WWE brand split: Goldberg, Rey Mysterio, Kurt Angle, Jeff Hardy and others asked to return?

WWE has contacted several former superstars to help with the upcoming brand split. Official rosters of the spin-off will be announced before SmackDown's live debut on 19 July.

According to Forbes, Goldberg, Kurt Angle, Rey Mysterio and Jeff Hardy have been contacted with regards to filling up SmackDown and Raw's rosters. Other wrestlers who have been spoken to include Carlito, John Morrison, JTG, Shad Gaspard and Shelton Benjamin.

"[WWE is] calling lots of 40+ year old guys to return for the new era," Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter said on Twitter.

Goldberg has recently been in contact WWE. His character has been announced as a pre-order exclusive for the upcoming WWE 2K17 video game. Since then the 49-year-old has promoted the game and been asked questions about a possible return during media gigs. He previously left WWE in 2004.

"I know this is a very big step for me in that I've been away [from WWE] for a long period of time and I never really ever saw myself being involved with them again, but along came my wonderful son and [it] opened up the possibility of doing something with the WWE again and I'm grateful to be in this situation," Goldberg said, according to Wrestling Inc.

Meanwhile, reports suggest that Angle is being considered for SmackDown and there is a possibility that he might team-up with NXT Tag Team American Alpha (Chad Gable and Jason Jordan). Angle was with the WWE from 1999 until 2006.

Also, Hardy has told Sports Illustrated that he would like to end his career at WrestleMania, while Mysterio – who left WWE last year – is said to be ready for a potential return.