Wrestlers who you thought would be stars but never were

Sirsok

Taken from a similar thread in the soccer forum, are there any wrestlers who you in particular or others have touted to be destined for greatness?

I have been right many times before stating Eddie, rey edge and cena would all be top top stars , same feeling I have with ziggler

However some I have predicted never made it, for example Paul burchill...the first time I seen this man in fwa I was totally blown away, he could do everything imo and in hindsight I do believe if he had been given the same monster type push ala lesnar , the same type he had in fwa ...he would have been a legit main eventer for years.

A mate of mine always thought shelton would make it and that kenny would be the only guy from the spirit squad who would make it to the top.

Any of Ye ever certain someone would make it to the top n never did?or even guys WWE thought would be there top guy but never made it?

thebostoncrab

I didn't think he would main event Wtestlemania, but I was positive that Colt Cabana would have become an upper midcard guy in the WWE.

DEFTLEFTHAND

Test would be one, I was sure he was destined for the top of the card, had a great look and could work a decent match.

Dean Malenko also, I know he achieved worldwide acclaim for his work across a number of promotions but I always thought Vince would do more with him, he seemed to just stagnate in the Light Heavyweight Division during his WWE run. One of the greatest 'wrestlers' of his generation.

rovert

Larry Sweeney as a manager in TNA or WWE.

Rebecca Knox was someone who I was very high on despite being somewhat raw as a talent as at times she was a little OTT and unfocused on promos and when heeling it up. Prodigious on the mat, being a heck of heel, having show stealing performances both in ring and as a character she generated a ridiculous amount of word of mouth and a fan following when she swept through America. Her name still gets brought up when Shimmer is brought up in generalised wrestling discussions and promotions still market DVDs based off her name 4 1/2 years after her departure from wrestling.

batm!ke

Yeah, for sure thought Shelton Benjamin would make it big, technically class.
Thought if Gregory "Hurricane" Helms had been managed right he could have been a big draw.

SlickRic

MVP.

it's always the first name that comes to mind when i think of "could have been" stars.

he had charisma, a heel gimmick that fit him perfectly, and a great look, and could talk.

his decreasing work ethic and subsequent face turn absolutely killed him.

he's definitely, IMO, one that got away.

Angron

I always figured Shelton at least had a shot of getting a World Title reign or two, probably from winning MitB one year.

flahavaj

I was convinced Sean O' Hehir had the full package when he appeared first in WWE and was even given an intriguing and fresh gimmick. Then they stuck Roddy Piper with him and it was downhill from there.

thebostoncrab

If the WWE had of kept him under this original "I'm American just like you" gimmick instead of turning it into full blown "AHHH IM A TERRORIST!!!" mode Muhammed Hassain would have been one of the most successful heels of the past decade

chopperbyrne

Was pushed too soon, got caught for steroids, had a bit of a breakdown when cycling off them and came back with a great work ethic and improved tremendously.

Should have been pushed hard this year, but instead was let go.

MVP is another good shout. Had he stayed heel he could have been SDs top heel.

DEFTLEFTHAND

flahavaj wrote: »

I was convinced Sean O' Hehir had the full package when he appeared first in WWE and was even given an intriguing and fresh gimmick. Then they stuck Roddy Piper with him and it was downhill from there.

He did some awesome vignettes at the time promoting his devils advocate styled character, it was red hot at the time I never understood why they dropped it.

rovert

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

He did some awesome vignettes at the time promoting his devils advocate styled character, it was red hot at the time I never understood why they dropped it.

He was too crappy/nervous on the LIVE mic in the arena. He also was no great shakes in the ring.

gimmick

Thats because they rushed him somewhat. I also thought O Hehir was a mega star in the making.

Aside from who has already been mentioned -

I always thought Matt Hardy was main event material. He was on fire around 2003/4 with the whole V1 thing and really thought he could have stepped up to the main event. The botched Edge feud put paid to any of those hopes for me.

Christian. Let be honest. He has always flattered to deceive. He is a solid mid carder, but never has, nor will, make it the next step to being a huge star. Shame.

Renee Dupree. Might be an odd one, but I felt when he came in,and even had his little chat segment, that he had everything it took to be the man. Great look, heaps of charisma, decent in the ring. instead, he just disappeard. If I'm not mistaken, this could be down to a shockingly poor attitude.

Mr.Nice Guy

Another one for me would be Armandoooo Alejandroooo Estrrrraaaddddaaaaaa.

I feel this guy was really wasted. Luckily they seem to be giving Ricardo Rodriguez a good bit of exposure in what is a similar role to the one Estrada had.

I thought Carlito would do better than he did. I really enjoyed his vignettes, felt he had a good character and his wrestling wasn't the worst. Probably his attitude just wasn't good enough to make it to the top.

GTR63

Think it was O'Haire, O'Hehir sounds too good to be true but I agree with the opinion. Always thought Mordecai was going places when he debuted I remember I think they teased feuds with Guerrero and Undertaker in his promo videos.

flahavaj

GTR63 wrote: »

Think it was O'Haire, O'Hehir sounds too good to be true but I agree with the opinion. Always thought Mordecai was going places when he debuted I remember I think they teased feuds with Guerrero and Undertaker in his promo videos.

LOL I think I subconsciously wanted him to sound like a Galway Minor corner back.

JP Liz V1

Nigel McGuinness - he was on fire with he debuted in TNA as Desmond Wolfe especially in his feud with Angle I always thought they might put the world title on him its a shame he has retired in ring now

Diabhal Beag

flahavaj wrote: »

LOL I think I subconsciously wanted him to sound like a Galway Minor corner back.

Congrats on taking the biscuit :pac:

Before he started well, doing bad things to women, I thought Kid Kash could have been bigger than he was (I know LOLDiabhal but he had some brilliant matches in early TNA)

Muhammad Hassan should have been a heel World Champion instead of being fired. A great character, brilliant talker and could have been massive but for this PC society we live in.

Rastapitts

Perry Saturn. only cos he looks like me da

Bounty Hunter

tbh the first two guys I thought of were Muhammad Hussan and Sean O'Haire when I saw the title but another shout would be Bobby Lashley, i felt he was nailed on to be a big star with a big push (had started) not that I ever really thought he was good enough to warrant as big as I expected but then it all turned sour for him and WWE

flahavaj

Bounty Hunter wrote: »

tbh the first two guys I thought of were Muhammad Hussan and Sean O'Haire when I saw the title but another shout would be Bobby Lashley, i felt he was nailed on to be a big star with a big push (had started) not that I ever really thought he was good enough to warrant as big as I expected but then it all turned sour for him and WWE

Only problem with Lashley is that he had such a girly soft spoken voice it was hard to take him seriously.

GTR63

flahavaj wrote: »

Only problem with Lashley is that he had such a girly soft spoken voice it was hard to take him seriously.

When he tried to pull a tough guy face it looked more puppy dog face than anything but when he debuted I didn't think he'd be as much of a soft bore as I thought he was. Always thought Monty Brown would be a star in wwe maybe he could of been, loved the pounce.

Ridley

Not too late for either of them to return but I expected more for Shelton Benjamin and Elijah Burke. Found both their releases to be a bit odd.

Should have been more for The Brian Kendrick aswell but he blew his own push (apparently).

DM_7

People I thought would be stars but on reflection it was obvious they never would be:
Harry Smith (Before I actually saw him wrestle!)
Paul London
KOKO b Ware, I was 4 and he had a parrott

From WWECW
Chris Harris
Kevin Thorn
Monty Brown


Stars that never hit super star status but could have:
Umaga

Billy Gunn

Shelton

Carlito

Ken Shamrock (I really thought he was the worlds most dangerous man)

Lashley

shineon23

Rastapitts wrote: »

Perry Saturn. only cos he looks like me da

I read ma instead of da, apologies!

therickreport

i thought Billy Gunn was on his way when he got "The One" gimmick but it never happened. i guess there's still time for Kofi but he really seemed like he was on the verge of becoming a star at the start of 2010

gimmick

Billy Gunn actually did an awful lot better for himself than what his limited talented warranted. He had a good look, and he could speak, but he was absolutely atrocious in the ring.

People talk about the limitations of past and present main eventers, like Cena and/or Hogan, but these guys in ring work is a million times better than Gunn ever was.

GTR63

Always thought Taka Michinoku was a very good wrestler in the late 90's. I think he'd of be one of very few who would have been better off in WcW in the late 90's than wwe which had a cruiserweight division with damn all cruiserweights. Also thought Regal had potential to be a bigger star wasn't he meant to be getting a push after he won KOTR, then I think he failed a drug test and it was off.

thebostoncrab

TAKA had everything needed to be huge. One of my favourite matches of all time is him vs HHH. His stuff in Japan is top notch!

DEFTLEFTHAND

I echo the sentiments on Taka, a phenomenal in ring performer.

starviewadams

Rhyno
Ken Kennedy
Test
Maven
Carlito
Eugene
Tazz in WWE
Kenny Dykstra
Bobby Lashley
Elijah Burke
Drew McIntyre

Ridley

gimmick wrote: »

...he could speak, but he was absolutely atrocious in the ring.

I'd say the opposite.

Justin Ternet

How has nobody mentioned Owen?

rovert

Justin Ternet wrote: »

How has nobody mentioned Owen?

As he got a strong push and it never really took.

Justin Ternet

The majority of people would say he'd be a world champ by now.

flahavaj

Justin Ternet wrote: »

The majority of people would say he'd be a world champ by now.

You don't seem to have factored the whole dying thing into this argument at all.;)

Justin Ternet

Dead? Don't be ridiculous he's in Narnia having tea with Elvis and the Easter Bunny.

gimmick

Ridley wrote: »

gimmick wrote: »

...he could speak, but he was absolutely atrocious in the ring.

I'd say the opposite.

You think he was good in the ring? I can honestly say he is one of the worst wrestler I have ever had the mis fortune of seeing.

Sirsok

Any one reckon if the Texas tornado had been sober he would of being similar to warrior and pushed as a top guy?

rovert

Justin Ternet wrote: »

The majority of people would say he'd be a world champ by now.

Did you do a poll?

Let's be serious by 1999 Owen was a broken down midcarder.

GTR63

If Owen circa 94 was around in the modern era with 2 World Titles in WWE he could be a world champ imo. Always rated D-lo Brown in the late 90's did wwe lose faith in him after he accidently put Droz in a wheelchair.

Justin Ternet

rovert wrote: »

Did you do a poll?

Let's be serious by 1999 Owen was a broken down midcarder.

The same should be said for every wrestler mentioned. Just because you didnt rate him doesn't mean people wouldn't believe he could have been a main event star. No wrestler mentioned left on the top of their game, that is the point of this thread.

starviewadams

I remember D-lo's tag team with Maz or Daz,thought they were quite good,but they never got a look in with the likes of E+C,Hardy's and Dudley's around at the time.

Cianan2

I always thought Jody Fleisch would make it as a star in wwe ala Rey is now, if he ever got a chance... he was able to do amazing things, but alas he got injured afaik, never heard much (if anything) of him in the last 10 years!

Other names i would think of that i thought could have been bigger then they were would be (bare in mind im a wwf/e fan and wouldn't know of any of their work in TNA should they have been there!)

Mr Perfect (always seemed like a manager to me in wwf wirh flair - didnt see much wcw)

Matt Hardy - thought he would go far after he got the solo run in the early 00's, looks like its all downhill from here

Tajiri - his apparent lack of english (maybe he could speak but i dont know...) looked like it would hold him back as nothing more then a comedy character, but had some unique moves at the time

Raven - i was psyched when he attacked King in his debut, was so wxcited to finally get to see this guy! I thought his character could be deeper and darker but never really went anywhere.

Rob Van Dam - He had the following and the moves to go places when he joined in the invasion, but was never utilised properly imo. Still thought he was great and was intrigued by talk of his return, despite some of you sayin he is **** in TNA!

Nathan Jones - i always remember seeing him and thinking he could be used perfectly for the big bad guy role, especially with the whole "broke out of prison" thing they started him with... Didnt seem to cut it in the ring properly, unfortunately.

These are all the guys that came straight to my head. Good idea for a thread!

DEFTLEFTHAND

starviewadams wrote: »

I remember D-lo's tag team with Maz or Daz,thought they were quite good,but they never got a look in with the likes of E+C,Hardy's and Dudley's around at the time.

Plus they were given Tiger Ali Singh as a manager and a brutal Sikh warrior gimmick that was never going to get over.

Sirsok

Was watching vintage today and seen a match with bryan Clarke and Marty jannety and got me wondering if jannety kept his demons in order how big could he have been? The rockers in the day were a pretty awesome tag team and with micheals becoming such a ledgend,could jannety of becoming a major star to, I enjoyed his work and think when WWE started pushing smaller guys could he have riding that wave to the top also?

Horsebox9000

Shockmaster

geeky

Tatanka and Jake Roberts spring to mind...

JP Liz V1

I kinda thought Vladimir Koslov would be a world champion at some stage in WWE

DM_7

The Billy Gunn shows that when I was a kid I didn't care about the wrestling at all!

i'm afraid to look back at any of Billy's matches now.

When I was really young I thought Tatanka was great.

gerrybbadd

I thought Matt Morgan was gonna be huge in WWE, around the time he started using the F5.

Also, Shamrock, Vader (in WWE, I know he was a champ in WCW), MVP, Mr. Kennedy, Bulldog, Scott Hall (As Razor!)