Road Warrior Animal would return to WWE in 2005, teaming with Heidenreich in a feud against the tag team MNM. At The Great American Bash on July 24, 2005, Animal and Heidenreich defeated MNM to win the WWE Tag Team Championship in a match personally dedicated by Animal to Hawk. After winning the titles, Heidenreich changed his appearance to a look that better suited the Legion of Doom image by shaving his hair into a mohawk and wearing face paint.
On August 18, 2005, Heidenreich was officially made part of LOD and was presented with his own "Road Warrior spikes". Shortly after winning the tag team titles, Animal paid tribute to his late partner and friend by looking up to the heavens above and saying, "Hawk, this one's for you, brother!". During their feud with MNM, LOD were joined by Christy Hemme, who acted as a valet/manager for a short while.
On the October 28, 2005 edition of SmackDown!, LOD lost the tag team titles to MNM in a fatal four-way tag match that also featured Paul Burchill and William Regal and The Mexicools (Super Crazy and Psicosis). A few months later, on January 17, 2006, Heidenreich was released from WWE. Animal continued to perform for WWE under his old persona, The Road Warrior, for a few months before he was also released.