Let’s take a look at some of the WWE Superstars who got massive pushed but ended up failing spectacularly.
#6 Nathan Jones
We start off our list with Nathan Jones. The ex-con signed with WWE in 2002 and was fast-tracked to the main roster despite having little actual wrestling ability. He was immediately thrust into a massive storyline alongside none other than The Undertaker as his protege.
The Undertaker and Nathan Jones were set to Face Big Show and Albert at WrestleMania 17 and Jones even trained with Taker at his home for a week. Despite this, WWE decided that the Colossus of Bogga Road was way too green. WWE did an injury angle ahead of WM17 and turned the match into a handicap match instead with Jones interfering near the end to help Taker win. Jones left WWE shortly after saying that life on the road wasn’t for him. He has since transitioned into a career in acting.
#5 Chris Masters
Chris Masters was another Superstar WWE had huge plans for as a top heel. He made his main roster debut in 2005. He was just 22 at the time and got over quickly because of the Masterlock Challenge.
Masters was soon moved into a feud with Shawn Michaels which he eventually lost. However, after this loss, it looked like his momentum had completely gone. Despite the early push as a top heel, Masters ended up as a mid-carder for the rest of his time in WWE.
#4 Mabel
Mabel, known to younger fans by his Attitude Era persona Viscera, got a big singles push in the mid ’90s. It started with him winning the WWE King of the Ring in 1995 and being positioned as the company’s top heel and set to face Diesel for the title at SummerSlam.
However, WWE management soon realized that Mabel wasn’t ready for the top and lost his match against Diesel before quickly dropping down the card.
#3 Mr. Kennedy
Mr. Kennedy was set for big things with a huge push early in his WWE career. He won the Money In The Bank early on in his career but injury put an end to that. Next, he was set to be named as Vince McMahon’s illegitimate son in the top storyline in WWE at the time but a Wellness Policy violation at the wrong time cost him that spot.
Kennedy’s WWE career ended abruptly in 2009 after Randy Orton allegedly got management to release him calling him unsafe to work with.
#2 Maven
Maven won the first Tough Enough in 2002 and WWE saw fit to give the inexperienced newcomer a huge push. He eliminated The Undertaker from the 2002 Royal Rumble, although he was helped by a distraction from Lita, it’s an honor reserved for top stars in the WWE.
Despite the early push and winning the Pro Wrestling Illustrated Rookie of the year award, things didn’t work out for Maven. He was released in 2005 and later left wrestling to work as a bouncer after a failed stint in TNA.
#1 Lex Luger
After Hulk Hogan left the WWE in the early 90s, Vince McMahon saw Lex Luger as the perfect replacement for him but this was a role Luger wasn’t ready for despite doing his best. For one, Luger had been playing the heel character ‘The Narcissist’ a few short weeks before his sudden push. In the end, he only beat Yokozuna by DQ in what was supposed to be his crowning moment at SummerSlam 1992, meaning he didn’t even get a run with the title.
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