WWE superstars Ivar and Erik, known as the War Raiders, have returned to the ring after an extended absence due to major injuries.
Earlier this year, Erik had to undergo neck surgery in February 2022, and Ivar sustained a serious spinal injury. The pair made their much-anticipated return to WWE on the episode of RAW that aired on October 14th.
Initially, the plan was for them to make their comeback on the September 9th episode in Calgary, which was also graced by the special appearance of wrestling legend Bret “The Hitman” Hart.
During one of his recent guest appearances on the “Insight” podcast, Ivar unveiled the initial plot that WWE had devised for their television return.
Here are some notable excerpts from that podcast session:
Reflecting on his solo run in 2023 before his injury: “When I had this opportunity to do the singles run, it was going well. I had a conversation with Triple H where he said, ‘Hey, how about we start like, pulling back off of the heavy viking stuff, slowly, so slowly removing some of those layers to weave more narratives around you.’ I replied, ‘Oh, that’s exciting’. However, just as we began this phase, I got injured again.”
Discussing the initial blueprint for their comeback: “As Erik and I were prepping for our comeback, we were originally slated to return in Calgary during the Raw event. Unexpectedly, they canceled our travel and suggested to postpone it. Their reasoning was vague, they just stated, ‘We’re just going to delay it for better creative.’…..The consecutive week, we get a call, ‘Hey, what are your thoughts on making a comeback as The War Raiders?’ We responded saying, ‘Sure, that sounds exciting.’”
The War Raiders claimed the WWE World Tag Team Titles from Judgment Day earlier in the week during RAW.