Main-Eventers You Didn't See Coming

[Swiss Ultimate]

Everytime someone comes up with an idea for a low or mid-card guy to make it big I hear the same argument that they "don't see them going any higher than they are right now," and a lot of the times I feel that way myself.

I can't really see Kofi Kingston becoming a beast or even a major player in the WWE for instance. However, there are a lot of wrestlers I personally didn't see making it to the top that eventually did in some capacity.

I'll start off with my top three:

Mankind. I only got into the WWF because of my love for ECW and because of his work as Cactus Jack I dug Foley's weird masked freak. It was his Hell in the Cell match that made him seem larger than life for me, but his career in the WWF didn't seem like he was headed for the big title and epic matches against The Rock and Triple H. It was a pleasant surprise seeing him become the star of the show.

Triple H. I only mildly enjoyed DX and mostly because of their in-ring entrance and Road Dog's mic work for that intro. Really wasn't into their matches at all. When Triple H became the monster heel I didn't buy it at first and sure as hell resented what it meant for Foley. Still, considering that Foley was "ready to retire" it made sense to get the most out of him before he went and Triple H as a main-event player is now a thing I see as natural and deserved. Before Foley I would never have thought he was worthy of the Main Event.

The Rock, no, just kidding. My first intro to The Rock was as a heel and he had World Title written all over him even then. Cena is my third pick. I thought his gimmick was lame and remember thinking that Carlito was going to be big. I was, of course, very very wrong. Carlito never made it very far and Cena is fucking Cena. So yeah...

So who are the wrestlers you never imagined would/could rise above their positions and become main-eventers?

[Arrogance]

I'll throw myself under the bus here...Edge. He sucked ass solo for a long time, and it wasn't until he fucked Lita that he really got over as a heel.

[Corporate CockSnogger]

JBL is first to come to mind. When I stopped watching he was just some badass tag team guy but I never thought of him as anything more than that. Then one day I decided to check who the current champs were and there was JBL. I found it pretty ridiculous when I first read that. Also he was about to wrestle Eddie Guerrero so that was another one. He was just some European Champion level guy when I stopped watching.

[Ermaximus]

Mark Henry. Lashley. Rey Mysterio.

[whiteyford]

The Rock, remember thinking he wouldn't amount to anything. I was slightly wrong.

[ClockShot]

I will admit, that when the Spirit Squad got buried, Kenny Dykstra dug himself out went solo and it failed. Then when Nick Nemeth came up and got the Dolph Ziggler gig, we all thought the same thing.

In the end, we were all wrong.

[Maluco]

Have a few for this, good topic!

First one is agreeing totally with JBL. I loved his character and mic-work and how intelligent he was as a heel. Never would have guessed as the brooding Bradshaw that he would be world champ. Remember being sad that he had wasted having such a good character until so late on in his career.

Another one is DDP. Only starting to wrestle at 35, I am sure even he thought that his career would be modest. Was getting into it purely because he loved the business, but what a career he ended up having...

Last one that comes to mind is Undertaker. Thought it was a bit of a weird character even for then, and I thought Dibiase would lead him around, he would be fed to someone and that would be that. To make the character what he has made it and to do everything he has done with it, is one of the most amazing things in wrestling in my opinion. The truest legend there is, and you never would have called the streak at that stage...

[OverTaker]

Kurt Angle before he became all about serious business and shit

[Lock Jaw]

John Cena is a main eventer I couldn't see.

[CSL]

JBL probably the only one out of all the guys mentioned in here. The Miz (yeah I know he's not now). Jeff Hardy (was a big Jeff mark/knew he was over like a bastard, didn't think he'd ever make the "final leap") Stunning Steve Austin.

[Majunior]

Many of those guys had their moments though. Mankind had his Cell. Stunning Steve Austin had his 3:16. And so on.

I'd say a lot of the guys over the past handful of years they did the start/stop thing with I never would have seen getting bumped up to holding a main strap... then they get dropped down to where it seems like they belonged in the first place.

I'm gonna say Jericho. Now, don't get me wrong, I've always been a huge mark for the Lionheart, but let me lay it out for ya. In WCW he got himself over amid the chaos of backstage cliques and whatevers. He cut amazingly funny promos and backed it up with great ring work. Then he left for the WWF. I was psyched, but I was worried... WWF was known for big guys. Jericho was not a big guy. He debuted in a classic verbal spar against the Rock, and it was a moment worthy of Wrestlemania, but I was seriously concerned he was going to have a few high profile matches since he was the hot new guy who jumped ship... then he'd slide down the card to the same place he was in at WCW. And that pretty much is what happened.

However... I didn't expect him to push himself back up the ladder. So no, I didn't expect him to hit the main event level. I expected him to top out at upper-mid card at best. I am glad I was wrong.

[Shisen Kopf]

The man who's name can never be mentioned. Never thought he'd be anything better than when he was a horseman. Very surprised he became world champion in wcw and wwe. That's if he ever existed.

[Vastardikai]

JBL definitely.

I'll add a couple of others:

Rey Mysterio: I honestly thought he was too small for the role. Exciting as hell, but it'd be hard to sell him against the bigger guys. He proved me wrong.

Booker T: Before you get surprised by this one, keep in mind this: my first time seeing him was as one half of the Ebony Experience in GWF. Good Tag Team, really popular. I didn't put them on par with some of the other talents there, like Alex Porteau, Scotty Flamingo (Raven), Jerry Lynn, or the Lightning Kid (X-Pac). Time told that he was the best of the bunch, and good for him.

I may do a post on Main-Eventers I DID see coming.

[Frank Drebin]

John Cena is a main eventer I couldn't see.

I vaguely remember a documentary where Cena was cutting a promo as "The Prototype" and thinking he had the look but was way too stiff and boring otherwise. Did I imagine this or does anyone know what I'm talking about?

[Wishbone]

CM Punk definitely comes to mind. Remember thinking when he premiered in WWECW that he wasn't going to be worth a damn. Oh how I was wrong.

[Wishbone]

I vaguely remember a documentary where Cena was cutting a promo as "The Prototype" and thinking he had the look but was way too stiff and boring otherwise. Did I imagine this or does anyone know what I'm talking about?

I vaguely remember something like that.

[Wishbone]

Oh also never thought I'd see Jeff Hardy main eventing anything.

[Scottness89]

Daniel Bryan. I thought the company was done pushing "smaller stature" guys.

Oh and of course, Fandango.

[Wishbone]

Daniel Bryan. I thought the company was done pushing "smaller stature" guys.

Oh and of course, Fandango.

Fandango's not a main-eventer... yet.

[Bad News Gertner]

CM Punk definitely comes to mind. Remember thinking when he premiered in WWECW that he wasn't going to be worth a damn. Oh how I was wrong.

We're just throwing the words "main eventer" rather loosely aren't we?

[Bad News Gertner]

I defintely did not see Rey Mysterio being a champion. Jeff Jarrett as shit as WCW was, I never saw him being a World Champ.

[SlickyTrickyDamon]

Jarrett: That's only cause Vince Russo was gay for him. He was shit.

[Bad News Gertner]

Lol nobody saw that coming though

[Bad News Gertner]

Who would have thought DDP would have become a main event guy. Drove the fucking Pink Caddy for Tonk and Valentine. Was a manager in the AWA and WCW, became a wrestler, had an awesome feud with Savage and the rest is history.

[Mr. Nerfect]

JBL is the first guy that came to mind. It's not that he ever lacked size or promo ability -- he was just always in a tag team or on the peripherals. Then he reinvented himself and almost overnight was WWE Champion.

In the same vein, I would have never have expected Mark Henry to finally reach the stage where he is permanently accepted as being a top guy. No one makes "Mizark" jokes anymore, or talks about how he hurts everybody or himself. He seems to have won over everyone's general respect and has found a nice niche for himself as a main event heel, despite several failed attempts to push him as such in the past.

Bully Ray completely surprised me with his reinvention. It seemed that every few years The Dudley Boyz or Team 3D would turn face or heel just to keep themselves fresh and relevant with their stale act. You could never split them up because they would never make it on their own, right? Ray is killing it as a singles act in TNA.

I saw Chris Jericho being a main eventer. I never really got on board with him until my status as a smark was solidifed. When I started watching, Jericho was already wildly popular in the WWE, but I didn't realise just how good he was. I used to legit see him as the third most popular guy behind Austin and The Rock. That's what it seemed like anyway. He was always rubbing shoulders with the top guys. One thing I will say is this, though -- I did not see his heel reinvention in 2008 being one of the best I have ever witnessed. Y2J was unearthed and rebuilt as a guy who demanded the World Heavyweight Title be put on him -- something that his face act since returning had not at all demanded.

Much like with Jericho, I never really got the fuss about Eddie Guerrero. I was new to wrestling so I sort of looked for different things. I was legitimately upset when he defeated Test for the European Championship at WrestleMania X-7 and marked out like a little bitch when Matt Hardy defeated him for it. Eddie was always deserving of the main event spotlight, but it was still sort of surreal when he eventually got there. He always seemed like he would be the bridesmaid and never the bride.

I sometimes look at the success CM Punk has had and I am amazed that he actually did it. It's not that I "didn't see it coming." He's always had his eyes on that prize and he's always been a fantastic promo and in-ring worker. He can be an amazingly fun character and he's always been over. It's just to the degree he has been successful. He's probably the #2 full-time guy behind John Cena at the moment. He and Cena are like the only two guys who don't work SmackDown very regularly. It's like he's actually become "too big" for the B-show in the company's mind. Hearing duelling chants for him and The Undertaker as he just stood there shows the level your average fan is starting to see him at, especially given Punk went above and beyond to be a true heel in the feud. It would not surprise me if Punk is eventually forced into an anti-hero face role, simply because of the growing popularity of his performances.

I'll compare Punk to Edge -- there were times when Edge tried to turn face and it just didn't work. Edge would end up being the sleazy heel before a few months had passed. I get the feeling that Punk could give Heyman a GTS and instantly go on a massive face tear. Edge was fantastic, by the way, and his success never surprised me, as he always seemed a company favourite, but I'm just comparing the reactions they illicit.

Christian actually getting the nod was a bit of a surprise to me, to be honest. After his white-hot 2005 run amounted to nothing, I'm surprised that they would pull the trigger in 2011. They didn't really give Christian the most credible of World Title reigns, but he got two of them and can say he achieved it. I hope that Christian finds a way to reinvent himself and get...ONE...MORE...MATCH!

Gotta be honest -- Daniel Bryan winning the World Title as quickly as he did into his WWE stint surprised the crap out of me. I didn't call him to win that Money in the Bank Ladder Match in 2011, and when they said that he would cash-in at WrestleMania I was quite thrilled, but I always assumed Bryan would have a much longer path to the top. He does seem to "get it," though. He's not doing a bland indy wrestler thing in the big leagues. He's become a character -- and a quite endearing one at that. Walking that face/heel line in the early stages of Team Hell No is quite a tricky act, and he somehow managed to get it all just right. He's gone from being "Who's this guy and why should I care?" to "YES! YES! YES! It's Daniel Bryan! *clap-clap, clap-clap-clap*." He hasn't really been in the World Title picture for some time, but he's always featured, gets to rub shoulders with top dogs constantly and is treated like a big deal. He's getting to team with the fucking Undertaker on RAW.

[Rammsteinmad]

Pretty much every main eventer, to be honest.

I mean, there are guys who I recognized as talented and having the tools, one example being CM Punk, but back in 2006 when I was saying "this guy has the potential to be a huge player one day", I never imagined he'd literally become one of the top guys who held the WWE title for over a year.

[Savio]

I for one thought the WWE would just kinda bury CM Punk honestly.

[Rammsteinmad]

I remember Punks first loss going to Hardcore Holly causing an outrage on TPWW.

[Vastardikai]

I vaguely remember a documentary where Cena was cutting a promo as "The Prototype" and thinking he had the look but was way too stiff and boring otherwise. Did I imagine this or does anyone know what I'm talking about?

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DIAKnGujUVM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

This one?

[DaveBrawl]

CM Punk. I really didn't care for him at first nor see what you all saw in him, but now he's my favorite part of the show.

I guess there's hope for Fandango yet.

[MoFo]

Batista when he was carrying the collection box round for Reverend D-Von.

Never thought Michaels would come back and have the career he had, if tht counts.

[seapig4]

Cena
JBL
Benoit
Mark Henry
Rey
Jarrett

[Savio]

Never thought Michaels would come back and have the career he had, if tht counts.
Its crazy from 2002 Until his retirement he only held a world title once.

[Arrogance]

I'll compare Punk to Edge -- there were times when Edge tried to turn face and it just didn't work. Edge would end up being the sleazy heel before a few months had passed. I get the feeling that Punk could give Heyman a GTS and instantly go on a massive face tear. Edge was fantastic, by the way, and his success never surprised me, as he always seemed a company favourite, but I'm just comparing the reactions they illicit.



Edge took a long time to hit the main event. A loooooong time...especially when you consider they're throwing the belt at newer guys left and right these days. His face runs were terrible, and he seemed to be injured a lot. At that time, he looked destined to be a mid-carder/tag team guy, in my opinion...though obviously you could see he was talented. He wasn't that over, despite the tag team success he had.

It all changed when the internet blew up over the Matt Hardy thing and put him way over as the sleazy heel. It's easy to forget that he was floundering, especially because he finally became such a massive success, but I don't think Edge was as obvious as people seem to think. It wasn't a case of not seeing the potential, it just didn't look like it was going to work out for him, in my opinion.

[Mr Amazing]

Jbl
Mark henry
Bully ray

[CSL]

Its crazy from 2002 Until his retirement he only held a world title once.

crazier than that if you take into account that title came 3 months into his return. Didn't hold a world title for over 7 years to end his career.

[Rammsteinmad]

And that title reign only lasted a month.

[Frank Drebin]

@Vastardikai

yup....what it from?

[Mr. Nerfect]

I sometimes wonder whether or not Shawn Michaels should have spent more time as a World Champion in the later years of his career. The arguement against it is that HBK didn't need to be a champion, but should the best wrestler in the company hold the top title?

[Majunior]

I for one thought the WWE would just kinda bury CM Punk honestly.

Honestly, that's what I figured Jericho was destined for relatively early in his first run when he was doing things like co-holding the IC strap with Chyna.