Should They have been Bigger?

  • Welcome to "The New" Wrestling Smarks Forum!

    I see that you are not currently registered on our forum. It only takes a second, and you can even login with your Facebook! If you would like to register now, pease click here: Register

    Once registered please introduce yourself in our introduction thread which can be found here: Introduction Board


Tapout

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2010
Messages
2,537
Reaction score
65
Points
48
Location
San Diego
Favorite Wrestler
jericho
Favorite Wrestler
evanbourne
Favorite Wrestler
shawnmichaels
Favorite Wrestler
romanreigns
Favorite Wrestler
braywyatt
Favorite Wrestler
cmpunk5
Not sure if most people here read WWE.COM but there's an interesting list up today about 15 superstars that should have been bigger. To make it simple, I'll post them here so we can discuss them.

15. Mark Jindrak & Sean O’Haire

14. Magnum TA

13. Raven

12. Chris Candido

11. Hakushi

10. Mike Awesome

9. Blitzkrieg

8. Bam Bam Bigelow

7. Tom Pritchard

6. Saturn

5. Terry Taylor

4. Brad Armstrong

3. Ed "The Bull" Gantner

2. The British Bulldog

1. The Sinister Minister (James Mitchell)

Interesting list, and hard to argue with, as I'm sure if you ask any modern day fan, they'd only know a few stars on the list. I agree with Terry Taylor, British Bulldog, Saturn, Raven, and Candido.
 

SAIYANS

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2010
Messages
16,529
Reaction score
196
Points
63
Age
35
Favorite Wrestler
batista2
Favorite Wrestler
dx
Favorite Wrestler
johncena
Favorite Wrestler
therock
Favorite Wrestler
undertaker
Favorite Wrestler
trishstratus
15 - Jindrak yes, he was young, had the look and needed refining. Sean no, he just wasnt good at anything but a cheap WCW hardy ripoff and once piper did the hbo special it was over.

14 - yes

13 - in wwe no. His look was not good, and while he had the mic skills and ring skills he was part of an era where tag and mid careers all did while being more over. His best use was the hardcore Divison or that run on Heat. We want even touch the drug problems which make him unreliable

12 - personal bias, I liked him and his skill set but thought he should be focused on more in the ring like they did with Benoit, as his wrestling skill was under spoken IMO.

Skip to those I care about

saturn - I think eh could've been more if he came earlier in his career. His skills would have been greatly seen much more and they could have even fleshed out more of a character. I mean the guy got a mop over.

Bulldog - he was overused. He had no mic skills, no presence, and was like watching paint dry. Only relevance came from Hart association

mitchell - I think he could have been as big a manager as Bearer
 

zigglerHEEL

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2012
Messages
2,314
Reaction score
39
Points
48
just a few... 14. Raven- in WCW yes he should have been and it looked like he would be at first.... WWE had no interest in him as more than a midcard hand and I can't say they were wrong
12. Chris Candido- I think the WWE saw something in the guy but stuck him in that awful fitness gimmick because at that time you had to have a gimmick... by the time "no gimmicks needed" Chris Candido came around they had kinda missed the boat on him already
10. Mike Awesome- Not sure why why he never succeeded in either of the big 2, guy was big, had a good look and could work... maybe he was a real asshole??
6. Saturn- the Eliminators never getting a shot in either WCW or WWE is just baffling to me... maybe they were offered deals and turned them down, I don't know.. but they are easily the best tag team that a lot of people never got to see.... just imagine throwing them in with The Hardy's and E&C and the Dudley's in those great tag matches.... as far as his single's run, he was probably a littel past his prime and so whacked out on drugs that I really can't blame anyone but him for his relative lack of success, but if he coulda stayed clean he could've been an all-timer..
 

Chris

Dreams are Endless
Joined
Dec 23, 2011
Messages
383,775
Reaction score
155,570
Points
128
Age
28
Location
Texas
Favorite Wrestler
tLCb5kv
Favorite Wrestler
OEndG4L
Favorite Wrestler
ArsUxsj
Favorite Wrestler
mrperfect2
Favorite Wrestler
eelOIL6
Favorite Wrestler
BryanDanielson1
Favorite Sports Team
sfa
Favorite Sports Team
dallascowboys
Favorite Sports Team
sanantoniospurs
Favorite Sports Team
texasrangers
To clarify, the list isn't a top 15 or anything, it's in a random order.

CANDIDO making the list made my day :mark:
 

Big Red Jericho Punk

Active Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2010
Messages
2,678
Reaction score
21
Points
38
Raven, British Bulldog, and Candido were easy choices and great performers. Some are before my time, but it's a good list. LOVE O'Haire making the list, one of my favorite gimmicks that never hit it's peak. Damn shame he didn't get a big push, probably the only thing I'll ever hate Piper for.

Sad that Muhammad Hassan didn't make the list, but they would never include him.
 

The Cork

Banned
Joined
Feb 23, 2011
Messages
4,706
Reaction score
100
Points
63
Age
36
Location
England
Favorite Wrestler
scottsteiner
Favorite Wrestler
brocklesnar
Favorite Wrestler
carlito
Favorite Wrestler
goldburg
Favorite Wrestler
jakeroberts
Favorite Wrestler
paige
Mike Awesome is the only one I agree with and even then I'm not entirely convinced he wasn't just a big fish in a small pond.

Brilliant agile big man, didn't quite have the build/look of Lesnar but def. from that mould of monster. Not sure why WCW didn't push him from the off, it gave off the impression they took him just to help kill ECW rather than strengthen their own company.

Horrible list though. Most those guys (TA excluded) shouldn't of been anything more than jobbers.
 

ThatGuyFromNukemHigh

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2012
Messages
1,859
Reaction score
68
Points
48
Location
Tromaville, New Jersey
James Mitchell, & Bam Bam Bigelow for sure. The other 14 names I could care less about, but do find it funny that WWE is miseducating their fans, must want them dumb as shit. If you are listing 15 people, you shouldnt include 2 of them in one.
 

We Are Legion

║▌║█║▌||| ║▌║▌█ ║█║║▌||
Joined
Dec 3, 2010
Messages
4,452
Reaction score
92
Points
53
Location
Montreal, QC
Favorite Wrestler
stonecold2
Favorite Wrestler
ricflair
Favorite Wrestler
jbl2
Favorite Wrestler
randysavage
Favorite Wrestler
nwo
If anyone should have been bigger in their days it should have been Jake Roberts or Owen Hart. I know they were arguably bigger than anyone else on that list, but those are two guys that should have been a lot larger than they were and it's a crime they were left off the list.

The main one on that list I completely agree with is British Bulldog. That guy was awesome and even though he had a few flashes of stardom, most-notably his match with Bret at Wembley Stadium, WWE could have done so much more with him and he had everything you could possibly ask for in a superstar.

And just to touch on a few others the list mentioned:

Raven - Don't misunderstand me. I'm a fan. He was absolutely one of the greatest mic workers the business ever saw and if WWE took him as seriously as Paul Heyman did in ECW, I have no doubts he could have risen to Mick Foley's level. I've found that some of his work gets overrated at times because he often tried way too hard to be "dark" and came off very silly at times, but he had Vince McMahon to steer him like he steered Vince Russo, Raven could have been a very big deal. His WCW work is notable of course and he was always stuck in a similar situation that many other mid-carders were, particularly Chris Jericho, and he was never going to be a big shot there. That being said, given the opportunity in WWE, I really think the guy would have been compared to Jeff Hardy in the long run. His substance abuse problems, bad attitude, and seemingly nihilistic lifestyle would have eventually become a serious problem for any promoter who put too many eggs in his basket. I respect the guy for what he's done and he was always a great talent, but I don't think he ever took the business seriously enough to warrant being any bigger than he was and I think people saw that in him.

Chris Candido - Very similar situation as Raven's. Although I definitely don't think Candido was world champion material, I think if his bad habits and demons were kept in check better and he hadn't came to WWE during such a weird period of that company's history, he might have received a better opportunity than the Bodydonnas gave him. Getting involved with XPW and their porn-funded promotion was probably the worst mistake of his career though. No one walked away from that company and went on to do anything special and that was a very poor choice by him and Tammy.

Bam Bam Bigelow - The guy headlined a Wrestlemania, so I'm not sure why he's even on this list. The guy had his shot.

Mike Awesome - Excellent physical specimen, but not a good wrestler and very average at best on the mic. He would have just been another Bobby Lashley in the wrestling world and that's really not a compliment. I think his constant involvement in hardcore matches throughout his stay in ECW really shaped people's perception of him as having far more potential than he really had. Take all the weapons, tables, and other foreign objects away and you're left with a severely-replaceable wrestler.

Hakushi - Japanese? No, Vince doesn't like their type. "Could he have been bigger?", perhaps, but it wouldn't have happened in WWE. Let's be very clear about that.
 
Last edited:

John McHenry

John McHenry
Joined
Jun 12, 2011
Messages
21,190
Reaction score
2,535
Points
113
Location
Ohio
Favorite Wrestler
dolphziggler2
Favorite Wrestler
mrperfect2
Favorite Wrestler
chrisjericho
Favorite Wrestler
brianpillman
Favorite Wrestler
shaneomac
Favorite Wrestler
stonecold2
I think 15 and 10 should have been much higher than they were. Some of the others should have been higher as well but those two seemed to be a lot lower than they deserved.
 
Joined
Dec 6, 2010
Messages
757
Reaction score
8
Points
18
Location
India
Favorite Wrestler
chrisjericho
Favorite Wrestler
eddieguerrero
Favorite Wrestler
randyorton
Favorite Wrestler
cmpunk
Favorite Wrestler
evolution
Favorite Wrestler
brocklesnar
What do you guys think of Andrew Martin? (Test)

Guy did die way too young, but he wasn't bad at all iirc.
 

Deezy

DZ PZ
Joined
Nov 13, 2010
Messages
139,458
Reaction score
39,394
Points
118
Location
Canada
Favorite Wrestler
brethart2
Favorite Wrestler
newjack
Favorite Wrestler
ddp
Favorite Wrestler
therock
Favorite Wrestler
nwo
Favorite Wrestler
wolfpac
Blitzkrieg? All he did was steal most of Hayabusa's spots and never learned to tell a story or implore psychology in the ring a WCW version of Jack Evans. Bigger? Thats a larf.

And Hakushi would've been bigger if he got more opponents like Bret Hart, instead of a bunch of ego maniacs bent on getting their shit in and not feeding him on his offense.
 

Rated R Superstar

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 19, 2012
Messages
7,202
Reaction score
84
Points
48
Location
Ottawa Canada
Decent list honestly. I think Raven could have been a pretty big deal if he didn't do so many drugs and stuff(Like it's been said already). Probably one of the most enjoyable guys to listen to. I only know a few people on this list. James Mitchell could have been a pretty big manager. Shame WWE didn't have anything for him.
 

The New F'n Show

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 3, 2010
Messages
7,126
Reaction score
34
Points
48
Location
Detroit, Michigan, USA
15. Mark Jindrak & Sean O’Haire

Jindrak was garbage and O'Haire had a promising gimmick and a unique look but really wasn't very good.

14. Magnum TA

Would have been a World Champion if not injured so don't think he really belongs. Wasn't a case of being held back.

13. Raven

Accomplished enough to where I never really saw him as a bigger star. Dreamer feud is top 10 all time though.

12. Chris Candido

Wasn't big enough to be a star in his era but should have been an IC or US champ. "No Gimmicks Needed" was a great gimmick for him.

11. Hakushi

Agree here that he could have been a very good midcarder but nothing more in the States.

10. Mike Awesome

WCW was given a gift when they got him and gave him two of the worst gimmicks I've ever seen. Should have been the guy WCW went to instead of Jarrett.

9. Blitzkrieg

Maybe worthy of a crusierweight title run because he did some sick spots but nothing more.

8. Bam Bam Bigelow

Accomplished enough just didn't have World Champion written on him.

7. Tom Pritchard

Knew how to work but had no charisma.

6. Saturn

Always was best in tag matches. Eliminators were beyond legit. Didn't see him as much more than that or a midcard hand.

5. Terry Taylor

First one I really agree on, guy could wrestle and had some charisma. A terrible gimmick ruined his chances.

4. Brad Armstrong

YES! I always loved this guy but he was 10 years too late. Would have been huge in the late 70's/ Early 80's.

3. Ed "The Bull" Gantner

Had the look but hard to say because he only wrestled for like 3 years due to health. Had potential.

2. The British Bulldog

Don't see how he could have been much more than he was.

1. The Sinister Minister (James Mitchell)

Agree. Very few were ever better talkers than he was. He also had a character that worked for him in every way possible. Had to be paired with the right guy though.
 

Deezy

DZ PZ
Joined
Nov 13, 2010
Messages
139,458
Reaction score
39,394
Points
118
Location
Canada
Favorite Wrestler
brethart2
Favorite Wrestler
newjack
Favorite Wrestler
ddp
Favorite Wrestler
therock
Favorite Wrestler
nwo
Favorite Wrestler
wolfpac
I don't know why Bam Bam is on here, although I do think he could've had a good run as a WWF champ after he carried WM 11. He had a very great career.

He will also be a HOFer, so that wrong will be righted one day...belieeeeve dat.
 

Embrace Thou Maryse

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2012
Messages
1,436
Reaction score
60
Points
48
Age
37
Location
Helping Maryse practice her French Kiss...
Favorite Wrestler
maryse
Favorite Wrestler
therock4
Favorite Wrestler
brocklesnar2
Favorite Wrestler
hhh
Favorite Wrestler
batista2
Favorite Wrestler
randyorton
Nikki Bellas boobs? Nah they're big enough now :D

Raven should have been bigger than just a Hardcore jobber.

Sean O'Haire should have been bigger, had a great gimmick that Piper killed when he got canned.