The biggest misses of the 2000s.
 

Of the guys who have come (debuted) on or after Jan. 1 2000 and left before 2010 in a big promotion (WWE, ECW, WCW, TNA, ROH) who do you think had the most potential to make it big but didn't?

They cannot currently be working in any promotion I've listed. They could have debuted before 2000 but not worked in any of the major promotions.

Taz, TBK

Awesome Kong, Vickie Guerrero, Mickie James

There have been a few, but one that stands out is Mr. Kennedy

I only agree with Kennedy and Taz so far. Kennedy because he was really really good on the mic. I know people say he was a one trick pony, but he differentiated himself big time early on. If not for the injuries, I can 100% say he would of been WWE Champion by now.

Brian Kendrick? Really? He was always going to be a midcarder, nothing more and certainly less.

Sean O'Haire, while the gimmick was tremendous, it was always going to be short lived in my eyes. I never saw him lasting too long

Some that come to mind

RVD: Missed a huge opportunity in 2001. Luckily the guy was always over anyway. But I feel by not putting him against Austin in 2001, the WWE kind of set themselves back a bit


Muhammad Hassan: ugh, don't get me started.


Eugene: There was something special here. I felt like he could of had much more of a run. Bur he aligned with Evolution and it faded after that


Garrison Cade: lol, just kidding

I think TBK w/ Ezekiel as a strong threat could've worked. Could've played the "wild, unpredictable" scarface type of guy and had like a 3-4 man stable with everybody wanting to get rid of him but thought he was too "out there" and would have to look over their shoulders...could've definitely played a "you're either with me or against me" type of angle..could've been big.

Sitting at ringside during the main events at different shows, climbing over the rails and distracting wrestlers, referees, joining the commentators unannounced, etc. With Zeke there, Cole and King could sound intimidated and distracted. He could arrive in limos, ladies all around him...man, Noid would definitely agree with me on this..

I'm not arguing that an angle like that might have had a chance to make it, but I am being realistic.

Can you really honestly tell me Vince McMahon would of ever let Brian Kendrick work in a top spot?

Is it just me or will the product go back to its heydey when Vince is gone..God forbid..

I don't know, it really seemed like Brian Kendrick was getting an epic push when he first got the gimmick. He got to go over guys like Jeff Hardy, and Zeke got to no-sell chair shots from Triple H. Kendrick would have had Shawn Michaels backing him, and given that Kendrick can do it all (cut promos, wrestle, etc.), I think the only issue was his size -- and given how smaller guys get more opportunities these days, and Kendrick did have Zeke backing him; I really think it could have worked.

I truly feel he would have won the Money in the Bank Ladder Match this year if he didn't get stuck into the weed. And that would have almost definitely gotten him one World Title reign (Kendrick was all about using his brains, so he would have cashed in very effectively). But Kendrick fucked up his own push, and by the time he ended up on RAW, the "little snot that you want to see get his ass kicked" thing was being used more for comedy than to create a character people could care about.

Hassan, then Kennedy.

In that order.

The biggest missus was probably Awesome Kong.

Dave Mercy.

Simon Diamond is a guy that I'm shocked didn't make it.

Brock Lesnar. Didn't even scratch the surface on how great he could have been. Sad that we only got to see him on the main roster for just 2 years.

Muhammed Hassan is another, could have been an awesome long term heel, an easily hateable persona.

Rob Van Dam, if he would have been utilized/pushed in WWE like he was in the original ECW, huge upside and unlimited connection with the fans.

I also think that Armando Alejandro Estrada would have been huge as a manager. You could see it when he was managing Umaga, and would say "In case ju haven't heard, my name is Armandooooo Alejandroooooo Estrrrrrrrrrrrrrada" and the crowd would say it with him, then the WWE just put a stop to it, stupid choice IMO.

something special about Eugene?

interesting choice of words

Seriously, I think Hassan had greatest heel of all-time potential.

I think Abyss is stealing Eugene's clap lately

Taz/Tazz if you ignore his neck injury that limitted what he could do after a while in the WWE.

RVD, DDP, and Booker T were all misses mainly because they got their push too late (RVD, Booker T) or were misused badly (DDP).

Before he got hired back to the WWE, Christian could also be on the list based on how much Vince refused to push him when he was hot. Can't remember any other recent time when Vince was dead set against pushing someone that the crowd really loved and was a good wrestler.

I love you, Skip.

If they had Nick Dinsmore toss his retard character aside at One Night Stand II, instead of playing the "sports entertainment" character, and just being there to get whooped by Sandman -- I think he could have become a mainstay technical icon for the WWE.

Guys like Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero and even Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels aren't always used to their full potential, or anything, but in this day and age it is hard to find a guy who you just always expect great matches from. That workhorse constantly winning mid-card titles that you just want to see break into the main event for that special moment. Dinsmore could have been that guy. Tremendous worker, and the "Eugene" character showed that he actually has personality and the ability to connect with an audience and such.

Around this same period, I remember thinking how cool it would have been if Nick Dinsmore, Chavo Guerrero and Brent Albright all defected to ECW, and took on the roles of the next gen Dean Malenko, Chavo Guerrero, Chris Benoit, etc. Over time, I think even Chavo Guerrero and Gunner Scott would have become associated enough with good ring work to be in the position where they were guys you wanted to see main event RAW or SmackDown!.

Not really huge business misses, but I think those men could have had much, much better, and ultimately more important careers.

Nobody cares about those guys Noid. Even Benoit hardly got a reaction towards the end of his career.

Albright didn't get a fair shake in WWE. If he did his mercenary gimmick in WWE, it could have helped him out instead of being Benoit Jr for a couple weeks

Easily this guy:

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/.../08/ohaire.jpg

Mike Sanders and Nathan Jones

ORLANDO JORDAN.

if it weren't for the fact that the Iraq/Iran heel/sympathizer gimmick has been done twice already before. Iron Shiek was the original Middle Eastern heel and Sgt Slaughter was a Middle Eastern Sympathizer....the gimmick always goes over because Americans always have a sympathetic issue with hating or disliking people of that nationality/background.

speaking of Mike Sanders....wtf did ever happen to that guy

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He Kanyon and Raven sued the WWE over the independent contractor clause in their contracts.


But yeah I'm gonna go with DDP and Kanyon as my answers to this topic.

Dean Malenko

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Bill Alfonso.

totally have to agree on this one...if Fonzie had been brought into the "E" and stayed on as RVD's manager, I think RVD's lackluster path to stardom would have been alot different in WWE from 2001 and by 2003 could have been champion instead of waiting till 2006.

Mr. Kennedy, D'Lo Brown, Rene Dupree, Kenny Dykstra, etc.

and sadly his family had to die for it :(

That was sort of my point?

I think Johnny Jeter was a reasonable sized miss. The dude could talk, wrestle and such. He just...disappeared.

-<s>D'Lo Brown</s>
-Daniel Puder
-Sean O'Haire
-Muhammad Hussan
-RVD
-Brock Lesnar
-Randy Orton
-John Cena

Puder's not very charismatic. He only shines when fighting. I saw him KO some can a few months ago and holy shit. I wouldn't want any of that guy in a fight, but he'd still be a lousy superstar, if not just a lousy wrestler.

Didn't Puder also have attitude issues which made almost everyone hate him from the start?

During Tough Enough 4 (i.e. when they were hosting it on RAW I believe), Puder was getting some pops from the crowd due to the fact that he was dominating the competition.

Given how MMA/UFC was really starting to trend upwards around this time, I think both the WWE and Puder could have used that to their advantage. Puder may not be very charismatic at the current time but if he stayed in the WWE, I think he would have improved in that area over time.

If by attitude issues, you mean he was a typical MMA hard ass, then yeah it's be easy to see why no one would like him. Imagine JBL trying to fake rape him in the shower and then Puder point blank telling him "you try it and I'll fucking kill you :|". Those guys aren't about to bow down to any backstage pecking order. The fact that he could probably kick all their asses doesn't help. :D

Definitely see the potential in it, but I can't see him improving too much. He's too much of a real fighter.

WCW - Lance Storm & Scott Steiner

Lance Storm had that amazing first year where he held almost every title except the world title. May have got there in the long run had WCW continued but 2000 looked like it was the beginning of massive things for Lance Storm.

If WCW continued, Scott Steiner was key to everything that was going on. He had been World champion for quite some time and he was a dominant, credible champion who was systematically beating and 'retiring' the top babyfaces. You have to assume that this was leading to a big payoff where a face would take the title from him, possbily at Starrcade. I think Steiner was hurt most from the WWF buyout, considering he had to drop the title to Booker T and then disappeared for a few years. By the time he showed up in the WWF he was largely forgotten and had lost a step.

WWF - Booker T, DDP, Kanyon, RVD, Rhyno, Mike Awesome

Same reasons for all...they weren't used in quite the right way when they came into the WWF as outsiders. There was a big roster back then

Shane Helms - This guy had just got over with the WCW crowd, finally beating Chavo for the cruiserweight title and then he goes and loses it almost instantly to Billy Kidman in the WWF. Landed on his feet with the Hurricane gimmick fortunately.

Chuck Palumbo and Sean O'Haire - They were going on to bigger and better things...until they went to the WWF. When they split up it was effectively the end for both except for Palumbo's team with Billy Gunn.

Thoughts on Zach Gowen being added to this list?


Also, if Swagger does "fall off" the radar it will be a damn crime.

The comeback of Mr Perfect.

That's a good one. I was so pumped up when he made it into the final few people in the Rumble. Was looking forward to some sort of feud with Angle, but it never happened.

agree with Perfect. Is and always will be my favorite technician who never made the main event. Criminal.

Kevin Thorne/Mordecai

The problem with Mordecai, is what would you do with him after his inevitable feud with Taker?

In a lot of ways, his character was very limiting. After 6-8 months of being interesting, there would have been a danger of him becoming boring VERY fast.

Hated how WWE turned him from someone who made the crowd hypocrites by booing him even when what he was saying was the truth because he was a Muslim character into a crazy Islamic character that favorite extreme means to end stuff.

It wasn't until WWE doing the Davari skit that forced UPN/WB to have them remove his character from tv (bad timing since it was shown days after attacks in England).

He was like what Vicky Guerrero became where the second the music played or he spoke, instant heel heat by the crowd booing very loudly.

Rodney Mack

I'd have kept him as the vampire-Thorn and have him taken under UT's wing. Maybe get more elements of the old Ministry involved as well, with less wrist-cutting and implied rape, of course. Gangrel would have also been a solid tag team partner for him (again with the bonus that the younger Fertig would be able to learn from the veteran on the road)

But then, two of my favorite stables in WWE history have been the Ministry and the Brood, so perhaps my lens is a bit off.

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THIS is the biggest miss of the 2000s. The botch that fucked up a Wrestlemania main event.

DDP in the WWE. He could have been a great card for them to play with if only they'd brought him in as the exciting, charismatic, energetic face that he was in WCW instead of as the stalker of Undertaker's horse-faced wife. He never recovered, and god damn if he's not still in the best shape of his life. Page was amazingly over in WCW because he was a great worker, a great talker, and the Diamond Cutter was insanely over with the fans. His diamond cutter hand sign t-shirts would've made WWE a load of money if only they'd taken the time to get him over.

Kurt Angle. Vince should have given him a reduced schedule, but kept him as the key player on either Smackdown or RAW instead of demoting him to ECW while working him like a dog. Think of Angle in the position of someone like Undertaker; a reduced schedule but still a focal point of the company. Instead, Vince worked him like a slave, refused to give him time off, and ended up driving him out of the WWE.

The Giant, Paul Wight, aka The Big Show. Granted, he debuted in late 1999, but I'm still counting it. Instead of bringing him in as an anomaly; a giant on a mission to take the WWF Championship and destroy Stone Cold Steve Austin, Paul Wight was brought into the WWF as just another pawn in the Corporation/Austin feud. Any chance of building up Big Show as the massive, giant, daunting threat that he could have been, were squashed when Austin beat him clean on RAW is WAR.

Diamond Dallas Page is a good one that actually fits the criteria Xero set. A lot of the Alliance guys suffered from this. Kanyon, while he may not have ever been a proper main eventer, or anything, got really over with his dorky "WHO BETTA THAN KANYON!?!" stuff. I honestly liked the guy, and I think it was one of the first times I actually liked a heel (I was still pretty new to wrestling).

I remember when DDP took off his mask to reveal himself as The Undertaker's stalker. The dude knew how to play his role well, and you could just tell he was ready to command a WWE audience. When he took off the mask, people recognised him. It was a combination of shock and excitement. Then he was relegated to a bumbling heel role. I'm sure he could have been used better as a pure face, but even with the stalker stuff, from his promos you could have very easily set DDP up as a bit of a tweener who was just trying to get The Undertaker's attention so he could make his mark in the WWE.

DDP countering the Chokeslam into a Diamond Cutter would have made even me mark out. If they had brought in Kanyon as "The Innovator of Offense" that he was, a feud between The Jersey...well, Duo, and The Brothers of Destruction would have been pretty fucking cool. DDP and Kanyon using their skills and charisma to battle the sheer force of Undertaker & Kane. And because DDP is just a guy that had that "star" quality, you could have had Kanyon eventually turn on DDP for his own good, and DDP could have gone over him, and Kanyon could have been a damn solid mid-carder while DDP did his main event face shtick.

It wasn't really like those. The thing I loved about Hassan was it wasn't the stereotypical "I hate America! Yay my home country!" gimmick. He was actually defensive and you could say he was actually right in most of the things he said. He was American born and was discriminated against after 9/11, not just angry at America because he's evil. Add on the fact that the man was incredibly charismatic.

Hassan was the most interesting heel I can remember. Ever maybe.

I thought it picked back up with the Davari thing. Hassan coming out after that when the NY Times posted something about "Arabs in ski masks" coming to Davari's aid and announcing that the guys in masks were all white, thus proving his point of racism. Amazing.

Yeah and at same time basically made UPN force the WWE to remove him from tv since that was shown the week of the actual attacks in England. It was one of those skits that helped push his character's development but at the same time ended up being a bad PR incident for the WWE. Can't really blame WWE though since they taped the show normally and then its shown later in the week when the real attacks in London occurred.

WWE ended up caving to pressure from UPN and others instead of toning down Hassan's character change for the time being because of outside events.

Saw that live, too. One of only two live WWE events I've ever been to. It was a Supershow that also featured HBK turning on Hogan. Little did I know it would also be the beginning of the end for Hassan. :-\

Agree with:

Hassan
DDP

And one that I'd like to add which was slightly more recent than that was Elijah Burke during his time in WWE. I feel like TNA definitely has a blue-chipper in that guy, and who knows, maybe someday down the road "The Pope" D'Angelo Diniero will become TNA World Heavyweight Champion.

And the story of DDP will be forever ingrained in my memory. I can still recall the final interview he gave to WWE Confidential, in which he states that Dr. Youngblood said he qualified for surgery to fix his neck, but while he was considering it, the day after the WWE's doctor gave him the news, his lawyer called and said that his insurance company would drop him from his coverage plan with them if he opted to go through with the neck surgery, which I think was pretty dickish of them as it made an almost certain to be future WWE main eventer have to step away from the one thing he loved most besides maybe his family. :'(

DDP discusses his neck injury and decision to leave WWE because of the threat of losing his insurance
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really thought Mike Sanders coulda been a much bigger star in a WWE run

it's a shame he wasn't given a better opportunity

last I heard which was a number of yrs ago he was doing stand up

I miss DDP :(

Droford does not approve of this thread...

I don't know if this was THE biggest miss, but I think this one was huge.

When Orton won the Championship in 2004 at Summerslam, he was on fire. Next night, beats Benoit in the rematch on RAW, but Hunter and Evolution turn on him so HHH can regain the title.

This resulted in Orton working as the top babyface of the company, with little experience working as a babyface at all, and was also the victim of poor booking. His character had done a complete 180 and the plan backfired and was soon being boo'd from a large part of the audience.

Wouldn't it have been much better if during the RAW after Summerslam 2004, Triple H was the one that was kicked out of Evolution? Turn Orton into a monster heel, as he kicked out Triple H (bloodying him and writing him off), as he now leads Batista and Flair (possibly add a fourth member).

Orton would then go on to successfully defend against the likes of Benoit (again), Michaels, etc. as Triple H goes on hiatus, building anticipation for a face return to fight Orton for the Championship. The first-ever meeting between them would have been perfect for WrestleMania 21, as the Triple H vs. Randy Orton match would have such proper build and anticipation that both wrestlers would end up being winners, regardless of who walked out with the title.

I really think WWE missed the boat with that one, and it would have been awesome if done properly. Instead, Orton was turned babyface WAY to fast and it showed. Even though Orton had done some great work in 2005-mid 2007, I think his character really floundered, and he didn't fully recover until his "badass" character came to life back in the summer of 2007.