Stars who had potential but never made it or were never used right
 

Hi, everybody. Just joined here and thought I'd start my first post.
The title says it all. Which stars do you think had great amounts of potential but were either never used right and or never made it big?

My list:

Mr. Kennedy: People were expecting him to win multiple World Titles. He had it all, charisma, mic skills, ring skills, etc. but in the end it didn't work out for him in the E.

Sean O’Haire: He had tons of potential. He was a big, charismatic, athletic, a powerhouse. In fact he reminds me of a tall CM Punk. But the WWE didn’t even give him a shot. I never understood that one.

Mark Jindrak: Another big, athletic powerhouse with a ton of potential.

The Brian Kendrick: The WWE showed us that they were interested in him while he was on Smackdown. He had everything going for him, especially since at that time (and since then) size was playing pretty much no importance on who could be a world champion. He had a good heel persona, and good in-ring skills. Yet they gave him nothing after a while because he used weed.

Everytime I see a post like this, I have to mention the same name.

Magnum T.A.: If it weren't for the car crash that left him in a wheelchair, he'd be JCP's answer to Hulk Hogan. Only difference being that he could work.

Heyman's list:

-D'Lo Brown
-Sean O'Haire
-Daniel Puder


Those were 3 guys who I thought could have genuinely been big.

Of course - there are also superstars in the WWE that actually did become fairly successful but could have been oooooh so much more:

-Chris Jericho
-Rob Van Dam
-Randy Orton
-Kurt Angle
-Eddie Guerrero
-Kane
-Chris Benoit
-Triple H
-John Cena
-Christian
-Matt Hardy
-CM Punk
-Brock Lesnar
-Owen Hart

There are more wrestlers that could be mentioned, but this will suffice for now.

Carlito: He was gold and was doing great after he himself dropped the ball around Wrestlemania 23 after not showing any interest in a program with the Naitch.

Chavo Guerrero: Chavo cemented his legacy in sports entertainment after winning his very first World Heavyweight title- the ECW Championship. Chavo could have stayed in the land of extreme and develop himself as a prominent heel. Instead they move him to Raw and make him into a laughing stock.

Welcome to TPWW, Providence Peep. It's always great to get a new poster who can write eloquently. I'm totally with you on O'Haire and Jindrak. I'd add the entirety of the Natural Born Thrillers. Mike Sanders was one of the contracts Vince got when he bought WCW and he had the skills to be a Jericho-style cocky heel. Chuck Palumbo was never going to be agreat talker but he was a talented big man who deserved more than what he got. Shawn Stasiak was about five years ahead of his time. The son of Stan Stasiak would have been an obvious addition to Legacy. Instead he got saddled with Meat and Planet Stasiak. Johnny The Bull could work a mean hardcore match and Reno was an above-average brawler. As a stable, they could have been a huge addition to the WCW roster during the Invasion instead of jobbing individually

The Brian Kendrick was nothing compared to Jeff Hardy, so why did they let him the title for one month or less actually. CM punk is a shitty heel and a shittier face. If you don't drink, smoke, or do drugs, there has got to be something wrong with you.

I think it's fair to say that most wrestlers have huge potential if they're both given the chance and take the time to work on their skills and weaknesses. I'd say it's only the really limited wrestlers like Khali etc that actually have limited potential.

matt morgan

Mark Jindrak, Sean O'Haire, Matt Morgan, Nathan Jones & Vader all come to mind

Thanks for the kind words, loopydate. I really appreciate it and I agree 100% with the names you mentioned. I had never thought about Sean Stasiak being in Legacy, but yeah that would have been good.

Matt Hardy immediately comes to mind.

Like Vastardikai said, Magnum TA

:eek:

:y:


Just when things were looking up. :nono:

Scotty 2 Hotty - If it had of been him revealed as the driver as opposed to Rikishi, he'd be a 5-time world champ by now. :(

Brian Pillman

If he didn't get into that accident he could have been huge.

Rob Conway

Doink the Clown. If he could have stayed heel and they developed his past and actual identity more, he could have one day shed the clown persona and become Matt Borne, all while being taken very seriously and winning championships.

:wtf: They've all been pushed right to the top and are all at least decent performers in their own way, I think these names deserve a bit more of an explanation as to why they're on the list...

Triple H is "Fairly successful"?!

Yeah, wow, almost forgot how ridiculous that was. What else is there that Triple H could have possibly done that he hasn't already?

"I know he's a thirteen time world champion, but he could have been SO much bigger!"

The Cajun Sensation Lash LeRoux

He could be FOURTEEN time world champion!

Just give it a minute.

Wait a minute... Providence Peep...

You're not Red Hot Scott/ShawnRhodeIsland, are you?

Well, he could be more popular with the online crowd who hate him for marrying Stephanie...

I guess?

That would take him having less championships, and then more of a reason (albeit small) to add him to that list.

:y::y::y:

There was this guy who used to rip on his opponents by rapping at them in the ring. He had attitude and was really fun to watch. He was even pretty good in the ring and had an interesting style.

I wonder what happened to him?

Magnum TA is the classic guy to mention. It's a shame he was in that accident when he was. Here are some more modern examples of guys that never really made it, when they arguably should have.

Rhyno: In 2001, Rhyno looked like he could have been a force to be reckoned with in the WWE. He was Goring the living shit out of anyone that moved. The WWE even used his Gore on Chris Jericho through the SmackDown! set during their highlight package for SmackDown! X, despite the man now being with TNA. He was one of five guys who really flourished from the Alliance during the Invasion angle. The other four, in my opinion, were Stone Cold Steve Austin, Rob Van Dam, Tazz and Kanyon. That four of those five guys came from ECW is interesting.

Booker T: This is going to get some weird looks, because the guy did make it. But it's more the how and the winding path Booker T had to take to get there. When he debuted in the WWE -- I had not watched much, or any, WCW. But I got genuinely excited when Booker T tossed Stone Cold Steve Austin through the announce table. Cool: WWE Champion vs. WCW Champion. With The Rock out of the picture, Booker T could have, and arguably should have, stepped up as a top face to challenge Austin. But the WWE's pride prevented Booker from being presented as a face, or as a credible threat. And don't get me started on WrestleMania XIX with Triple H. It's kind of sad that the dude never got a run at the top of the WWE as a babyface.

Tazz: It's hard to say how healthy Tazz was around the 2001/2002 mark of his career; but the man was still working and winning championships around this point. The dude was really fucking over, knew how to work, and to this day, is still associated with one of the best submission finishers of all-time. I don't know how big Tazz could have been, but I know that if Tazz had put Stone Cold Steve Austin in the Tazzmission during the Alliance angle -- the place would have gone absolutely nuts.

Rob Van Dam: Part of me can understand why the WWE held back with RVD in 2001. He was new to the WWE; he was a bit of a sloppy worker at times; and he didn't fit into the agenda they had set-out for Austin/Triple H/whoever. But when you get someone who catches on with the fans as quickly and effectively as RVD did -- I don't see the problem with fucking pushing the guy. Especially when less than a year later, Brock Lesnar was getting the quickest push of anyone in WWE history. With the WWE needing some new stars at this point in time, in retrospect, I'd have had RVD win the 2002 Royal Rumble and challenge heel Chris Jericho at WrestleMania X-8 for the Undisputed WWE Championship. Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock & Triple H vs. The nWo could have been the secondary main event, would have made sense, and would have drawn some money.

Sean O'Haire: His "Devil's Advocate" character remains one of the best characters in professional wrestling's history. It also remains one of the most mis-used. It's tragic, because O'Haire had the look, the skill, the size and the charisma to pull such a thing off. Things just went to shit, though, and it's a massive shame. The dude is now 38 years old. It's a shame he was never the guy he could have been.

Shelton Benjamin: His career is still going, but in 2003, he really should have stepped up to be a major face. The fans were excited about him, and he got three fucking wins over Triple H. For some reason, things didn't come together for Shelton. Some say it is because he botched, but you see a lot of guys do that and it not really effect their careers too much. I feel that it was just lack of focus and direction on RAW.

Gregory Helms: The man defeated The Rock. Ric Flair came up to him and said "If you got serious, you could be The Man." How you do not manage to become somebody after those events happen to you -- I don't know. Like Shelton Benjamin, it still isn't over for Helms, but it does make you wonder -- what the fuck is taking so long? I'm not saying the guy should have headlined a WrestleMania, but the dude has not added up to everything alluded to.

Christian: This guy started catching on in 2005, and despite being a wormy heel, the fans were definitely behind this guy, and they wanted to see him achieve. Instead of listening to the fans, and pushing one of the more talented and most charismatic guys on the WWE roster -- they moved him to SmackDown!, took away his bodyguard, and put him in a feud without much story against Booker T in the south. It just felt like Christian was getting sabotaged. With the fans against John Cena, and them flocking behind Christian -- it would have made sense to do a double-turn.

Matt Hardy: In 2005, he was essentially wildfire. Audiences all over the country were chanting for the man, despite him not being on the roster. It was the most over a Hardy brother has ever been, and considering the success of Jeff; by now Matt Hardy should have held several World Titles. He hasn't, though, because the WWE couldn't swallow their pride and push a guy that the fans werel 100% invested in.

Mr. Kennedy: It seemed that whenever the guy got momentum, he would be snatched from him somehow. Sometimes this was, admittedly, his fault. Guys who demand the spotlight as much as Mr. Kennedy are hard to find. There is no doubt that he did lose steam after his injuries and such, but creative never really got behind the guy again.

MVP: Again, he's a guy who still has his career going. It's just a shame that he is starting to shift into Shelton Benjamin territory. MVP's had a good mid-card career so far, but he is just getting lost and not really doing much of anything. Hopefully his feud with Legacy helps him stand out again. MVP is one of the best talents on the WWE roster, but as the days tick by, it seems less and less likely that MVP will actually reach the top of the mountain.

For me personally, Shelton Benjamin.

I even thought he was brilliant when he looked like Simon Phoenix from Demolition Man.

Unfortunately, nobody could see him. Hard to market a guy like that... :shifty:

heymans list = retarded.
the missed christian push in 05 was the worst mistake ever,he cuda been the smart ass heel that the rock used to be and he woulda been huge

Upon returning in 2002, Triple H had a golden opportunity to become an astronomically huge face....to the point where he could have been on Rock/Austin levels. The face pop he received as MSG was very indicative of that.

Instead, the WWE shit the bed. They kept pushing Stephanie as a heel (i.e. she was ripping on the fans), and they constantly had her by Triple H's side at the start (which slowly but surely drove a slight wedge between the fans and Triple H). Furthermore - the WWE kept having Triple H get into 'awkward' confrontations with Rock and Austin (leading up to the rumble in 02). This also further lead to a wedge between the fans and HHH.

At Wrestlemania - HHH defeated a terribly built up Jericho. The crowd was completely dead for the match due to Rock/Hogan. A month later, the WWE once again pitted Triple H against a wildly strong face in Hogan.


As far as Orton and Angle go, both men were turned face prematurely due to the pops they were receiving. Instead of letting the fans cheer the character (where they would then get booed appropriately), the WWE blew their load. One thing that made stars like The Rock, DX 97/98, and Austin ridiculously popular, is that the WWE didn't "blow their load" at the first sign of a face pop. Instead - they let them stay heel and let the fans literally cream their pants at the idea of cheering them.

Lesnar: Same thing. No way he should have turned so quick just months after Summerslam. He should have been kept heel.

John Cena: Cena could have been 10x bigger had he kept up his battle raps. The WWE have also had plenty of opportunities to turn Cena heel....and still have him be a mega-star. Instead - the WWE had Cena "lose a little more" so that they could keep him face AND have the fans get back on his side.

Christian, Shelton Benjamin, and a few others are good examples.

FYI - Before labelling someone's list as 'retarded', make sure you can atleast see his/her point of view.

I didn't just list those names for the heck of it.

the guy who was glacier

Yeah, I've got to say that Heyman's list isn't as retarded as people are making out. Heyman isn't trying to argue their accomplishments on paper, but more the impact they could have had on the business. 2002 Triple H was really quite shit, and that's a shame considering how fucking hot people were for his return. There is a reason that Triple H was back to being a heel by the time Summerslam of that year rolled around, and he allegedly refused to go face again for about four years afterwards.

Just taking another example from this list: Randy Orton. After he initially turned face, Orton pretty much fell flat on his face. He was pretty much assumed to be the new top face of the company, and was expected to face Triple H at WrestleMania 21. Only, his face turn was such an abortion that he was a heel by the time Mania 21 rolled around.

Batista is a good example of how the face turn against Evolution should have been done; and there is also the argument that perhaps Orton should have turned heel, and that Triple H had challenged him.

If we can include Hunter, we can damn sure include Austin in this sense. If we're basing things around failed turns. His heel turn was pretty crappy.

But I wouldn't include Austin, because that's ridiculous. Just like including Hunter.

You're basing it on ONE YEAR. That's ridiculous compared to the rest of Hunter's career, where he's been booked strong constantly and has always been over (well, from the original DX onward, anyway).

Austin's potential was fully maximized. Hunter's was not.

The WWE capitalized on Austin's momentum. They capitalized on The Rock's momentum. The WWE did *not* capitalize on Triple H's momentum, Angle's momentum, Orton's momentum, RVD's momentum, Jericho's momentum, etc.

I am not debating whether these guys became big stars. Of course they did. I am just arguing that their potential was not maximized.....and that they could have, and should have, been SIGNIFICANTLY bigger.

Definitely Sean O'Haire! Rob Van Dam, Shelton Benjamin, Carlito etc.

Was Austin's heel character fully maximized? I think they could have done A LOT more with it.

Therefore, Austin must be on the list.

Butch Reed.

Oh, and Marty.

Dustin Rhodes in his prime is another guy I think deserves as honorable mention or the wildcard vote here....afterall, he is the son of "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes. Wrestling is in his blood and he has natrual talent/charisma when it comes to stepping between the ropes. It came to him naturally and he didn't have to work too hard to get known in this business.

When he first debuted Goldust, I totally marked. WWE could have done more with that character and it could have been such and over dark and demented heel gimmick where he could have been over as a main eventer just on his gimmick alone, instead WWE turned him and his gimmick into a sideshow circus attraction...anyone the Artist Formely Known as Goldust....OMG is all I could say to that at the time....

Dustin was never able to break out of the shadow of being the Dream's Kid in my opinion and given a true opportunity to stand on his own two feet with his own charisma and his own talent and given a chance to shine. But I did like him in the early to late 90's and the man can cut a sweet fucking promo.

What ever happened to Essa Rios? He was/is good.

Billy Gunn, end of story.

Teddy Hart. Dude could be a wwe player yet flounders in the indies.

Mr. Perfect.

Listen guys. I don't care how you try to justify it, but Triple H belongs nowhere near a list like this.

DDP in the WWE

Kanyon

DDP was definitely a wasted talent in the W-Fed.:y:

DDP's time was wasted anywhere he went.....WCW couldnt use him right either....but then again did WCW know how to use any wrestler right unless your name was Hogan, Nash, or you were a member of the NWO

i love posts like hbpunk's one.dude you have 100+ posts on a wrestling site and then you complain about WWE's booking like your too cool to watch it.how fucking old are you,7?
clown

As far as recent guys I would have to go with Mr. Kennedy the moment they turned him face it was the beginning of the end as far as I concerned. Injury prone aside I think he was potentially the next heel Rock. I'm not a fan of TNA but I hope he is used properly over there and not a former WWE employee that becomes a jobber.

Always though Lo Down was an awesome tag team in their day before they had Tiger Ali Singh as their manager even though he was good is his own right. Think D'Lo could have even gotten a huge push own his own too espcecially after he became the first ever Euro-Continental Champion. Yes that's right Kurt Angle may have coined it first but in this case he gets the silver on this one.

Someone else that comes to mind and some of you may be suprised for me to mention is Charlie Haas. I know Shelton is another case but he still can't cut it on the mic and has had the opportunity. Apparently Vince never really particularly cared for the guy it show and I don't get it. To me him and Tyson Kidd are somewhat alike and he seems to already be doing well for himself.

If I had to pick one person right now that is being misused right now it's Evan Bourne but now that he has victories over Swagger and Miz maybe it's a sign of change.

Now in closing if there were even a few big men that weren't quite used properly and sometimes even in their prime. Scott Hall is the first guy that comes to mind especially when he went to WCW he should have had achieved more than he had. Sure I supposed his substance abuse issues might have made management leary about it but then why have him part of the biggest faction like ever?

Whats with everybody saying Mr. Kennedy? All the guy ever had was saying his last name twice. Seriously, he was shit in the ring and in th emic, what potential are we talking about??

Rikishi- I will maintain to this day that hit and run angle could've worked. But the WWF did 3 stupid things that fucked it all up. 1) Mega-heels don't wear thongs. I don't know why that's not common sense but apparently it isn't. 2) Rikishi has his big PPV fight with Stone Cold, and Austin beat the shit out of him to the point that other people have to intervene. How does that put Rikishi over? It makes him look like a bitch. Yeah Austin gets revenge, but Rikishi needed the momentum way more than Austin did. 3) Later on the same PPV, Rikishi comes out and tries to help The Rock, but ends up costing him the match. So now he's not just a bitch, he's a bumbling idiot who can't do anything right.

Big Show- Came into the WWF in 1999 with so much momentum and in great shape, and was easily the most intimidating looking wrestler the company has ever had. Surely he would be Stone Cold's greatest test. And then they turned him face... and then he joined the Union... and then he feuded with Bossman.

I did it for the Rock....I did it for the Rock!!

GimmickInfringed sighs.....so lame

People unfairly shit on that promo. It wasn't horrible. I've seen a lot worse. The problem was it was that the heel was a little too accurate with his complaints. Fans got confused.

People were actually cheering a man running over another man with his car in the name of civil rights. Beautiful.

aye it is supreme....that it is

Whatever happened to Ahmed Johnson. I remember marking out for him when I was little, but then he just kind of went away after facing the Nation of Domination at Wrestlemania with the Legion of Doom.

Maybe I was too young, but did people just stop caring about him. I know the company was going for a different market (Austin turning face against Bret Hart), but he really just faded into obscurity.

He showed up in WCW in 2000, I believe. Teamed with Stevie Ray

Stevie Ray and Big T....Harlem Heat 2000....Juan was correct

Paul Heyman as a Manager, especially after ECW folded
Taz when he got to WWE
Brian Pillman
Kane as a world champion

Kane as world champion....doesn't fit though....Austin was too over at the time...

I agree with those who say Christian for the current generation of missed opportunities. The guy could have been on par with Edge right now if they had not blew off a possible Cena feud and wasted him on SmackDown.

Also, how awesome was his fucking theme back then?

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X-PAC!

Good thread, I made one just like this not too long after I joined a while back.

I agree with you saying Austin was way over, but Foley held the belt a couple of different times in 1999 when Austin was on fire. I just think Kane would have been a more believeable champion than Foley, Kane has that unstoppable monster quality, especially back then. It could have been real big. WWE choosing Kane as the first guy to take the belt off of Austin in 1998 really says something, even if it was for only a day.

I think they had the right idea but for whatever reasons internally, decided to audible and give Austin the belt back, which was great and all, but completely slowed Kane's immense momentum at the time. Had Austin chased for an extended period of time I think Kanke would've been quite different from what he is now.

Sorry but he's an ass, man. I always thought he had the charisma of a fridge. Great in the new age outlaws but completely lost without them. Benoit beating him clean when Benoit was a heel at Armageddon 2000 was glorious.

RVD was made world champion too late in my opinion but Christian is obviously the right choice. He could have been and could still be a lot more than he is.