Biggest Flop Ever?

[mrfantastic111]

We've seen plenty of wrestlers get pushed to the moon, and then dropped like they were never a big deal. Sometimes these include former World Champions who have been dropped to the low-card after an epic push - and sometimes these are just heavily promoted wrestlers who could never get over.

In the past ten years, who is the biggest flop?

In my opinion - Jack Swagger. His burial is still recent history, but he is one of the few former world heavyweight champions to go from winning at Mania' and winning the World Title from a guy such as Jericho... To get demoted to Superstars within' a year of their big push. Actually, he's the only former world champion who was at one point a regular on Superstars AFTER winning the world title.

Who do you think is the biggest flop?

 

[SMKM]

I wouldn't say Swagger is really a "flop" per se, rather they pushed him to world championship status way too early. I mean sure what you all say is true but now here he is each week out on RAW along with Vickie Guerrero.....now some might say that's an act of desperation, but when Vickie is utilized more often than some superstars, being tagged along with her is probably a good thing career wise, even if you can't stand her. That being said, biggest flop ever? Could easily be any gimmick that NEVER got over, or was utterly redundant (The Shockmaster, One Man Gang, etc) but to play it safe I'll go with someone that should have achieved stardom but ultimately failed and I'll pick Kozlov. The man was pushed like crazy, and I for one was actually enjoying what they were doing with him, he could have been a monster, and I actually wish he would have beat HHH for the title, alas that didnt happen. Another flop in my opinion would be Umaga (RIP), and the fact he didnt beat Cena for the title. SO much potential there, but nope the WWE thought Cena should keep the title, and in my eyes that was a flop.

 

[Tenebrous]

Of the guys on the current roster, I'm going with Drew McIntyre with Ted DiBiase as a close second. I was a huge fan when he came to the company. He seemed to have the look and build of a credible future world champion. What have we gotten since his Intercontinental Championship run?...his appearances on Superstars. He still has time but he's over two years into his second stint with the company. I'm still of the "old school" midset that guys should be developed over time rather than rocketed to the moon but still his standing in the company is downright pitiful and disheartening.

 

[Krossbreed]

swagger is a good mid card wrestler i think they realized he isnt champ material unless they revise his gimic and maybe turn him faace.

if not handled correctly daniel bryan may be a even bigger flop he might be the first money in the bank winner to not win the title.

 

[OutsiderDX]

Carlito

He was born into wrestling, and grew up around the sport. His father was a wrestler and his brothers were wrestlers.

The guy grew up learning his trade in Puerto Rico, so he had the advantage of not just being another cookie cutter wwe style man.

He was given very "cool" vignettes before his debut. He was given a unique gimmick... as a laid back heel along with his apple schtick

He was given the IC belt upon his debut.

He was given a body guard upon his arrival. These were tools that could have kept him relevent with opportunities and storyline after storyline!

Carlito had a a great unique look with his amazing hair. He was very good on the microphone with a recognizable voice and speaking style.

He also came to Smackdown during a prime era when smaller guys like Eddie, Chavo and Benoit were there working... what an oppurtunity to watch and talk and learn!

He was eventually given his own talk show segment. .. another tool to help him get over and drive storylines

And by the end I can't remember one good thing he did. Did he have a memorable 5 star match? Did he has a memorable fued?

I think he peaked on his first night when he used Cena's chain to win the title

What a waste. What a flop!

 

[Harddyboy77]

Can't believe nobody has said it yet but....
The Great Khali
He was pushed to the WH title and defeated Batista at summerslam. After he lost it he had a few matches with Triple H and Jeff Hardy.Eventually he turned face and his career went down the drain.

 

[LegendKiller716]

Can't believe nobody has said it yet but....
The Great Khali
He was pushed to the WH title and defeated Batista at summerslam. After he lost it he had a few matches with Triple H and Jeff Hardy.Eventually he turned face and his career went down the drain.

You beat me to it. Khali had the biggest hype ever, and sucked. He squashed Undertaker. Think about that. He SQUASHED....UNDERTAKER. Undefeated at Wrestlemania, and Khali squashed him.

Is Khali the only star in history that can say having a world title hurt his career? Terrible.

 

[Defekt]

I agree, the biggest flop is The Great Khali. He's a massive giant, but doesn't speak English well and is too immobile to have a good match.

Honorable Mention:

Chris Masters - The WWE heavily hyped his debut with vignettes, and gave him a pretty awesome entrance routine. He had a recurring segment on RAW, and even worked with Shawn Michaels on a PPV, but for whatever reasons (drugs?), his status kept decreasing.

 

[Foshinzo]

Carlito

He was born into wrestling, and grew up around the sport. His father was a wrestler and his brothers were wrestlers.

The guy grew up learning his trade in Puerto Rico, so he had the advantage of not just being another cookie cutter wwe style man.

He was given very "cool" vignettes before his debut. He was given a unique gimmick... as a laid back heel along with his apple schtick

He was given the IC belt upon his debut.

He was given a body guard upon his arrival. These were tools that could have kept him relevent with opportunities and storyline after storyline!

Carlito had a a great unique look with his amazing hair. He was very good on the microphone with a recognizable voice and speaking style.

He also came to Smackdown during a prime era when smaller guys like Eddie, Chavo and Benoit were there working... what an oppurtunity to watch and talk and learn!

He was eventually given his own talk show segment. .. another tool to help him get over and drive storylines

And by the end I can't remember one good thing he did. Did he have a memorable 5 star match? Did he has a memorable fued?

I think he peaked on his first night when he used Cena's chain to win the title

What a waste. What a flop!

You took the words right out of my mouth, bub.
I remember when Carlito debuted, I thought: "This guy is going to be a WrestleMania Main Eventer." I seriously thought that. He had a workable gimmick, he had a unique and great look, he had charisma, and he had heritage to back him. He was like a Puerto Rican Randy Orton...I couldn't resist. :3

Carlito is a guy that I still can't figure out how he flopped so hard. He could have been a world champion, and now is back in Puerto Rico.

I want to say that Chris Masters was a flop, but he didn't have the tools like Carlito did. If Masters was good enough, he probably would have cut the mustard. Carlito really should have made it.

 

[SPR*VLN]

If Jack Swagger were to retire soon, then I see your argument, but he was a future ahead of him so he still has opputunity.

Now on the other hand Khali is finished. They made people like Taker, Kane, and Batista take the jobbers for him. Didn't look believable one bit. Never understood why they went with him over Umaga, who was a WAYYYYYYY better choice, to be that go to big man around 06-07.

 

[Ytoojae]

Is Khali the only star in history that can say having a world title hurt his career? Terrible.

Far from it. I would have to suggest that winning the title out of nowhere and then being booked as such a weak champion has hurt Swagger. He should have held the brief case until the money in the bank pay per view and then cashed it in there. I don't believe that Swags would be such a joke now had they not rushed it with him. He wasn't credible at the time and the run made him into more of a joke.

I also believe winning the championship in the manner that he did hurt Sheamus in the short term. Cena literally jumping through the table really was a lame way for Sheamus to win. The WWE then had difficulty pushing him until his face turn and now finally he seems to be back on track to becoming a legit WWE main event caliber talent.

I would suggest that those are two good examples of winning the championship hurting someone's career.


As far as biggest bust ever..... A character that I was really amped up to see but was a complete bust was Mordecai. Another bust although not at all fair to him but rather what turned out to be incredibly bad timing was the Muhammed Hassan. He had it all until the Smackdown incident that UPN requested him off of their channel.

 

[keehlnate]

I'd say the biggest flop ever was Chris Benoit, god he sucked. Batista was pretty painful too, he was good as part of evolution but when he went out for himself jesus that was hard to watch.

I don't see a reason on how Benoit and Batista became a 'flop'. Benoit was a great champion and will always be remembered on winning the title at WM 20. There is no way he became a flop. As for Batista? I don't see why he is a flop. He became a world champion and a solid main-eventer. I just don't see why you considered him as 'flop'.

As for the topic, I can say that the biggest flop is Drew McIntyre. He is inducted in the WWE by the chairman Vince McMahon himself and look at him now. He became Intercontinental Champion and he is done. He is nowhere to be found. Although It's too early to say this but at this point in time he is without a doubt a 'flop'.

 

[MFR0mack]

Anyone who thinks Carlito should have been world champion must be on some pretty good drugs... No one with that look (until he cut his hair) would have ever made world champion status, and his gimmick was just a rip off of Razor Razon with an apple and a worse accent.

 

[shafe_41]

If one more person in here says anything about being "buried" I'm going to drown you.

Let's start out with this... JACK SWAGGER IS NOT/HAS NOT/WON'T BE BURIED!!!! Do you seriously even know what being buried means? No? That's ok. Go look it up because we're getting tired of explaining it. If you're being featured on weekly television, wrestle on PPVs (like this week at SS), you aren't being buried. Jesus christ... where's the effing Tylenol? Moreover, Swagger was never brought into the WWE ever given the label "the guy." He worked for his spot up the card.

My pick will be slightly controversial. My pick was brought in and almost immediately labeled as being "the guy" of the future. Bobby Lashley. It's pretty clear he never lived up to what YOU KNOW DAMN WELL Vince brought him in to do. Whether it be injury, other career paths, dabbling in TNA, etc... Lashley was the biggest most promising flash in the pan superstar I can remember. Sure he held the ECW Title and mid-card titles... but let's face the facts, Vince brought him in the WWE to do a hell of a lot more than that.

 

[One to Remember]

I'd say the biggest flop ever was Chris Benoit, god he sucked. Batista was pretty painful too, he was good as part of evolution but when he went out for himself jesus that was hard to watch.

even if you have renounced Benoit or never took to Batista i fell to understand at all were u are coming from. i think you through benoit in to get a reaction and Batista in to cover your attempt at creating a disruption..


The Boogeyman seemed interesting but nothing came of his career. Even on ECW, his natural environment he never went anywhere.

Khali fail after he won his title. I have never seen anything like it other then with the swagger debacle but i think he will be rehabilitated.

Umaga reached new heights when he became McMahon's monster at 'Mania But he never got a title out of it and now he will never ever have the chance.

Rikishi after Stone Cold got ran over was a flop.

I would say Tank Abbott but he was in WCW.. Shamrock to me did not do to well in the WWF though. He could had done better then the I-C title even with a concrete upper tier. The time he spent in NWA-TNA should had been in WWE making up for the snub he got in the '90s.

Vader failed in the WWF and again in the WWE.. I do not know why he failed 15 years ago because he was a machine in WCW.

Goldberg failed in WWE. That was an epic flop.

Kozlov failed to deliver, and as for Carlito Carribean Cool you ask? To me i only started taking him seriously as a top guy when he stood up to Cena and claimed the locker room also shared his views. When I saw that angry Carlito I saw what I felt he should be if he was to reign atop the hill.

 

[Alastor]

Rikishi heel turn has to be one of the biggest flop. They gave him the running over Stone Cold thing and it could have been huge but it just fell flat and they had to make up a mastermind to be behind the plot.

Raw anonymous GM. Has he/she been revealed yet?

 

[supernatural1981]

my pick is tazz. he went to wwe as a ecw legend who i thought would become a instant wwe title challenger.

His start was good when he went over kurt angle at the rumble but after that he had a couple of hardcore titlewins maybe even a tag title (not sure) then wentinto commentating.

also gotta mention:raven, monte brown, chris harris. noticehow these are all guys from other companies who have reasonable success that are brought to wwe and well you know what happens next

 

[scragg23]

Drew McIntyre- I thought this guy was "destined" to become a world champion this time last year... He was mr mcmahon's "chosen one" and everything. Long IC reign, thought as soon as he dropped it he would be pushed to the heavyweight title picture on smackdown. elimination chamber was the last big match he was part of. now he's on superstars.

Mr Kennedy (WWE)- Great gimmick, great crowd reaction as a heel or face. money in the bank winner, pushed to the moon, got injured, lost the briefcase, pissed people off upstairs, future endeavoured.

Billy Gunn- loved him in the new age outlaws, good look, good finishing move. won 1999 king of the ring, instant push feuding with the rock, then within 6 months he's tagging again. although when he had his singles push as a heel, HHH was beginning his dominance, as well undertaker being a top heel at the time aswell.

Umaga- came in beat everybody, even took legends like Ric Flair to make him unstoppable. if it wasn't for Super-Cena beating him not once but TWICE at TWO consecutive PPV's, he would have had a mark henry-esque run with the title. then bobby lashley/wrestlemania 23 came along, ruined his character as nobody could take him seriously as a monster heel. got beat by Jeff Hardy a few times aswell, lost to Batista at wrestlemania, then slowly went on a downward spiral. RIP

John Morrison- i smell future endeavoured for this guy. this time last year he beat sheamus at 2 consecutive PPV's, got a shot as The Miz, then stole the show at the Royal Rumble & Extreme Rules. injury didn't help, losing streak as soon as he came back didn't help. Just shows what happens when u piss off the wrong people!

Chris Masters- as soon as this guy debuted, i thought he was going to be a world champion. months after his arrival he got a feud with shawn michaels, then he was put in a couple of matches with cena for the title. he had the unbreakable master lock (which Lashley shouldn't have broke.) after the elimination chamber in 06, i thought him or carlito would have been challenging cena post-wrestlemania for the title, but no. then he got released, came back, and superstars'd it til he was released again. shame!

Bobby Lashley- built up as a monster face, athletic big man, beat big show in the extreme chamber to win the ecw title,beat umaga at wrestlemania, feuded with the mcmahons, traded to raw, became a wwe championship challenger, even faced john cena in one hell of a title match, then decided to disappear. good decision? not.

BIGGEST FLOP EVER:
Jack Swagger- How this guy cannot be considered a flop i don't know. the argument of the belt being put on him too soon is a joke. even if they had have had him with the briefcase for 6/7 months after he won it at WM, still nobody would have cared. his reign was terrible, nobody cared, not his fault that he couldn't get over, he wasn't really given the chance. now he's just a jobber for santino marella

 

[Mustang Sally]

I'd pick Shane Douglas, in both his first incarnation about 20 years ago, and his later one as Dean Douglas.

The guy is a perfect example of why a sports entertainment performer has to have more than superior technical wrestling ability to get over in a big way. For years, we've heard old-timers like Bruno Sammartino (as well as a lot of people on this forum) say that great wrestling talent should be enough to put someone over big......but it isn't so, and Shane is one of the best examples.

I went to a house show when Shane was performing as Dean Douglas. As each match was introduced, the performers came down the aisle to enthusiastic response (both booing and cheering). When Douglas came down, people told me that a collective groan went up from the crowd.

His push went nowhere, although the company tried hard to put him over. They let him talk, they let him play with his chalk and blackboard, they tried to manufacture conflicts with other wrestlers.......nothing worked, and one of the biggest efforts to launch a wrestler wound up a total flop.

 

[J.J.]

Razor Ramon/Scott Hall. With all the talent he had as a singles competitor and a pretty good guy on the Mic, he allowed himself to be a victim of substance abuse and quite simply became a second man to Kevin Nash's WCW success and never reached the main event level on a consistent basis. At his age now, its safe to assume he never will achieve the success he could have in his prime. To me he was a sure shot at being a world champ and push wasn't rushed like Great Khali and Jack Swagger. I think back to his feud and ladder match for Intercontinental title with Shawn Michaels many years back and convinced the "bad guy" would be a world champ someday.

 

[ShatteredDreamsProduction]

Everyone keeps mentioning The All American American, but he is only 29, He has loads of time to develop and grow, and working with Vicky and Dolph Ziggler can only be good for him. It'll build him up, I say throw him into a decent feud with someone who can put him over well, maybe orton after he is done with rhodes. Who knows, it might just work and turn him into a decent all round wrestler, its clear he has the potential.

in response to the original question though, you can mention flops of wrestling without mentioning Viscera surely? The Viscera thing was bad enough, but then he came back as Big Daddy V with Matt Striker as his manager, how did this guy stay in WWE for so long?

 

[The Dragon Saga]

You know lately we've been getting the odd good thread, that the posters completely destroy with their responses. Far too many of you are using the word, "buried" without even knowing what it actually means. Being buried isn't losing one match, if you win matches you can't be getting buried!

Jack Swagger is NOT a flop. Jack Swagger's World Heavyweight Championship reign can be described as a failure, you can label it a mistake, but it can't be a flop because the guy is still in the fucking company and he still wrestles on weekly television! He only had a shot at the WWE Tag Team Championship's at Unforgiven!

Jesus tap dancing Christ, between this thread and the thread about the most overrated wrestlers in WWE history, I don't know which one has gone to shit in a more rapid manner.

Bobby Lashly was a flop because he came in, they put him in a major WrestleMania match being backed by Donald Trump, they advertised him as much as they could, they put him in angles with Mr. McMahon, they gave him title belts, a short undefeated streak even and in his final ever WWE appearence he nearly went over John Cena for the WWE Championship.

THAT is a flop. WWE putting so much time and energy into someone for him to then leave, that is what you can consider a flop. You can't consider Jack Swagger a flop because he is still there! He still competes and is shown week-after-week! He doesn't fit the definition.

 

[grimzkunk]

Biggest flop for me, is happening right now and it is the face push of CM Punk.
The WWE "had" it this summer back then when Punk stole the WWE belt. They made something very rare in this business : adults bought WWE t-shirt. We, adults that lived the Attitude Era and miss it a lot, had something interesting to follow in the WWE, something not intended to kids. We had a modern day's Steve Austin.

The way I see it now, they made Punk a good guy, teaming up with Cena and HHH. He does not challenge authority anymore, his "pipe bomb" are no more.

They created something with enormous potential this summer. And now they screwed it up. He's become a baby face. Like Cena and Orton.

The only interesting char we now have is The Rock, and he is not fulltime...arg

 

[alexikosalov]

Sgt. Slaughter was probably the biggest flop ever. Designed for one match. Was supposed to draw 100,000 + w Hogan and instead drew 16,000 at Mania.

 

[Arcade]

Drew Mc Intyre

He was pushed pretty good when he debuted. He had a good IC title, feuding against Matt Hardy, Kane, Kofi Kingston, and had some memorable moments during the run(Teddy long situation, Drew beating up Matt and Kofi with help of security). Now he's almost like a jobber.