Best WWE wrestlers to never be World Champion?

[LODemolition]

In your opinion, who would be on your list in this category? They can be your favorite characters who you thought deserved it, but never won; the best in-ring workers who you thought would make great champions, etc. Also, I'm not exclusively talking about the WWE Championship before it was unified with the World Heavyweight Championship. If they were WHC since it became property of WWE in 2002, then that counts.

The first guy that came to my mind of course was Andre the Giant. But then it occurred to me that he actually did win the WWF Championship back in 1988 on "The Main Event", and then sold it to Ted DiBiase. He was then stripped of the title and this set up the WrestleMania IV championship tournament. I think The Million Dollar Man probably would've also made my list otherwise.

Here's my top 5:

1. Mr. Perfect - Hennig truly lived up to his name. He had the look, the mic skills, the greatest manager of all-time, and most importantly - phenomenal wrestling ability. He was my favorite wrestler growing up, 2nd to only the man I'll mention below. I believe he had a brief feud with Hulk Hogan and even had a couple title shots. He made a great Intercontinental Champion, but I'll always feel like he was the #1 guy in WWF/E history that wasn't utilized to his full potential. I'll never understand how they didn't see him as a top heel and main eventer.

2. Razor Ramon - This was my favorite wrestler of all time. He was the ultimate cool character, based off Scarface. He also had one of the most awesome finishing moves, The Razor's Edge. He was a 4-time Intercontinental Champion, which was a record at the time. He was never really in the WWF Championship picture however. I remember he had 1 main event match at a ppv, when he challenged Bret Hart at the 1993 Royal Rumble. He also challenged Yokozuna for the title in the main event of Raw, and I remember thinking that was going to be his moment. He always seemed to have a belt around his waist in WWF and WCW, but he just couldn't break through. Unfortunately, "the bad guy" just never became the guy."

3. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper - The Rowdy One nearly went his entire career without winning a championship belt. It wasn't until the 1992 Royal Rumble that he became Intercontinental Champion by defeating The Mountie. Only 3 months later, he would lose the title at WrestleMania 8 to Bret Hart in one of my all-time favorite matches. Piper was an icon, probably the first (or at least one of the firsts) to cut great promos. He was the ultimate loudmouth. Piper was the only heel on Hogan's level until Savage turned on him 4 years later. Piper never had "the look", and maybe that's what held him back. He was a terrific character though that the fans absolutely despised. And when he turned babyface, the fans loved him to death. He knew how to work a crowd, and would've made a fine champion if Vince had decided to go in that direction.

4. "Ravishing" Rick Rude - Though he was a 3-time WCW Champion, Rude never became the top guy in WWF. His run in the company only lasted 3 years, but he made his mark as one of the all-time greats. The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Rude was his hilarious gimmick, always saying "Cut the music", then proceeding to tell the men in the audience to watch as he takes his robe off, and show their women what a real man looks like. Then after each match, his manager Bobby Heenan would pick a woman from the crowd to enter the ring and receive a kiss from Rude. He had all the makings of a top superstar, and his "Rude Awakening" neckbreaker finishing move, looked devastating. His greatest feud was against Jake Roberts, when she was picked from the crowd, but slapped Rude in the face. Rude began to wear tights with her face airbrushed on his tights after that. He went on to win the Intercontinental Title from the Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania V,which may have been Warrior's first WWF loss if I'm not mistaken. A year and a half later, they would feud again for the WWF Championship and faced off in a steel cage match at SummerSlam 1990. Rude was planning a full-time comeback in 1999, but his life was cut short at just 40 years of age. Though he was never champion, he was given the opportunity to main event, and had a stellar career.

5. Jake "The Snake" Roberts - Hands down, one of the greatest characters in wrestling history. Whether face or heel, Roberts was a wrestler that always grabbed the fans' attention. It's a travesty in my opinion that Jake never wore gold in the WWF. He should've absolutely been, at the very least, Intercontinental Champion at some point in his career. The master of the DDT (which was a great finisher back then) had many feuds in his time with the WWF, but 2 stand out among all the rest. One is the very personal feud with Rick Rude (see above) where he played the face, and the second was versus "Macho Man" Randy Savage in which he played the darkest role of his career. The biggest "mark out" moment of my life as a wrestling fan came when Jake had Savage tied up in the ropes and released the king cobra out of the bag, which bit Savage on the arm. At another time during this feud, Roberts slapped Elizabeth. The Undertaker, who had been aligned with Roberts, turned face and the 2 had a great feud that culminated at WrestleMania VIII. Personal problems may have been the reason Jake never saw the top of the mountain, as Vince said in the film "Beyond the Mat" that he didn't think there was a difference between Jake Roberts the man and Jake Roberts the character. Luckily, Jake has turned his life around in the last year with the help of DDP. He was on the brink of becoming another pro wrestling statistic.

Honorable Mentions: Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, Owen Hart, Davey Boy Smith, Goldust, Ron Simmons, Lex Luger

 

[Aquaman6686]

In your opinion, who would be on your list in this category? They can be your favorite characters who you thought deserved it, but never won; the best in-ring workers who you thought would make great champions, etc. Also, I'm not exclusively talking about the WWE Championship before it was unified with the World Heavyweight Championship. If they were WHC since it became property of WWE in 2002, then that counts.

The first guy that came to my mind of course was Andre the Giant. But then it occurred to me that he actually did win the WWF Championship back in 1988 on "The Main Event", and then sold it to Ted DiBiase. He was then stripped of the title and this set up the WrestleMania IV championship tournament. I think The Million Dollar Man probably would've also made my list otherwise.

Here's my top 5:

1. Mr. Perfect - Hennig truly lived up to his name. He had the look, the mic skills, the greatest manager of all-time, and most importantly - phenomenal wrestling ability. He was my favorite wrestler growing up, 2nd to only the man I'll mention below. I believe he had a brief feud with Hulk Hogan and even had a couple title shots. He made a great Intercontinental Champion, but I'll always feel like he was the #1 guy in WWF/E history that wasn't utilized to his full potential. I'll never understand how they didn't see him as a top heel and main eventer.

2. Razor Ramon - This was my favorite wrestler of all time. He was the ultimate cool character, based off Scarface. He also had one of the most awesome finishing moves, The Razor's Edge. He was a 4-time Intercontinental Champion, which was a record at the time. He was never really in the WWF Championship picture however. I remember he had 1 main event match at a ppv, when he challenged Bret Hart at the 1993 Royal Rumble. He also challenged Yokozuna for the title in the main event of Raw, and I remember thinking that was going to be his moment. He always seemed to have a belt around his waist in WWF and WCW, but he just couldn't break through. Unfortunately, "the bad guy" just never became the guy."

3. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper - The Rowdy One nearly went his entire career without winning a championship belt. It wasn't until the 1992 Royal Rumble that he became Intercontinental Champion by defeating The Mountie. Only 3 months later, he would lose the title at WrestleMania 8 to Bret Hart in one of my all-time favorite matches. Piper was an icon, probably the first (or at least one of the firsts) to cut great promos. He was the ultimate loudmouth. Piper was the only heel on Hogan's level until Savage turned on him 4 years later. Piper never had "the look", and maybe that's what held him back. He was a terrific character though that the fans absolutely despised. And when he turned babyface, the fans loved him to death. He knew how to work a crowd, and would've made a fine champion if Vince had decided to go in that direction.

4. "Ravishing" Rick Rude - Though he was a 3-time WCW Champion, Rude never became the top guy in WWF. His run in the company only lasted 3 years, but he made his mark as one of the all-time greats. The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Rude was his hilarious gimmick, always saying "Cut the music", then proceeding to tell the men in the audience to watch as he takes his robe off, and show their women what a real man looks like. Then after each match, his manager Bobby Heenan would pick a woman from the crowd to enter the ring and receive a kiss from Rude. He had all the makings of a top superstar, and his "Rude Awakening" neckbreaker finishing move, looked devastating. His greatest feud was against Jake Roberts, when she was picked from the crowd, but slapped Rude in the face. Rude began to wear tights with her face airbrushed on his tights after that. He went on to win the Intercontinental Title from the Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania V,which may have been Warrior's first WWF loss if I'm not mistaken. A year and a half later, they would feud again for the WWF Championship and faced off in a steel cage match at SummerSlam 1990. Rude was planning a full-time comeback in 1999, but his life was cut short at just 40 years of age. Though he was never champion, he was given the opportunity to main event, and had a stellar career.

5. Jake "The Snake" Roberts - Hands down, one of the greatest characters in wrestling history. Whether face or heel, Roberts was a wrestler that always grabbed the fans' attention. It's a travesty in my opinion that Jake never wore gold in the WWF. He should've absolutely been, at the very least, Intercontinental Champion at some point in his career. The master of the DDT (which was a great finisher back then) had many feuds in his time with the WWF, but 2 stand out among all the rest. One is the very personal feud with Rick Rude (see above) where he played the face, and the second was versus "Macho Man" Randy Savage in which he played the darkest role of his career. The biggest "mark out" moment of my life as a wrestling fan came when Jake had Savage tied up in the ropes and released the king cobra out of the bag, which bit Savage on the arm. At another time during this feud, Roberts slapped Elizabeth. The Undertaker, who had been aligned with Roberts, turned face and the 2 had a great feud that culminated at WrestleMania VIII. Personal problems may have been the reason Jake never saw the top of the mountain, as Vince said in the film "Beyond the Mat" that he didn't think there was a difference between Jake Roberts the man and Jake Roberts the character. Luckily, Jake has turned his life around in the last year with the help of DDP. He was on the brink of becoming another pro wrestling statistic.

Honorable Mentions: Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, Owen Hart, Davey Boy Smith, Goldust, Ron Simmons, Lex Luger

Just FYI, you can include DiBiase, he was never WWE Champion. It was determined that a championship could not be bought or sold, so DiBiase was never recognized as champion.

I have to go to work tonight so I don't have time to go into detail, but my list would be Owen Hart, Roddy Piper, and Razor Ramon. I don't include Steamboat, Perfect, or Rude because they were all recognized World Champions in other promotions.

 

[JoeFromTomsRiver]

Wow. I'm sure I've ever agreed with EVERYTHING on someone's personal list when it involves ranking wrestlers within a particular category.

But this nailed it. I agree with all 5 and I don't have a major problem with how they are ranked.

I kind of lean towards having Piper as #1 because he was the top heel in the WWF when it was making it's first mainstream push. I'm a huge Mr. Perfect fan though, so I'm not going to argue it with any real conviction. But, if someone puts Owen Hart into the top 5, then it's a different story.

 

[Best in the World]

Your list pretty much covered everything, and I agree with the choices, but I'll throw in some of my own personals (in no particular order). Most of these will cover in-ring wise, but you hit the nail on the head of most of the most deserving. I'd add these to my honorable mentions:

Lance Storm: While not the strongest character, when it came down to in-ring ability, I enjoyed watching this guy, he was one of the best of his time (and that says a lot because during this time, technical wrestling was pretty much at it's peak, that peak would continue for a few more years), here was a guy that I found myself a fan of for many years, even when he walked into the WWE. Based on his ring ability along, he could have easily been a champion.

Shelton Benjamin: I know, again a guy that was limited on the mic, but GODLY in the ring, seriously, this guy could do just about anything, he was athletic, he was a high-flyer, he could get technical, he had everything that you have to have to be a wrestler, he was easily the most well-rounded wrestler of his time, he was limited by his ability on the mic, he wasn't awful, it wasn't like he had no talent, but it was one of the bigger things that held him back.

William Regal: Ah, Regal, I know his name will probably pop-up a lot during these kinds of things, but I really believe Regal could have made a great champion, he wasn't limited by his ability to talk on the mic, his character had you despising him, he could be entertaining in promos, and on top of that, he was fun in the ring to watch, a technical brawler that could put on great matches.

Vader: To this day, Vader remains one of the worst mistakes WWE ever made, he was a monster, he was a beast, and with Cornette with him, he seemed virtually unstoppable, of course unfortunately it was a time where Shawn Michaels held majority of the cards and Vader was pretty much pushed aside. But the guy could easily hang around the time, he proved that in WCW, his matches with Cactus Jack were phenomenal and so damn enjoyable to watch.

Paul Orndorff: He seems to be left off a lot of the time, most people tend to forget about him, which is sad because he did have some pretty memorable moments, he came very, VERY close to actually winning the title at one time around 1988, in a Cage match with Hogan, which ended in both men landing down on the floor at the same time leading to Hogan continuing his reign as WWF Champion.

Harley Race: I know right...the guy that has done just about everything there was to in wrestling, who won the KotR in 1986, a lot of that of course had to do with his age, by the time he rolled around to the WWF he was putting over newer talent to help them move forward in their careers in the business. Still, I wouldn't have minded a championship run from Race at all.

Bam Bam Bigelow: When it came to big men, when it came to beasts, when it came to moving around the ring with his size, he was easily one of the best and most underrated big men, I loved watching him in the ring, he definitely deserved a run for the title in his time in the WWF, but that never happened, and him, alongside Vader, remains two of the biggest mistakes in the WWF, in my eyes, Bam Bam Bigelow had the ability, he was fun to watch and he would have been a great WWF Champion.

 

[wrestler36]

That's a pretty damn good list. I don't think anyone can argue with that top 5. This one seems out there, but at the time, Earthquake could have been a monster heel champion. He broke Hogan's ribs to keep him out of action for a few months. He had a good stable with Jimmy Hart and Dino Bravo. In the early 90s, he would have been a fantastic heel champion instead of Sgt. Slaughter.

Million Dollar Man - I could be wrong, but he was never technically the champion, right? At one point he bought the title, but I don't think it was ever 'official.' His heel persona was perfect to be the antagonist champion.

DDP - I know most of his career was in WCW, but I guarantee if those top WCW guys weren't buried right off the bat, they could have all been serious contenders. Listen to the pop DDP got when he was revealed to be the Taker's stalker. Go back and watch the tapes of his matches with Guerrero, Savage, Sting, etc. He could have had some good feuds with Taker, HHH, Austin, Rock, etc if under other circumstances.

Vader - he was an absolute monster in WCW and perennial champion. When he went to WWF, I think he became a victim of politics and kliq influence. He could have been a monster heel champion feuding with guys like Taker, Mankind, Austin, etc.

*Maybe* Scott Steiner - when he came back to WWE, he had just came off massive foot surgery, so his mobility was limited. If he was to carry on where he left off in WCW, he would have been a force to reckon with.

 

[Charismatic Enigma]

A few that weren't mentioned:

Davey Boy Smith- Right place, right time, right look, right size, had the connections, the pedigree, paid the dues, coming out of Summer Slam 92 was massively over as a face, but for whatever reason, likely substance related, never got to the top of the mountain during his life. A real shame, IMO.

Matt Hardy- Ignore all of his troubles of the last few year years, and simply focus on his feud with Edge or his MITB era 2010, He is the only one of Edge/Christian/Hardyz to never hold the title. Watch his reactions on NXT season 1 compared to everyone else on the show, it's easy to forget now, but there was a time when the fans were 100% behind him, and he most certainly put in the time and effort to at least warrant a short run.

Goldust- Look at the length of his career, numerous stints in all the major promotions, and to the this day still a great worker. Time has very likely passed him by, but a run back in the early 2000s could've been great.

Hardcore Holly- 17 years in the WWE, and unceremoniously dumped. Was he the greatest in the ring or the mic, no. But by that same standard should JBL or Mark Henry have ever gotten a run then? In the mid 2000s lull, a brief run as WHC on Smackdown could've been compelling TV for a veteran who certainly earned his place.

Billy Gunn- Much the same as the others, this guy has been through 3 quite successful tag team runs, numerous tag belts, intercontinental, hardcore, King of the Ring, etc. etc. Nearly 20 years off and on service to the company, would've been great to see him get the chance at least once.

Owen Hart- No, this isn't a sympathy vote. A great technical worker, who had a VERY memorable feud with Bret in 1994, that easily could (and should) have lead to a title run, King of the Ring winner, memorable Mania appearances, numerous singles titles, he had every reason in the world to deserve it, and it absolutely sucks he never got the chance. Even after Bret left in 1997/98 there were many opportunities to have him carry on Bret's angles with Austin, McMahon, or DX. I think he unfortunately paid for the sins of his brother (at least in Vince's eyes), much the same as Matt Hardy.

 

[Da Solo]

Ok, so considering all the good names have already been thrown in (Jake, Piper, Rude, Perfect, Dibiase, etc.) I'll throw in 5 dark horse names I haven't seen thrown in as often yet:

William Regal definitely deserved it. He still is my all time favorite King of the Ring winner (or 2nd to Booker depending on how I feel that day) because of that EPIC subsequent run as GM he had. Seriously, shutting off the lights during a show? Regal could have had a classic heel run with that belt.

Shelton Benjamin, regardless of how people feel about his mic skills, deserved a run. At many points he was the best wrestler on the roster, and put on straight CLINICS in that ring with the HBK's and Christians of the roster. Even if it took a manager, Shelton could have been a face champion for the people to get behind.

Bobby Lashley I would throw in too. In hindsight, it's probably a good idea that he didn't get it since he left on some bullshit, but at the time and with the hype, I was hoping he would have gone over Cena at The Bash. He did well for himself in the ring and had the look down pact.

Jerry The King Lawler never had the belt either. I remember his matches with Miz in 2011 for the title and remembered feeling some type of way about him having never won the strap and knowing they wouldn't give it to him there. He could have been a good transitional champ given the opportunity, I think. His mic skills on and off commentary back in the day were pretty top-notch, and he could have had an entertaining run as a top heel champ.

Farooq is my last pick. I just think it's odd how WWE comes across the first black world champion in wrestling history, gives him a badass black nationalist gimmick and crew, yet doesn't let him get the world title. Farooq as the Nation leader AND world champ would have made for some must-watch TV. Imagine him, Rock, Henry, Kama and D'Lo holding the whole ME scene hostage with all that rhetoric? GOLD.

Honorable Mentions:

I wish Steve Blackman was a bigger deal. I loved his in-ring style, but he was never on the booking level to win a major strap, which makes me sad. Raven falls here as well.

 

[Aquaman6686]

A few that weren't mentioned:

Matt Hardy- Ignore all of his troubles of the last few year years, and simply focus on his feud with Edge or his MITB era 2010, He is the only one of Edge/Christian/Hardyz to never hold the title. Watch his reactions on NXT season 1 compared to everyone else on the show, it's easy to forget now, but there was a time when the fans were 100% behind him, and he most certainly put in the time and effort to at least warrant a short run.

Matt Hardy was ECW Champion. Whether you liked WWE's ECW or not is irrelevant, from 2006 to 2010 that was a legitimately recognized World Championship.

 

[d_henderson1810]

I would say that Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat is the greatest WWF in-ring performer to never have won the WWF/E World Title.

I don't know whether it is because he didn't play politics (Steamboat was never talked about as someone who kept others down. On the contrary, he seemed as interested in making his opponent look good in the ring). There is also the issue about him putting other priorities (e.g. his son's birth) ahead of his own personal ambitions. For workaholic Vince, putting your family ahead of wrestling was frowned upon, not rewarded.

Talk about how beating someone buries them, consider this. Steamboat beat Randy Savage at "Wrestlemania 3", and yet, it was Savage who got the main event and titles. Not that Savage didn't deserve it, but it would have been nice for Steamboat to have got a title run.

The fact is, Steamboat was in an era where Hulk Hogan held the belt for three years (and face v face matches didn't happen, keeping Steamboat out of the title picture), and was probably too nice a guy to politick for the belt. If Steamboat was in today's WWE, where the WWE give out title reigns like lollies, Steamboat would have had a run, I believe. He is more worthy than Alberto Del Rio, Dolph Ziggler or The Great Khali of having a title run.

The closest "The Dragon" got was winning the WCW World Title off Ric Flair, in their series of epic matches. Even then, he lost it back to Flair soon after. It seemed that Steamboat was pegged as the guy who challenges for the title, but is just there to make the champion look better in the ring.

This is why I don't piss on the Hall-Of-Fame like some here do. I was happy that Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat got in the WWE HoF, as it is some recognition from the WWE for his contribution (he got few others). He was as good in the ring as Randy Savage, Bret Hart, Mr Perfect, Kurt Angle, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, etc. Savage, Austin and Ric Flair have all stated that he was their favourite opponent. So, if anyone missed out, it was Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat.

 

[The Perfect Max]

Goldust
This is based on pure ability to wrestle and talk. At his peaks, and I'm talking like in the 1990s and his role with Booker T, he was gold, no pun intended. His wrestling ability is great, and he's always been a bit unique. On the mic, he's pure comedy, but can also be a very serious guy. His varying gimmicks over the years show his flexibility. Come on, everyone in WCW got a turn with the WCW Championship, why not Seven?

Mr Perfect
Come on guys, this gimmick was born to be WWE Champion. How Mr Perfect never won the WWE Championship is beyond me. He had it all, the look, the in-ring skills, the crowd interaction, the mic skills and the ability to make a crowd love him or hate him. His gimmick would have benefited the title and himself. The former Intercontinental Champion had an amazing career that could have been extended further by the WWE Championship.

"Rowdy" Roddy Piper
You know, it's funny to me that the Hulk Hogan vs Roddy Piper dream feud has always had so much interest. Top face vs top heel of their times, it's understandable why it would be great to see it in 2014. What makes me laugh is that he was never WWE Champion. Perhaps he didn't fit that criteria, and he's lucky to have the Intercontinental Championship in his trophy case, but Piper proves you don't need a world title to become an absolute legend. Would Hulk Hogan vs Roddy Piper for the WWE Championship have made a good WrestleMania main event? Sure, why not. Shame it never happened.

"Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase
I love this guy. Honestly the Million a Dollar Man could have been a fantastic WWE Champion. Back when he had Andre the Giant and Virgil behind him, he could have really gone full throttle with a WWE Championship run. Perhaps he could have introduced the Million Dollar Championship simply as his own title design. He had what he needed, the look, the gimmick, the ability. Shameful waste.

William Regal
The only problem with William Regal is that I don't think he's ever had the major appeal from the crowd. Then again, when he was Raw General Manager, he got so much heat. Possibility I suppose. You can't deny his in-ring skills nor his ability to talk and interact with the crowd, I just wonder if his lack of main event appeal held him back. He's been with the company long enough.

Jake "The Snake" Roberts and Scott Hall are two guys I'm surprised never won one. Heck, Roberts never won a championship in WWE. What a crime! I'm actually a little surprised Ken Shamrock never got a run to be honest. He was a good performer and was quite popular. Also, I would have easily accepted Shane McMahon as champion. Why? His affiliation with the Corporation. It wouldn't be anything big, but I'm a little surprised this never happened in the Attitude Era.

 

[waylon p]

You are spot on about Hennig. He should have been champ.

We can add Owen Hart to that list, but I think he was headed that way when he met his tragic fate.

Maybe Christian. I think he has all the requisite skills in the ring and on the mic, and it seems to me that there were a number of times that he was just a mild push away.

I would have liked to have seen a black champ long before we did. For a hot minute, I thought Vince would give it to JYD, but that never happened. I think Ernie Ladd would have been a fine champion; Ron Simmons could have been pushed that way several times.


But I know why Seven was never WCW champ. Seven was supposed to seem all "Undertaker meets Mike Myers" but came off a lot more like "John Wayne Gacy meets a Quaker."
Now, why Dustin Roades was never WCW champ, I will never know. It seemed.....well, natural.

Don't worry, I shall see myself out.

 

[wrestler36]

Maybe Christian. I think he has all the requisite skills in the ring and on the mic, and it seems to me that there were a number of times that he was just a mild push away.

Christian was a champion for a short amount of time after Edge retired. He had a couple awesome matches with Randy Orton. They turned Christian heel mid feud to make him a squirmy, do anything to keep the title guy. Wish it lasted longer, but he was champ for a few weeks

 

[RicSpade]

I think Rick Rude proved himself in WCW so if were counting just in WWE here is my top 5.

Rick Rude - He carried all the matches he had with Ultimate Warrior and made him look like an actual wrestler, he had an attitude and Bobby Heenan said once he was the one guy he hated managing, but he showed how good he was in WCW so my number 1 is Rick Rude.

Jim Duggan - Now I know people will bash this but here me out he was one of the most popular characters in the 80's and 90's. He defeated King Harley Race who was a multi time NWA Champion on several occasions, he was King Duggan before losing it to former champion Randy Savage. He was the first Royal Rumble winner who by todays standards would've garnered a title shot and he feuded with almost all the major names in WWE that were heels at the time. I think if they didn't have all their face eggs in Hogan and Warriors basket Duggan could've had a shot.

DDP - DDP was one of the most over characters in WCW winning the title multiple times and having defeated some of the best WCW had in Hogan, Savage, Nash, Sting. If they would've let him continue his momentum and his neck injury wouldn't have set him back he could've held the WWE title upon arrival.

Jake Roberts - He would've had a feud with Hogan if he wasn't so over at the time and well things got scrapped but I think if he would've have been booed as heavily as he was cheered he could've had a run even if just a short one.

Ted Dibiase - He put over every major face in the company and once jobbed to Virgil, if there was any other person right to be a heel champion it was Dibiase.

other honerable mentions go to - Brutus Beefcake, Mr. perfect, Big Bossman, Shelton Benjamin, Raven, Billy Gunn, Roddy Piper, etc.

 

[Christian Faith]

I agree with most of the names on here. It's hard for me to add anyone but I will give it a go.

Lex Luger- When he slammed Yokozuna it did seem that he was on the brink of greatness but it never happened. In my opinion Luger could have had a run with the title from Summerslam till maybe the Royal Rumble before dropping it back to Yoko. Then Bret could have won the Rumble and beat Yoko at Mania and saved his match with Owen for later in the year.

 

[i_am_the_champ94]

Definitely Mr. Perfect and "Ravishing" Rick Rude. The fact that these two weren't given at least 1 reign as world champion at least once is a crime. Both of them are some of the all time greats and in my own personal view they would have had fantastic reigns as the WWE/F Champion.

 

[jacdnwarrior]

If we're talking about the WWE title, here are my five:

Roddy Piper

One of the greatest heels in the company's history. Great talker excellent heel. Maybe he didn't need the title, but it would have done wonders for him financially and the title itself. It would have made a feud between Hogan and Piper even more of a hot ticket, not that it wasn't hot enough already.

Booker T

Yes, he was huge in WCW with 5 World championships and was a World Heavyweight Championship but not a WWE champ and that to me is a real lost opportunity. He was an effective heel and a more than over face. Entertaining in the ring, and underrated performer who despite what a lot of people say is more than spinning heel kicks and a spinaroonie. He was entertaining on the mike. The talent and support was there for a run.

Paul Orndoff

The fact is he was over and he was hated. Good in the ring, solid on the mike, yet he doesn't get the belt. The fact he was never IC champion, or tag champ is even more bizarre. Especially when you look at the number of guys and quality of performers who have held those titles, they are nowhere near as good as he was in look, mike ability or storytelling.

Ricky Steamboat

Him not being a world champion is rather sad to me. He had amazing in ring ability, and he was a part of the greatest match (or one of the greatest matches) in WM history. He has the IC strap asks for time to see the birth of his son, he has to drop the belt to Honky Tonk Man and his career is never the same again in WWF. This is a crime that some one as talented as he obviously was never got anywhere near a title shot. He was just as good as Randy Savage, deserved a shot.

The Million Dollar Man Ted DIbiase

One of my favourite heels during the eighties, he had the goods in the ring and was entertaining on the mike. His tag title run is something but quite frankly pretty damn little when you consider how great he really was. He was for a time the most hated heel in the company and should have been given a run to gain him more heat and make his defeat even more compelling.

Other mentions

Owen Hart

Better on the mike than his brother, Bret. A very good heel who made his rivalry against Bret that much better. He almost did it all. A world title reign could have been huge for him.

Shelton Benjamin

Not as solid on the mike, but he hardly spoke, tbh. He was as good as it gets in the ring. He was a part of how many MITB matches with no payoff for the number of high spots he gave as a participant in those matches. He was with the company for more than ten years (I think) a world title shot wasn't out of the question for his ability.
If he didn't win, I could live with that but personally the belt on him wouldn't have been out of the question for me.

Vader

You can argue that the timing was bad. Take a look at how monstrous he was in WCW. He was the bad ass monster in that company. He goes to WWF and they completely waste his potential, having become more of a punching bag for talent in the main event.

 

[LODemolition]

I was at SummerSlam '96 and legitimately thought several times that Vader was walking out new champion over Shawn Michaels in that match. He had a pretty good run up til then.

Good point about Luger, whoever mentioned that he could've been champ from SummerSlam to the Rumble. I agree, Lex was red hot as one of the new top faces after the 4th of July. They should've struck while the iron was hot with him.

And yes, to clarify, I'm only talking about the WWE on this subject.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

I would say that Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat is the greatest WWF in-ring performer to never have won the WWF/E World Title.

I don't know whether it is because he didn't play politics (Steamboat was never talked about as someone who kept others down. On the contrary, he seemed as interested in making his opponent look good in the ring). There is also the issue about him putting other priorities (e.g. his son's birth) ahead of his own personal ambitions. For workaholic Vince, putting your family ahead of wrestling was frowned upon, not rewarded.

Talk about how beating someone buries them, consider this. Steamboat beat Randy Savage at "Wrestlemania 3", and yet, it was Savage who got the main event and titles. Not that Savage didn't deserve it, but it would have been nice for Steamboat to have got a title run.

The fact is, Steamboat was in an era where Hulk Hogan held the belt for three years (and face v face matches didn't happen, keeping Steamboat out of the title picture), and was probably too nice a guy to politick for the belt. If Steamboat was in today's WWE, where the WWE give out title reigns like lollies, Steamboat would have had a run, I believe. He is more worthy than Alberto Del Rio, Dolph Ziggler or The Great Khali of having a title run.

The closest "The Dragon" got was winning the WCW World Title off Ric Flair, in their series of epic matches. Even then, he lost it back to Flair soon after. It seemed that Steamboat was pegged as the guy who challenges for the title, but is just there to make the champion look better in the ring.

This is why I don't piss on the Hall-Of-Fame like some here do. I was happy that Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat got in the WWE HoF, as it is some recognition from the WWE for his contribution (he got few others). He was as good in the ring as Randy Savage, Bret Hart, Mr Perfect, Kurt Angle, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, etc. Savage, Austin and Ric Flair have all stated that he was their favourite opponent. So, if anyone missed out, it was Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat.

Steamboat created the situation by doing what now is considered normal practice... asking for time off.

He had just been handed the gilt edged "brass ring" by Vince and wanted to go home for almost a year... No one got time off then, no one dared ask, the as Jake famously said in Beyond The Mat, they were obliged to be available to wrestle every day of the year they were required.

Ricky would NEVER have won the WWF title once Hogan was there, get that clear - it was considered that he be the "hero" rather than Hogan initially and once he'd taken his time out he was not getting near that chance, imagine had he stayed... Mania 4 the rematch in the tourney final for the World title... it may have happened but Steamboat would have come up short...

These lists really do come up every 5 minutes and it is annoying having to say the same names... and refute the same old names...

Take out ANYONE with a "gimmick", that means something they either had to carry a prop or an animal. Why? Because they were over BECAUSE of that gimmick... Jake for example would not have worked toting the belt, showing that AND doing the spot with Damien... it was either or, take the snakebag away and Jake loses his edge. Ditto for Brutus with the shears and haircutting, Bossman with the nightstick and cuffs, Duggan and his 2 by 4...

Take out anyone who had a "world" title elsewhere before their WWF career... this includes Vader, Ron Simmons, Luger, Perfect, Martel and Dusty Rhodes, Kerry Von Erich. Flair was the exception but Vince was never going to push someone else who had carried a world belt elsewhere as his champion as it would lead to comparisons. His title was the "pinnacle" as he presented it, that means anyone who held the other belts was almost a "charlatan" in some ways... Any of those guys had some claim that this, Rhodes in particular but it was never even an option.

Take out sympathy votes... This means Owen in particular - he had one chance where being World champion worked, perhaps they should have had him beat Bret and then Diesel destroy him instead of Backlund... but that would then mean he would have had one of the "worst" reigns... it's better not to have had it than to be remembered for that.

Take out more recent but "trendy" picks, as good as a Shelton Benjamin or Lance Storm are, they both had serious charisma deficiencies that they never got close to overcoming... the closest in recent times to deserving this would be William Regal - he blew his opportunity end of story and Wade Barrett but like Owen it would have probably harmed him to win the title only to lose it to Super Cena soon after.

As ever I submit that other than Rude you are looking at:-

Brian Pillman - If he had not rolled his jeep and made it to the WWF in the condition he had signed his deal in. Then 1996/7 would have seen Pillman vs Bret and Shawn over the title and Brian lifting it, the Attitude/DX push would have been his... but 3 DAYS after signing, bang it was gone... but that Pillman who signed could have put on the required in ring show AND made WWF must see TV with his wildness. Austin would have been along for the ride and may have ended up in a similar place, but he would have been the sidekick at the start...

Davey Boy Smith - Without question he deserved the title - He was ready for it in 96 as an alternative to Pillman. He could have beaten Shawn in one of those matches and it not damage Shawn but Kliq politics meant no. or in 1994 when he first turned heel, he could have been red hot had he beaten Diesel... hell even Wrestlemania 9 could have been a rematch for the World title had the Warrior been more diligent with shredding incriminating paperwork...

Ted DiBiase - Yes, Ted did deserve the title in 87-88... He should have won it right on his debut, forgetting the Andre win altogether, Andre should have been his henchman... he was brought in for this purpose... but Hogan refused it... The beginning of the end of Hulk Hogan's credibility, every decision he made thereafter as to who he would and wouldn't work with would get progressively worse.

Shane McMahon - Think back to how good Shane actually was in his prime, he was a kid who like Vince had always wanted to be a wrestler but his name/father forbade it... that didn't mean in Shane's case that he didn't LEARN though... and he learned from the best of the WWF era over years... when his chance finally came, he was far above what anyone had expected in the ring and better than a lot of the talent. That he held singles titles without it being compared to vanity reigns such as Vince's or the outrage given to Arquettes or Khali etc.

To this day I think that it should have been Shane who won the WWF title/Royal Rumble rather than Vince... but think about it... if he had a surname other than McMahon, even Kayfaybe...as good as he was - he could have been champion...

 

[Aquaman6686]

Maybe Christian. I think he has all the requisite skills in the ring and on the mic, and it seems to me that there were a number of times that he was just a mild push away.

Ummm.... Christian is a 6-Time World Champion. I could get MAYBE forgetting a guy who won the title once, for a few seconds, like Andrè...but a guy who was World Champion SIX times?

 

[d_henderson1810]

Steamboat created the situation by doing what now is considered normal practice... asking for time off.

He had just been handed the gilt edged "brass ring" by Vince and wanted to go home for almost a year... No one got time off then, no one dared ask, the as Jake famously said in Beyond The Mat, they were obliged to be available to wrestle every day of the year they were required.

Ricky would NEVER have won the WWF title once Hogan was there, get that clear - it was considered that he be the "hero" rather than Hogan initially and once he'd taken his time out he was not getting near that chance, imagine had he stayed... Mania 4 the rematch in the tourney final for the World title... it may have happened but Steamboat would have come up short...

These lists really do come up every 5 minutes and it is annoying having to say the same names... and refute the same old names...

Take out ANYONE with a "gimmick", that means something they either had to carry a prop or an animal. Why? Because they were over BECAUSE of that gimmick... Jake for example would not have worked toting the belt, showing that AND doing the spot with Damien... it was either or, take the snakebag away and Jake loses his edge. Ditto for Brutus with the shears and haircutting, Bossman with the nightstick and cuffs, Duggan and his 2 by 4...

Take out anyone who had a "world" title elsewhere before their WWF career... this includes Vader, Ron Simmons, Luger, Perfect, Martel and Dusty Rhodes, Kerry Von Erich. Flair was the exception but Vince was never going to push someone else who had carried a world belt elsewhere as his champion as it would lead to comparisons. His title was the "pinnacle" as he presented it, that means anyone who held the other belts was almost a "charlatan" in some ways... Any of those guys had some claim that this, Rhodes in particular but it was never even an option.

Take out sympathy votes... This means Owen in particular - he had one chance where being World champion worked, perhaps they should have had him beat Bret and then Diesel destroy him instead of Backlund... but that would then mean he would have had one of the "worst" reigns... it's better not to have had it than to be remembered for that.

Take out more recent but "trendy" picks, as good as a Shelton Benjamin or Lance Storm are, they both had serious charisma deficiencies that they never got close to overcoming... the closest in recent times to deserving this would be William Regal - he blew his opportunity end of story and Wade Barrett but like Owen it would have probably harmed him to win the title only to lose it to Super Cena soon after.

As ever I submit that other than Rude you are looking at:-

Brian Pillman - If he had not rolled his jeep and made it to the WWF in the condition he had signed his deal in. Then 1996/7 would have seen Pillman vs Bret and Shawn over the title and Brian lifting it, the Attitude/DX push would have been his... but 3 DAYS after signing, bang it was gone... but that Pillman who signed could have put on the required in ring show AND made WWF must see TV with his wildness. Austin would have been along for the ride and may have ended up in a similar place, but he would have been the sidekick at the start...

Davey Boy Smith - Without question he deserved the title - He was ready for it in 96 as an alternative to Pillman. He could have beaten Shawn in one of those matches and it not damage Shawn but Kliq politics meant no. or in 1994 when he first turned heel, he could have been red hot had he beaten Diesel... hell even Wrestlemania 9 could have been a rematch for the World title had the Warrior been more diligent with shredding incriminating paperwork...

Ted DiBiase - Yes, Ted did deserve the title in 87-88... He should have won it right on his debut, forgetting the Andre win altogether, Andre should have been his henchman... he was brought in for this purpose... but Hogan refused it... The beginning of the end of Hulk Hogan's credibility, every decision he made thereafter as to who he would and wouldn't work with would get progressively worse.

Shane McMahon - Think back to how good Shane actually was in his prime, he was a kid who like Vince had always wanted to be a wrestler but his name/father forbade it... that didn't mean in Shane's case that he didn't LEARN though... and he learned from the best of the WWF era over years... when his chance finally came, he was far above what anyone had expected in the ring and better than a lot of the talent. That he held singles titles without it being compared to vanity reigns such as Vince's or the outrage given to Arquettes or Khali etc.

To this day I think that it should have been Shane who won the WWF title/Royal Rumble rather than Vince... but think about it... if he had a surname other than McMahon, even Kayfaybe...as good as he was - he could have been champion...

Isn't it a shame that Vince had that attitude, and I wonder if his relationship with his own children was damaged at all by working all the time.

Wrestling doesn't need to be 365 days a year. I doubt many people will care whether or not WWE took time off during Christmas-New Year, for example. They are not doctors or emergency workers, who need to be on call constantly. They are wrestlers. Who knows, some time off may help wrestlers recover from injury sooner.

Besides, Brock Lesnar, Chris Jericho and RVD take time off, come back,and get runs. Batista hasn't been in WWE for four years, yet is main-eventing Mania.

It isn't Steamboat's fault, it's Vince's. He is a workaholic,and thinks everyone else should be too. I suspect that Ricky's relationship with his son is closer than Vince is with Shane.

Gimmick wrestlers don't win the title:- The Undertaker says "hello". So did Kane in his short title stint.

No-one who won a World Title elsewhere wins it in WWE. Ric Flair, Booker T, Big Show say "hello".

People with lack of speaking abilities don't win the title:- Jeff Hardy says "hello", so would Andre The Giant and Chris Benoit, if they were alive. Great Khali might say "Hello" too, if I could understand what he was saying.

 

[Aquaman6686]

Gimmick wrestlers don't win the title:- The Undertaker says "hello". So did Kane in his short title stint.

Short title stint for Kane? He may have only been WWE Champion for 24 hours, but he was ECW Champion for three months and World Heavyweight Champion for five. By today's standards those are impressive reigns.

 

[roipdh123]

I can say 3 that needed to be world champions and they are Rowdy Piper & Mr. Perfect & Matt Hardy.
Honorable Mentions:William Regal & Shelton Benjamin & John Morrison & Matt Hardy.

 

[thebarber]

Mr Perfect was AWA World Champion, he doesnt make the cut
Rick Rude was WCW World Champion, he doesnt make the cut
Vader was WCW world Champion, he doesnt make the cut

1. ROWDY RODDY PIPER: This man was the greatest heel in the 80s, how he never won a recognized WORL TITLE in WWE. WCW/NWA, AWA or in Japan is beyond me. I guess he is the perfect example of a guy who didnt need a title to get over.
2. PAUL ORNDORFF: One guy mentioned him earlier, he had a massive feud with Hulk Hogan in 1986-1987, had Vince chosen Orndorff to be the guy to dethrone Hulk Hogan, say at that massive outdoor show in Toronto Canada in August 1986 and say Hogan won it back in the classic cage match on Saturday Nights Main Event in January 1987, that run could have been solid on tv, but as there were no pay per views in those days, his run may not have been as memorable in hidnsight, but he surely deserved a run.
3. Ted DiBiASE: Another massively over heel, buying the belt did not have him recognized as a WWF Champion. Notice all of these guys were huge in the Hogan years of champion in WWE, but this is what this thread is for.
4. JAKE ROBERTS: Possibly the biggest face to never win a recognized singles world title. Snake Roberts could have easily ran with the belt in 1987, but his neck injuries the following couple of years curtailed what could have had him the biggest face in the company, a role that was then handed to Ultimate Warrior.
5. MAGNIFICENT MURACO: This beast was a badd ass mofo in the early 80s, he was a two time IC Champion and was over huge. Easily could have traded the title with Backlund, and was a good opponent for Hulk Hogan, they had a classic match leading to Wrestlemania 2 where Bundy destroyed Hogan's ribs.

 

[Aquaman6686]

I can say 3 that needed to be world champions and they are Rowdy Piper & Mr. Perfect & Matt Hardy.
Honorable Mentions:William Regal & Shelton Benjamin & John Morrison & Matt Hardy.

First, you said Matt Hardy both as one of your picks and as an honorable mention.

Second, as mentioned above, Mr. Perfect was AWA World Champion, and both Matt Hardy and John Morrison were ECW Champions. Both of those titles were legitimately recognized World Championships (AWA until it folded in 1991, ECW from 2006-2010). So, half your picks don't qualify.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Isn't it a shame that Vince had that attitude, and I wonder if his relationship with his own children was damaged at all by working all the time.

Wrestling doesn't need to be 365 days a year. I doubt many people will care whether or not WWE took time off during Christmas-New Year, for example. They are not doctors or emergency workers, who need to be on call constantly. They are wrestlers. Who knows, some time off may help wrestlers recover from injury sooner.

Besides, Brock Lesnar, Chris Jericho and RVD take time off, come back,and get runs. Batista hasn't been in WWE for four years, yet is main-eventing Mania.

It isn't Steamboat's fault, it's Vince's. He is a workaholic,and thinks everyone else should be too. I suspect that Ricky's relationship with his son is closer than Vince is with Shane.

Gimmick wrestlers don't win the title:- The Undertaker says "hello". So did Kane in his short title stint.

No-one who won a World Title elsewhere wins it in WWE. Ric Flair, Booker T, Big Show say "hello".

People with lack of speaking abilities don't win the title:- Jeff Hardy says "hello", so would Andre The Giant and Chris Benoit, if they were alive. Great Khali might say "Hello" too, if I could understand what he was saying.

It's harsh to judge Vince on the Steamboat thing, he needed all the guys he had on permanent retainer and keeping them working as there was no guaranteed contracts... so no wrestle no pay and it kept them out of the clutches of the competition. He was building a wealth of talent, not all could be the top guys for him, but could be elsewhere and Steamboat is a prime example. Shane was working for the E as soon as he could as a ref and Steph was right out of college... they would always have been at shows or having wrestlers and wrestling around the house, so their upbringing would have been different to that of a working wrestler's kids as the travel, hotels etc required would have been expensive and they were working every night just to pay the bills... For a Richie Steamboat, a Cody Rhodes or a Dwayne Johnson, going to a WWF show would have been a treat, to Steph and Shane normality...

Steamboat didn't want to miss that first year bonding with his son... Paternity leave is a right now in law but in 87 it was a pipe dream, Steamboat just got it in wrestling before time off was even thought of... now it is the norm... but it meant he paid the price.

Hello Undertaker? He didn't have a "physical" gimmick and as I said I refer to gimmick in the original sense of a prop... an object that was part of their schtick. His manager had one in the Urn, and he could use it outside the ring during the match. rather than a finale to it...

Notice when he did have one at the start of his career it vanished when he started get the title/main event?... body bags!

From there they made it about entrance as he became more a main eventer so more time could be given to the belt post match. Over time his costume became slightly less elaborate and easier to take off too, so time could be saved. When he started Taker took an age to take his hat off... before long it was a hood... seconds shaved off are crucial on PPV.

Kane also didn't have a prop... he had a mask - part of his costume...

In the days of PPV providers cutting you off the second your slot was up they couldn't have somone Jake mount the buckles with the belt AND unleash Damien at the end of the show... Hogan had his shirt, it took a second to tear and then it was done... Brutus shaving someone took minutes of the show up.

Rude is technically not a World Champion... but he held the physical belt that is now the World heavyweight championship... the "WCW International title" as it was known was not a world title at the time but a cross promotional one between WCW and NJPW... it was also the old NWA belt... for the purposes of this thread, I think Rude counts.