Greatest wrestlers not to be WWE/F Champ?

Was wondering who people think should have got a run with the world title at various times in the WWE. They may have won the title in other federations but weren't given the big belt by Vince.

I've listed some wrestlers below that I think should have got a run with the title.

Be interesting to see who others think?

Ted Di Biase - He was great at carrying lesser wrestlers and should have been honoured at this with a run with the title

Mr Perfect - Knocking on the glass ceiling so often and deserved a run with the big belt

Rick Rude - Yeah he won the NWA International world title in WCW, but I thought that he should have taken the title from Ultimate Warrior in that cage match at SummerSlam 90

British Bulldog - A great wrestler who in the mid 90's was exceptionally popular around and a huge draw in the UK, should have won the title between 1992 & 1997

Kerry Von Erich - Not used that well in the WWE, had the IC title and had the look that Vince liked, but did WWE hold him back due to his well known drug problems and the medical problems that he had due to the crash that wrecked his leg

Vader - One of the best big man wrestlers that has been in wrestling IMO, done a great job in Japan and WCW with a great reputation. With Vinces well know love for 'big man wrestlers' it was strange that he never got that mega push and a run with the belt

Dynamite Kid - If we are talking about pure wrestling ability then this man should be mentioned, a man who transformed a style of wrestling and an innovator of so many moves. Was seen as a tag team specialist in WWE and was no doubt too small for Vince to give him a run with the belt, plus there was a wrestler called Hulk Hogan in the number one spot then

Ken Shamrock - Had the momentum, had the ability and got a push and the fans were behind him so what went wrong, he came so close but never seemed to break through the glass ceiling, was it to do with a lack of willingness from HBK to put Shamrock over?

D-Lo Brown - the guy was the best pure athlete in WWE history to never get a title shot, i mean didnt he compete in a match with his hand tied behing his back? Either him or Mike Tyson

Razor Ramon. Happy to stick at IC level...could easily have carried the big one if you ask me. Good at his politics though...happy to let the others go for that while he still got to be a champ.

What do people think about the Boss Man being WWF champ? I think he had the tools needed to carry the title, perhaps more so in his run as a face, he was very popular.

Vader for me, could have been a real destructive heel champ when he was at his peak.

Jim cornette comments on Vader not being used to anywhere near his full potential. I'll link the interview tomorrow as I'm tired now

Roddy Piper in 1985, WrestleMania should have ended with Mr T and Cyndi Lauper helping Hogan overcome outside interference from Orton and Wonderful and reclaiming his title

I loved Rick Rude but its not likely and wasn't deserving to take the title off Warrior 3 months after the WWF had him go over Hogan clean

I also cant think of a time when Ted DiBiase would have been a better choice of World Champion than the champ at the time

Perfect not getting the strap was more down to that back injury he got in early 91

Von Erich also IMO would never get the belt with 1 foot

the-gaffer wrote:I also cant think of a time when Ted DiBiase would have been a better choice of World Champion than the champ at the time

Perfect not getting the strap was more down to that back injury he got in early 91

Von Erich also IMO would never get the belt with 1 foot

DiBiase was the top heel in the company and one of the top heels in industry throughout 1988. IMO DiBiase taking the belt from Savage at SummerSlam 88, would have been better than The Mega Powers vs The Mega Bucks, and it would have elevated the top heel in the company.

Perfect could and should have had run with the title anytime from 1989 to 1990, when he was feuding with Hogan with The Genius and they stole the belt and destroyed it. Instead he ended up in a feud with Brutus 'the barber' Beefcake and lost to him at WM VI (his first TV loss in WWE)

Von Erich not getting the belt wasn't just to do with his 1 foot after all that happened in 1986 he was more than capable of wrestling a good match in the state that he was in. IMO it was more to do with his drug problem (which was known around the world for years), and backstage politics.

Not saying that Umaga was one of the greatest WWE superstars but I always thought he should have been given the chance with the strap. I always thought he should have beat John Cena at Royal Rumble 2007 in the Last Man Standing match but as always Superman had to reign supreme.

Definitely don't agree regarding DiBiase, He and Hogan had matches all over America in late 87 and they sucked the place out (like Iogan/Flair in 91) as fans didn't buy into him being able to beat Hogan thus Andre was drafted in to the feud, I agree that Savage/DiBiase should have been the Main Event at SummerSlam though but it should have been used to give the Macho Man his first PPV win as Champ, anyway by the time SummerSlam came along The MDM had already peaked, Bad News Brown was pushing to be the top heel, he was insanely over but due to his age Vince didnt give him a chance

I also dont thin Perfect was near the title in 89, he did have a nice feud with Hogan in early 90 but the hottest guy in Wrestling between SummerSlam 89 and Mania 6 was The Ultimate Warrior and there is no doubt Hogan/ Warrior was the money match and it delivered, I've never got why the jobbed him to Beefcake without much story tho to be fair

Onto Von Erich, if we're talking 83-86 then I'd agree that he was good enough to be the top man but by the time 1990 came around he was well past his best with his mobility and never had one match that touched his prime and since that was the period he was in the WWF thats why I my opinion is what it is

At this current moment in time I would say Christian.

Somehow Mr.Perfect didn't become WWE champion and John Cena whos been champion like 9 times already its stupid.

liam_main4 wrote:Somehow Mr.Perfect didn't become WWE champion and John Cena whos been champion like 9 times already its stupid.

I would argue that Perfect (as fabulousy talented as he was) dosn't have a 10th of Cena's marketability and popularity with the masses, also Cena got his first reign at a time when WWE was crying out for a new megastar babyface, unfotunatly for Perfect, at his peak, he was living in the age of Hogan and it made no sense for the WWF to take the belt from Hogan at that time

its between mr perfect and Owen Hart for me.

Not sure if he counts but I would go for Vader - he held WCW titles but never a WWF/E one.

The guy was awesome.

Cena having so many reigns is just the sign of the times, he'd never have got near the WWF Title in Perfects era and Hennig no doubt would be a multi time champ in todays biz

the-gaffer wrote:Cena having so many reigns is just the sign of the times, he'd never have got near the WWF Title in Perfects era and Hennig no doubt would be a multi time champ in todays biz

Have to agree with this. With so many PPV's per year it is inevitable that people will get more title reigns than in years gone by. If you gave someone today a title run like they used to get then he'd make Cena's superman thing look weak!

I seem to remember on the old 606 that Edge used to get a lot of stick about the number of titles that he has won in comparison to some of the previous greats. It's just due to the era they wrrestle in. Plus if he'd only had 2-3 reigns, you couldn't really call him the "Ultimate Opportunist" could you?

I would argue that Mr Perfect had great marketability that wasn't tapped into. He had more charisma than most people I can think of, good physique, good look, could talk, could wrestle and had a catchy name. I just think WWE didn't sue this as they had no need to with Hogan and Warrior dominating at the time. In any other era, I would expect Mr Perfect to be the main man. If he hadn't had back trouble in the early to mid 1990s, he and Bret Hart would have brought the WWE out of its slump

The Patriot Del Wilkes

Mr Perfect.

Jake The Snake Roberts would be my second choice behind Piper

Jake Roberts is a good shout. Im not sure the best time to give him the strap though? After Mania 8 when Savage beat Flair?

Timing is the case with alot of the above mentioned guys too. Never a good time to make Perfect or Von Erich Champion in my opinion.

William Regal. He certainly deserved a push.

legendkillar wrote:William Regal. He certainly deserved a push.

Not sure abotu Regal but the only time he got any sort of 'push' he blew it with his wellness violation.

Bam Bam Bigelow?

Mr H for me Jake had twn opportunities to be 'the man' in the WWF the first would have been in DiBiase's spot in 1987/88 and the second would be in late 91/92