The main roster has changed since Paul Levesque took control of creative. Matches are longer than before, wrestlers are leaving behind dumb gimmicks or names Vince McMahon gave them, but the most noticeable change of them is the amount of returns we’ve seen under Levesque’s creative.
Having a deep roster is always good, no matter the sport, and in wrestling this is important as well because you never know when a plague of injuries will happen on the roster, and also helps in the sense that it gives the booker more pieces to work with and tell all kinds of stories. On that sense, Paul Levesque signing some guys back is not a bad idea, and actually could be a very good thing for WWE’s programming, if booked right.
WWE released a lot of wrestlers since 2020, with the excuse of budget cuts during their most profitable years ever. These budget cuts allowed for several wrestlers to leave WWE to other promotions, with AEW being the most beneficiary of these releases and getting interesting names as part of their roster. Under Paul Levesque’s management, WWE is trying to get as many of the released wrestlers back.
Some of the returns to WWE have not been well received, like we saw with Top Dolla or more recently with The Fiend, who had a very split return to WWE after being away for almost a year. Other returns like Gargano and Candice LeRae were well received by fans.
Paul Levesque has been so focused on returns, that he has made contact with several wrestlers of the AEW roster with the intention of taking them back to WWE, with the best example being Andrade. While this is a smart move, especially considering some of the wrestlers AEW has been able to sign, this puts WWE on serious trouble and a potential contract tampering case can be made against WWE, if they were not careful with the situation.
Returns have been the main focus of Paul Levesque’s run as booker of the main roster, so far. As mentions before, having a deep roster is a great idea, but it also comes a time when you need to start telling stories and so far, WWE has felt pretty much the same on that department before Levesque’s reign. There comes a point that every 2 weeks we are watching returns in WWE and it’s time to spice things up for the programming.
Some of the returns Paul Levesque has in mind for WWE also seem to be part of the Global Localization plans WWE and Paul Levesque have. Getting international stars like Andrade as the ace of NXT Mexico seems to be a plan WWE has in mind. This is a very long-term plan, and it will take time to start taking place.
The returns are not ending any time soon. The Good Brothers (Anderson & Gallows) are rumored to be heading back to WWE after being away of WWE for almost 2 years. There are many names that are on the list of WWE of potential returns.
Having all these returns are a great TV visual, but it’s time to tell stories and start planning long term stories with these wrestlers, or else, this is just a waste of money. Only time will tell if Paul Levesque actually had plans for several of these returns or were they just signed to prevent wrestlers from working in promotions like AEW or NJPW.
