Wrestlers that did not live up to or fulfill their potential

[Unholy Diver]

So, with Vader recently passing I thought I would check out a match or two of his that I had not seen or at least did not remember seeing so tonight I fired up WCW Wrestle War 91 on the old network, and no I am not going to say Vader didn't fulfill his potential, though a WWE title run would have been nice, but the guy that struck me was in the main event, War Games: The Match Beyond pitting Sting, The Steiners, and Pillman vs Sid, Flair, Zybysko and the guy who made me post this question.... Barry Windham

Yeah Windham had a very good career, Horseman, multiple time WWF and WCW Tag champ, and about 500 regional (mostly NWA Florida) titles, but I just feel like he could have been so much more, he had great size, a good look, but rarely could get over the hump of midcard/upper midcard performer. Maybe I am just overrating him but he seems like he could have been a top guy.


So who else do you think can fit into this mold? Obviously he still has time to change things but Cesaro sure seems headed down this path

Click to read more...

 

[JackSlater]

Owen Hart was getting hype as one of the best in ring performers in the world by the late 1980s when he was only in his early 20s. He showed a lot of charisma as a heel in the early to mid 90s. Obviously he died young but even by the mid to late 90s never reached the level that his talent indicated he could.

 

[Le Barron de HF]

Matt Morgan
Mr. Kennedy
Chris Masters

Are all guys that come to mind for me

 

[Sheppy]

Owen Hart was getting hype as one of the best in ring performers in the world by the late 1980s when he was only in his early 20s. He showed a lot of charisma as a heel in the early to mid 90s. Obviously he died young but even by the mid to late 90s never reached the level that his talent indicated he could.

Still to this day I’ll say that Owen was straight up better than Bret was.

Anyways...

Justin Gabriel
Ahmed Johnson
Bam Bam Bigelow (amazing talent, just didn’t ever get the push he deserved)
Nathan Jones

 

[M.C.G. 31]

Mr. Kennedy. I saw posts hailing him as a comparable to The Rock once he would have been pushed into the main event. The guy couldn't keep his own foot out of his mouth and was awful in the ring, his charisma and mic work ended up meaning nothing.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Owen was in line for a big push just before his death. We never got to see how he would do as top heel

 

[JackSlater]

Still to this day I’ll say that Owen was straight up better than Bret was.

Anyways...

Justin Gabriel
Ahmed Johnson
Bam Bam Bigelow (amazing talent, just didn’t ever get the push he deserved)
Nathan Jones

The Owen thing is said pretty often online, but I can't believe that he was better. More naturally talented in ring and on the mic, sure that might be true. Owen's early Stampede work is more highly regarded than Bret's and Owen's work on his international foray is much more highly regarded than Bret's was. Owen seems to have taken to wrestling much quicker than Bret did. Bret kept getting better however. Bret had better matches than Owen despite working with a lot of the same people and Bret managed to organically get himself over in the early 90s in a way that Owen never did. From what I've read it seems like Owen wasn't as motivated as Bret. I also don't buy the rumour that Owen was in line for a huge push had he not died given the situation he was in in 1999 and who had power in WWF, but that's for a different topic I guess.

I agree about Bigelow. Great look and athleticism.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

Wasn’t Owen just trying to save money and get out of the business? I don’t remember him being in line for a big push.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Jake the Snake

May be the best ring psychologist of all time. Had an incredible character, promos, ring work, and was over big. The fact that he never got an IC or WWF Champ run is a crime.


HM: Rob Van Dam

Vince really screwed this one up (shocker, i know...). He had a completely unique guy that could do anything in the ring, was damn good on the mic and was red hot and wasted him as a mid carder stuck with 1 word surfer phrases like "cool"

oh, and Owen > Bret

 

[Sheppy]

Jake the Snake

May be the best ring psychologist of all time. Had an incredible character, promos, ring work, and was over big. The fact that he never got an IC or WWF Champ run is a crime.


HM: Rob Van Dam

Vince really screwed this one up (shocker, i know...). He had a completely unique guy that could do anything in the ring, was damn good on the mic and was red hot and wasted him as a mid carder stuck with 1 word surfer phrases like "cool"

oh, and Owen > Bret

Also this. I thought Perfect or Rude would have held the title at some point as well..

 

[GarbageGoal]

Different era, being HW champ was an exclusive club, not like now.

Sean O’ Haire was a guy who really could have been something. Tall, great look, had a picture perfect swanton bomb. The Devils Advocate gimmick was amazing, but he couldn’t cut a promo live and when Piper who was managing him got fired that was it. Supposedly a lot of demons too.

 

[PeterSidorkiewicz]

Magic Mitch for sure. He had the world in his hands and just let it all go.

 

[Sheppy]

Different era, being HW champ was an exclusive club, not like now.

Sean O’ Haire was a guy who really could have been something. Tall, great look, had a picture perfect swanton bomb. The Devils Advocate gimmick was amazing, but he couldn’t cut a promo live and when Piper who was managing him got fired that was it. Supposedly a lot of demons too.

True, you basically had to be 6'6'' 250+

 

[HandsomeHollywood]

I never got the love for O'Haire. To me, the guy was a vignette and nothing more.

The only time I remember an Owen push getting stopped was when after Bret left. They clearly began an Owen Hart vs DX angle but it fizzled very quick and then he was tagging with Jarrett.

 

[Finster8]

Also this. I thought Perfect or Rude would have held the title at some point as well..

2 of my top 5 wrestlers and both deserved to be WWF Champion especially Perfect the best technical wrestler along with Brett of his time. Mike Awesome had the best move in wrestling. He thruogh guys over the top rope on a table 10ft away. The Awesome Bomb.

 

[Fro]

didn't see him mentioned but I thought Sean Stasiak had "it" just never put it all together...

 

[swflyers93]

So we are talking in the past because there are a number in the WWE right now who are being wasted: Balor, Cesaro, Ziggler, Joe and so on.

From the past:

Definitely Mr. Kennedy
Taz when he came to WWE
Christopher Daniels
Jeff Hardy

 

[JackSlater]

There is a difference between a wrestler not fulfilling their potential and a wrestler not being utilized properly or pushed.

 

[Kimi]

There is a difference between a wrestler fulfilling their potential and a wrestler not being utilized properly or pushed.

Agreed.

In wrestling there are only a few spots at the top, and because it's all fake you don't get their with personal skill and ability but with writing and booking. There is nothing you can do to get to the top without the booking side of things supporting you, that's just a fact. Especially in the bigger promotions.

And even if there was 'perfect booking' going on, there are still more great wrestlers than there are spots at the top. Some need to be left behind because of numbers, and there's nothing you can do about it.

 

[CHGoalie27]

Does Ahmed Johnson, my recent pick in the draft, fit this bill?

 

[Kimi]

Does Ahmed Johnson, my recent pick in the draft, fit this bill?

He was terrible, so probably not.

 

[GarbageGoal]

Does Ahmed Johnson, my recent pick in the draft, fit this bill?

Nah, he had his chances to be a big star but was clumsy and couldn’t cut a promo.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Wasn’t Owen just trying to save money and get out of the business? I don’t remember him being in line for a big push.

That was what Bret said in his book, after Montreal he got more apathetic about wrestling and the WWE.

He was allegedly going to feud with Shawn for the belt in 97, but the Kliq nixxed that apparently.

Also allegedly HHH said The Game gimmick was originally intended for Owen, the the concept was always a mid card thing until HHH pushed his way up.

 

[CHGoalie27]

True, I remember him being pretty convincing at his height though

 

[alko]

Talent in Wrestling is something else as talent in ice-hockey (basketball, soccer ...). In wrestling it is direct product from the guys behind the scenes. The guys, that create all this scenarios and matches.