully groom a current star for greater success.

So how do I define a part-timer? Here’s where it gets very, very tricky. In the interest of not doubling the time spent researching this article by counting days and weeks (and still inevitably getting caught in at least one oversight or miscount), I’m going to focus more on the spirit of the part-timer as someone who steps out of an in-ring wrestling role for roughly six months or more at a time, and doesn’t appear as a regular in-ring performer for much more than six months consecutively at a stretch and whose absences are not on account of injury, but rather a result of really being mostly retired and/or having another career that keeps him busy for at least half the year. The wrestler must have had at least one official WWE match within the last five years (hence ruling out Shawn Michaels, Steve Austin, and Hulk Hogan who, for their significant appearances in these past five years, haven’t been in official matches). This list does not include celebrities who rose to fame completely independent from wrestling (so, for example, Shaquille O’Neal would otherwise qualify based on his appearance in the battle royal at WrestleMania 32, but is primarily famous as a basketball legend; meanwhile, The Rock, despite quite possibly becoming more famous as a movie star, nonetheless first garnered worldwide fame as a wrestler, so he does count).

Criteria for this countdown include drawing power; long-range impact of the part-timer’s return on storylines, other wrestlers, and the performer’s legacy; quality of in-ring performance; and, as always, my personal opinion. Without further ado, I give you the countdown.

#7. Sting

For well over a decade, after the close of WCW, Sting’s identity became synonymous with the fact that he had never performed in a WWE ring—a guy who’d not only gotten over as an indisputable main event talent on the national level, but a guy whose work in TNA had confirmed that he could still go at a reasonable level and perhaps all the impressively, that he could develop his character over time to remain relevant and entertaining within the context of his time.

And then, at last, The Icon made his way to WWE.

Sting first appeared at Survivor Series 2014, making a surprise debut to counteract The Authority’s heelish shenanigans. This led to his first WWE match at WrestleMania 31.

I don’t know that anyone was sure of what to expect from the showdown between two aged stars. While I know some critics were lukewarm on the action and the sports entertainment-heavy mischief that followed, I would argue that their match was a near-perfectly booked around the talents at hand, using the Sting vs. Triple H, WCW vs. WWF dream match as a platform to realize a smidge of New World Order-DX gang warfare fans only could have dreamed of during the Monday Night War. I won’t claim that Sting looked fantastic in this outing, but he did hold up his end of the bargain in a legend’s appearance.

Sting would go on to return coming out of the summer of 2015 for a short program opposite Seth Rollins. On paper, this seems like a mismatch between one of the top few elite stars of the day and an old-timer on his last legs, but given the combination of Sting’s legacy and still being an underexposed talent in WWE programming there was reason for a flicker of hope that this might all lead to a special match, and I’d argue that it served its function nicely—despite Sting ultimately getting hurt—to put over Rollins and further establish him as the man (a particularly valuable win after dropping a fall to John Cena on the same night).

For his brief time with WWE, Sting exemplified many of the best qualities of a part-time talent. He didn’t monopolize screen time at the expense of contemporary stars. His first appearance facilitated Dolph Ziggler earning one of the biggest wins of his career, his next put over Triple H in an entertaining nostalgia-fest (and though we wouldn’t’ necessarily have called it at the time, putting over the guy who would be reigning as world champion going into the next WrestleMania), and finally putting over young Seth Rollins to further legitimize him as the man during his very good run on top for half of 2015.

#6. Chris Jericho

In 2005, Chris Jericho lost a a loser leaves WWE match to John Cena and walked away from full-time wrestling to focus on his band. After an elaborate build up, he returned a fresh, new man in 2007—first a hot face and then, as the act started to grow stale again, he turned heel in a revelatory new spin on the Jericho character that was arguably the best work of his career, including a sterling program opposite Shawn Michaels, a very good run as World Heavyweight Champion, and the awesome Jerishow tag team.

ButJericho departed again after taking a punt to the head from Randy Orton.

But after over a year away, as the calendar changed over from 2011 to 2012, Jericho resurfaced again to begin his time, not as a full-timer who took sabbaticals, but as a true part-time talent. After making it to the final two of the Royal Rumble, he went on to a memorable program opposite CM Punk, including very good bouts at WrestleMania and Extreme Rules in which he twice put over Punk to help legitimize the Straight Edge Superstar’s over-year-long reign. Jericho would wind up that run by turning face and ultimately putting over Dolph Ziggler on his way out the door.

Jericho returned after four months off to enter another Royal Rumble and then cap this mini-run by putting over the debuting Fandango at WrestleMania and then taking up residence in the mid-card before getting taken out by Ryback to set up another year away. In 2014, he returned to put over Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton. He made a one-off appearance in 2015 as a mystery partner to aid Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose against the Wyatts, then came back for another heel run in the first half of 2016 where he focused his energies on working with AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose.

While I certainly get the argument that Jericho is nowhere near as cool as he once was (or as he still seems to think that he is at times) he remains a star with Attitude Era recognizability and world champ credibility, who is also still in good enough shape to go at an extremely high level. Despite getting some dubious victories (the first pin in his program with Wyatt, the final pin—at WrestleMania—in his program with AJ Styles) in the long-run, his part-time work has been geared toward putting over new stars, and doing so via above-average matches, which is good enough for the number six spot on this list.

#5. Batista

In terms of push and star power, Batista was one of the big four new stars to emerge post-Attitude Era and post-Brock Lesnar’s departure, side by side with John Cena, Randy Orton, and Edge. He main evented a WrestleMania. He won world championships. And then, after about six years in the spotlight, toward the top of the card, he walked in 2010 to pursue MMA and acting.

In 2014, he came back.

Batista’s return was strange. Sure, there was some electricity in such a big name returning to the fold, but there was also the consideration that, in his absence, CM Punk had become second to only John Cena as the top star in the company, and Daniel Bryan had started surging over the preceding six months. And at a time when the fans seemed most eager to cheer on these plucky underdog types with indy cred, here came a great big muscleman from yesteryear to seemingly usurp the top spot.

In winning the 2014 Royal Rumble—his first match back—Batista seemingly realized all of the fans’ fears.

So what to do with a relatively iconic name with a fantastic look, booked for the WrestleMania main event, whom the fans simply were not willing to get on board with?

In the build to WrestleMania, and over the three months to follow, WWE did exactly what it needed to to get the most out of this short-term investment.

Batista responded to the fans’ jeers by turning heel.

Then he put over Daniel Bryan, tapping clean as a whistle to cap an excellent three-way world title match main event at WrestleMania.

Then he reunited with Triple H and Orton as the Evolution stable, and proved positively selfless in putting over the surging Shield not once, but twice in two superb matches at the PPVs to follow ‘Mania. The night after the second loss, he grew indignant with Triple H, essentially turned face, and rode off into the sunset as far as WWE programming was concerned.

At the Royal Rumble, it appeared Batista would represent the very worst of what part-timers have to offer, taking a top spot at the expense of a hard-working, organically over, younger star. By the time his half-year return had wound up, he’d successfully put over Daniel Bryan, Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, and Seth Rollins, playing no small part in making three guys who have largely dominated the main event scene ever since (the lone exception being Bryan who probably would have figured prominently in the main event picture for the better part of the year had injuries not put a premature end to his career).

#4. Triple H

Traditionally speaking, the IWC loves to hate Triple H for politicking, for staying on top for too long, for winning matches for which there seems little to no logical rationale, in the moment, that he should (see WrestleManias 16, 19 and 31). I ride the fence on many of these matters, and would describe myself as neither mark for, nor a a hater of The Game. But when we focus on the last five years, when I’d argue Triple H has moved into semi-retirement and a clear-cut part-time role when it comes to in-ring performance, I’d argue that he has furthered his legacy and truly arrived at a guy we should all get behind and appreciate.

Consider his work during this time period. It included two WrestleMania showdowns with The Undertaker—both good, the latter arguably great for all of its Hell in a Cell and HBK as guest referee-related theatrics. In between he feuded and then allied himself with CM Punk to further the Straight Edge Superstar’s credibility via feuding with a marquee guy from yesteryear (albeit also, arguably, derailing Punk a bit). Then he went to war with Brock Lesnar—a collision of part-time acts on the grandest scale, highlighted by a SummerSlam showdown that a wonderfully intense build that paid off in Triple H tapping clean to The Beast Incarnate.

And then Triple H turned heel and the magic really started.

Triple H put over Daniel Bryan and then The Shield in the spring of 2014 in selfless moves that largely overlapped with Batista’s work described above, but perhaps a smidge more noteworthy for giving Bryan a fantastic one-on-one match and win at WrestleMania 30 and then being the final boss for The Shield to demolish at Payback. Then Helmesley was on to the aforementioned dream match scenario opposite Sting. Finally, with a largely depleted roster going into WrestleMania 32, Triple He stepped up as world champion again, and put together a surprisingly great little reign in which he looked in magnificent shape and did arguably his best ring work in years opposite challengers like Dean Ambrose and Dolph Ziggler before putting over Roman Reigns in front of the largest live audience in WWE history at ‘Mania.

Triple H is a star with name recognition just shy of guys likes of The Rock and Steve Austin, with the benefits of having his life still devoted to wrestling, and having been on the young side when wrestling peaked so that he’s still physically able to go at the highest level in 2016. In the last five years, WWE has done a fine job of establishing that anytime Triple H laces up his boots is major event, and he’s delivered on that promise in great matches and in doing a great job of putting over newer talent.

#3. The Undertaker

This stage of the countdown is largely a toss-up, for largely different reasons that I’ll get into for each part-time performer.

Over the last five years, The Undertaker’s part-time status has revolved around, though not been exclusive to WrestleMania. First of all, there was The Streak, which saw him engage in two mini-epics with Triple H, one with CM Punk, each of which delivered on a high level, each of which had plenty of sizzle to accompany the steak. When The Streak was active, it was a draw. Sure, the outcome to ‘Taker matches at WrestleMania grew predictable, because no one expected The Streak to end (or at least didn’t expect it to end that year), but there was also that bit of tension—that what if that I’d imagine is most analogous to fans of my father’s generation watching Bruno Sammartino’s first world title reign unfold and never really expecting him to lose but still captivated by the possibility of what if?, besides that bit of awe at watching Sammartino reign for eight years straight, and watching The Undertaker go undefeated for over two decades at the biggest show of the year.

But then The Phenom lost, putting over Brock Lesnar and giving him the ultimate rub to set up a spectacular monster heel run. While the match itself wasn’t great (largely based on ‘Taker getting concussed) it nonetheless produced unforgettable moment on a level that few part-timers can rival.

After the loss, ‘Taker returned to the WrestleManias that followed, beating Bray Wyatt and then Shane McMahon in matches that weren’t exactly great, but that were perfectly respectable outings, and the latter of which had all kinds of intrigue attached to it (e.g., will The Undertaker absorb another WrestleMania loss? Will Shane McMahon take over Raw? Was there a point in Shane’s return and this whole program if he won’t?)

Aside from WrestleMania, ‘Taker had his summer 2015 program with Brock Lesnar—two matches in a program that lasted just shy of three months, that succeeded in turning WWE programming on its head. The promo work between the men and their pull apart brawl on the Raw after Battleground turned a SummerSlam bout that could have been dismissed as two dinosaurs slogging it out into an epic showdown between two legends with a hugely personal beef. While I’d argue their Hell in a Cell Match to follow had a bit less heat, it remained a worthy final chapter to close out a big-time program.

For all of this, I’d argue that The Undertaker’s career as a part-time talent mirrored his career as a full-time talent. Yes, it had its share of unexpected, over-performing highlights. But it’s also defined by consistency and longevity. We can count on The Undertaker to be around for WrestleMania and we can count on him to deliver. And when he does show up outside of ‘Mania season, we can expect big things.

#2. The Rock

From a performer whose part-time work can be defined by regularity of appearances, and some of the better ring-work of his career, we go to The Rock. Since rolling back onto the WWE landscape in a legitimately shocking return five years ago, he has been an unsteady presence—only wrestling six matches (counting the unannounced, few-second squash of Erick Rowan at WrestleMania 32), and while he’s stayed in shape and been perfectly serviceable in the ring, I don’t think anyone would really argue Rock’s in ring game these past five years rivals his best work from The Attitude Era.

But, he’s The Rock.

So, while ‘Taker earns his spot as a consistent, reliable company man, I’m giving The Rock the bump one spot higher because he’s a part-timer who legitimately transcends WWE, quite arguably more famous as a movie star than as a pro wrestler these past five years. While his return appearances have lost much of the shock value they had when he first started them in the build to WrestleMania 27, he remains the kind of wrestler whom long-time fans mark out for the opportunity to experience live, because we remember how great he once was and because we thought we had lost him as a wrestler for so long. Moreover, he’s the caliber of star who, for example, can roll into the ring with Ronda Rousey to beat back The Authority at WrestleMania and it feels right, because Rock and Rousey each have both the star power and the legitimacy in their respective fields to do the unthinkable and outshine the power couple of Triple H and Stephanie McMahon in a WWE ring.

Add onto all of this, two solid-enough WrestleMania main events with John Cena and two quickly-forgotten gems opposite CM Punk in early 2013, and you have a part-timer with very few rivals.

#1. Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar is a truly special talent.

Don’t get me wrong, he was special in the early 2000s as well–a freakishly athletic and powerful big man, well-booked to go straight to the top. But as happens with full-time talents, or even part-timers who stick around too long, some of that luster fades as, inevitably, a megastar becomes just another guy.

And then Brock left. Disillusioned, he headed off to work his farmland, to try out for the NFL, to become a force in UFC. And as a wrestling fan, I assumed we had lost him forever.

When Brock Lesnar reappeared in 2012, he at first came across as a bizarro replacement for The Rock, who was riding off for a bit after winning the main event at WrestleMania 28. Lesnar would be John Cena’s follow up opponent.

Extreme Rules 2012 revealed that Lesnar would be more than a celebrity fill-in, though. He would be a monster.

For in the main event of Extreme Rules, Lesnar battered Cena bloody in a wildly entertaining wildly different kind of WWE match that would foretell of Lesnar’s WWE career to come. Lesnar would follow up with very good matches opposite Triple H and CM Punk. Then came The Undertaker.

I wrote about Lesnar-‘Taker in the entry above, so I won’t rehash too much besides emphasizing that after twenty-one matches across twenty-three years, Brock Lesnar was the man to out of nowhere pin The Dead Man clean at WrestleMania. While the match itself was quite arguably the least impressive of Lesnar’s part-time tenure, the impact of that moment was unforgettable, for in that moment Lesnar somehow regained all of the monster cred that had waxed and wained since his return, after dropping falls to John Cena and Triple H.

From there, Lesnar went on a tear, totally squashing Cena at SummerSlam and gamely turning back a two-pronged challenge from Cena and Seth Rollins in a great match at the Royal Rumble. Placing the world title on a part-timer seemed like a dubious move—particularly for more than the few months that The Rock got the strap in early 2013 or Triple H held it in early 2016 in programs designed for WrestleMania season. Lesnar held the title nearly eight months—two-thirds of a year. But could you really question the choice? For, despite not being a regular presence on WWE TV, Lesnar was by far the most over guy on the roster. A guy who had, kayfabe, been built as unbeatable, with the background knowledge that, also, in a shoot, Lesnar would probably destroy anyone WWE could throw at him.

While Lesnar has arguably lost a bit of his mystique since that time—dropping a match (albeit via a muddled finish) to The Undertaker, and becoming a presence at house shows—he remains over, and the type of talent WWE can always plug into the world title picture without looking out of place, as well as the guy, arguably more so than anyone else, who could truly make another star by putting him over clean.

Take fame, real-world credibility, largely terrific booking, and a consistently exceptional and unique style of in-ring performance, and you arrive at Brock Lesnar—my pick for the greatest WWE part-timer of the last five years.

Who would you add to the list? Shane McMahon and Trish Stratus were among my top runners up. Let us know in the comments section.

Read more from Mike Chin at his website and follow him on Twitter @miketchin.

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The Magnificent Seven, WWE, Mike Chin