Undeserving World Champions

[PlayTheGame]

There's been quite a few, really, in the WWE. Guys that somehow get a hold of the WWE Championship or the World Heavyweight Championship, but you just don't know why or how. I think there's been more recently than ever, and I could definitely name a few off the top of my head, but I'll just pick one to talk about now, then others can add to the thread with undeserving guys that they pick out. Here's who sticks out to me:

Mark Henry. I really can't believe they trusted him with the title. I really don't think he's a draw, nor that great in the ring, even for a big guy. He's also very injury-prone, which doesn't help matters. And he's very underwhelming on the mic. You'd think a big guy like him would be more intense and angry on the mic, but he's just slow and deliberate, and sometimes can't even announciate his words properly. I think his world title reign came more as a result of there not being much other choice in terms of who else it could go to at the time, and due to him just being thrown a bone for being in the WWE for quite some time. But, I'm not really impressed by either of those reasons, thus making me believe he's undeserving of his reign. Agree? Disagree?

Who else do you think was undeserving of his world title reign(s)?

 

[Strife3]

Some of that Anger was gone because he was finally given the title that he should have been given 6 years before now. The most undeserving champion in WWE to this day would be Jeff Hardy. He stabbed WWE in the back and went to TNA, not once but twice.

Danyel Bryan needs to be replaced as WHC, he is not someone who should hold that title.

 

[dman1373]

Jack swagger-this guy was never over and somehow won the world heavyweight championship. I felt like him winning the title made into a ecw title. It was a complete joke. And some of you will defend it and he didn't have anything to work with and this and that, the fact is that he wasn't over at all. He is not a wrestler that should ever go past upermidcard.

Now about what you guys put.

Daniel Bryan-He was over, for a long time, and if he wasn't over in a town, he would be over midway through his match. He worked his way up and right now is one of the highlights of smackdown each week.

Mark henry-he is the most scary looking mfer in the world. The way he carrys himself and attacks people is scary. When he says hes going to kill you, your going to die. If any first time world champion deserved it this year, it was him. And im a huge daniel bryan fan.

 

[MWRedskins]

Jack Swagger. he wasnt built up right and his mic work wasnt great. he was a good worker, but his title run just felt like a fluke and when he lost it, he never was in the title hunt since his title run. now he's US Champ and sometimes he's not even on the Raw show.

someone said Henry, but i cant say him because he was a monster champ and improved and i like Bryan, i hope he keeps the title to WM. i think a Sheamus/Bryan match could steal the show.

 

[Singularity_A*]

Yeah, have to disagree with strife about Bryan. He definitely deserves it.

The only one I could definitively say did not deserve being champion was The Great Khali. And the fact he held the belt as long as he did. I just do not like his in ring abilities. I cringe everytime I watch him in the ring.

 

[RedBeardHair]

the great clusmly. nuff said. one month because he so hug in india. a lot of money to be made there. its just he cant do it but vkm is tring. working this what he can get.

 

[PlayTheGame]

I'd like to officially add Dolph Ziggler to the list. I just don't get what people like about this guy. All his cheap heat is achieved due to Vickie Guerrero, anyway. He's not overly good at anything in particular, not on the mic, not in a promo, not in the ring... And it's sad how badly he tries to copy Ric Flair. He's pretty much a combination of a bad Mr. Perfect and an awkward, teenage version of Flair. His WHW Title reign was forgettable at best, and it did not last long, thank God. It probably didn't last long for obvious reasons- I'm sure the WWE regretted it practically immediately. I'm not sure if he'll ever get to the point of deserving a world title reign, but he certainly didn't deserve the one he got. I hope they don't give him another run, at least anytime soon. I think it is quite clear that, like Jack Swagger, he's just not even close to being ready for it.

 

[ECW Sandman]

I have to say Miz I still don't know why they gave him a title shot he is not entertaining to watch matter of fact he is boring as hell the whole Really, really,really REALLY catchphrase is just so stupid and he is lame.

Another person that comes to mind is Alberto Del Rio he's a heel but he honestly can not pull off the heel persona like some people can like JBL now he was great heel he got under your skin, before ADR got injured I was watching Raw and when he came out no one really booed him not like how they boo John Cena or how they use to boo JBL.

 

[Rampage Bentley]

Anyone who has read any of my posts know my answer is going to be The Miz.

I just don't get the appeal of the guy, how people say he's good on the mic is far beyond me. I think the IWC gets a boner for anyone who tries and improves themselves... which he has, just not to the main event...

I think Henry did a decent job as WHC, and I don't think Swagger was a horrible champion, he just needed some build up before he won the title... he was wrestling dark matches one week, then next thing you know he wins MiTB and that week becomes WHC.

 

[thebarber]

Most undeserving World Champion of all time is David Arquette. Do I need to go on?????

Surely this wont get me an infraction, no reason needs to be written. He was not an active wrestler.

Honourable mentions: Vince McMahon(WWE Champ and ECW Champ), Vince Russo(WCW Champ),

 

[Defekt]

Jack Swagger: Pretty much the poster boy for undeserving title holders. I think the guy has talent, but giving him the belt in 2010 made the title look bad.

The Great Khali: Probably the worst wrestler ever, with has no redeeming value at all besides being tall. He's so immobile looking, it isn't even remotely believable he'd be able to take Santino in a fight, let alone someone like Batista.

Sheamus: Again, a talented wrestler with a bright future, but either through his own shortcomings or company politics, his reigns were ultimately made not important. He's basically started all over again in the last year or so and will probably have a better title run in the near future.

Bob Backlund: His second reign after Bret served it's purpose (transitional champ), so I don't fault him there. But I've always been astounded a guy like Backlund held the WWE championship for three years! His reign was before my time and I know the business was different, but there didn't seem to be anything special about Backlund as a face. Also, the guy directly after him (Hogan) took the business to unparalleled heights, which doesn't speak loudly to Backlund's draw as a champion.

Mark Henry: Mark Henry really stepped it up during his time as champion, but his career was a roller coaster run of being booked as monster heel one month, and a jobber to the stars the next. He got the ball and ran with it when he was the best available option.

Dolph Ziggler: A great wrestler, and most likely a future main event star, but there was no reason for the WWE to give him a title "reign" last year. If I remember correctly, his status as champion wasn't even confirmed until moments before his losing rematch with Edge. It built no heat, only really lasted a few minutes, and was pretty much completely meaningless.

 

[xxxdaniel_ariesxxx]

Vincent Kennedy McMahon. Its been over 12 years and I still don't understand it. Triple H had just won his first WWF Championship a few weeks prior and then out of the blue Vince McMahon returned (after being "Banned" from the WWF only two months earlier) and wins the title only to vacate it and then Triple H won it back at the next PPV in a match that was already booked and didn't change... so why?

 

[Raiden46]

There are a number of people who deserve to be on this list, but Mark Henry? Are you NUTS? Henry has been with the WWE for 15+ years, is a fantastic worker, and been loyal to no end. He has turned into an absolute monster and sells his brute gimmick very well. If not for his injury, he would probably still be WHC as we speak.

 

[PlayTheGame]

There are a number of people who deserve to be on this list, but Mark Henry? Are you NUTS? Henry has been with the WWE for 15+ years, is a fantastic worker, and been loyal to no end. He has turned into an absolute monster and sells his brute gimmick very well. If not for his injury, he would probably still be WHC as we speak.

He has been with the WWE for 15 years..... So that means Howard Finkel should get a world title run next, right after William Regal, by your logic, right? He didn't do shit in the WWE for 15 years, missing large chunks of that time injured. He was a joke for many of those years too, impreganting Mae Young and being "Sexual Chocolate" or whatever gimmick he had. Now all of a sudden he's a "dominant" heel? I guess you didn't watch back then when he was literally irrelevant, and used mostly in a joke manner. I agree he only won it because he's been loyal, not because he's talented... because if he were talented, he would have won it already- it wouldn't have taken 15 YEARS. Loyalty shouldn't equal world titles, which is why I have a problem with it.

And you call him a fantastic worker... You actually like watching him in the ring? Are we watching the same matches? He's not a good worker, he's severely limited in the ring, and the opposing wrestler has to work around him. And to your point about him losing the title due to injury- exactly my point- yet another Mark Henry injury. That's the problem with this guy. He can't stay healthy for long periods of time. Not his fault, but still a fact. Plus, he doesn't "sell" his gimmick well. The "selling" is being done by those that are "selling" for him in the ring, making him look like a monster heel. Face it, he's boring in the ring and on the mic. He's severely limited in every way, and was only given the belt because Smackdown is void of talent, and he's stuck around forever, probably too long.

I'm not nuts, just logical. And not a mark.

 

[californiachef84]

Some of that Anger was gone because he was finally given the title that he should have been given 6 years before now. The most undeserving champion in WWE to this day would be Jeff Hardy. He stabbed WWE in the back and went to TNA, not once but twice.

Danyel Bryan needs to be replaced as WHC, he is not someone who should hold that title.

YOU ARE A TOOL!!! You can hate on Jeff Hardy all you want for the period in his life that he went through. However, no one can deny that Jeff Hardy was the BIGGEST thing in the WWE when he won the title. How on earth could he be "undeserving"? You are a mark and a dumbass.

Anyways, most of this new era has been undeserving of world title runs. The Great Khali, Jack Swagger, Miz, and Ziggler are all perfect examples of people who never deserved to win a world title.

I love Rey Mysterio. With that said, it is quite unbelievable that he could ever win a world title. His sheer size would keep him from being able to beat someone like Mark Henry or the Big Show.

 

[thebarber]

"Bob Backlund: His second reign after Bret served it's purpose (transitional champ), so I don't fault him there. But I've always been astounded a guy like Backlund held the WWE championship for three years! His reign was before my time and I know the business was different, but there didn't seem to be anything special about Backlund as a face. Also, the guy directly after him (Hogan) took the business to unparalleled heights, which doesn't speak loudly to Backlund's draw as a champion."

Backlund actually held the WWE Title for 5 years in his first run, from 1978 to 1983. Shocking agreed, Superstar Billy Graham was over huge at the time and face turn would have been huge. But this was back in the day when title changes were arranged sometimes over a year in advance. Hell if they took a chance all those years ago, we may not have sufferd Hulk Hogan and Billy Graham may have been the shining light of Vinces organisation.

 

[Dranathor]

In my opinion Mark Henry deserved the title, he deserved it the very first moment he walked into this business.

He is the "Worlds Strongest Man", a huge superheavyweight that can dominate anyone that he goes up against and should have been what Brock Lesnar eventually become.

Ok, Brock Lesnar had the full package, but Mark Henry could easily have been the ultimate monster by having no one being able to harm him. Give him a long long title reign and then have someone come and defy the odds to defeat him.

I do feel that is where WWE were trying to go with this angle, if he hadn't picked up his injury I could have seen him go all the way to WM as WHC until losing it to Daniel Bryan.

The bashing of Mark Henry should never come through his injuries, many successful superstars have been injury prone. Nor should it come through his ability to play different gimmicks, he is showing variety in his work.

Now, he is the only wrestler that I look at that no matter who he is in the ring with you think that he is going to destroy them.

This is my first post on these forums

 

[owenmandias]

The Great Khali really is imo someone that didn't deserve the title. The guy can NOT wrestle and looks like he struggles to walk down to the ring.... and i hate how they have just put him straight into the elimination chamber after his time away! ridiculous.

I think that d bryan got the belt to early. I really liked him before he got the belt but since he got it, i don't really pay any attention to him.

Sheamus probably did get it to early but i think if he wins at mania it could be a really great run. Sheamus is one of the best things going at this moment in time!

 

[tomthebodz]

David Arquette. how did the companies benefit from this.

Arquette was champion to promote a film and was in that Triple cage so I'm guessing WCW management thought that it was a bright idea, which it clearly wasn't. It was the biggest middle finger up to some WCW guys.

I think Mark Henry deserved a title run, he's been with WWE for 16 years and has worked hard for the company. Had some shit storylines, Mae Young and the hand springs to mind, he's had injury problems but he's always pulled through them.

 

[Honkey_Kong]

Bob Backlund: His second reign after Bret served it's purpose (transitional champ), so I don't fault him there. But I've always been astounded a guy like Backlund held the WWE championship for three years! His reign was before my time and I know the business was different, but there didn't seem to be anything special about Backlund as a face. Also, the guy directly after him (Hogan) took the business to unparalleled heights, which doesn't speak loudly to Backlund's draw as a champion.

First of all, Hogan was not directly after Backlund. Backlund was convincingly defeated by The Iron Sheik (he never actually was pinned or submitted] and Backlund's manager threw the towel in. Second of all, he was a good draw back then in the WWWF territory. He was a fantastic worker too. Try to find some of his matches on youtube It's worth it. He did officially hold the title for several years, but he unofficially dropped the belt in that time to Antonio Anoki and Greg Valentine. He was a beatable champ and people paid money thinking he could lose at any given time.

Mark Henry: Mark Henry really stepped it up during his time as champion, but his career was a roller coaster run of being booked as monster heel one month, and a jobber to the stars the next. He got the ball and ran with it when he was the best available option.

You know what if it was 2010 that he had the belt or before, I would've agreed with you he didn't deserve it. But he was fantastic this entire year. If anybody on that roster deserved the WHC, it was Henry. He wasn't just a monster heel, he worked some good matches and on top of that, he stepped up his promos and made us want to pay for the PPV to watch him wrestle.

 

[paulc101]

I had to register just to say The Great Khali. This guy has absolutely no in ring ability and can't even walk properly let alone wrestle.

WWE needs to spend more time building champions instead of switching the belt every 2 seconds. End the brand split, get rid of the World Championship and United States Championship, and give us a little more sport and a little less entertainment.

Swagger and Ziggler have in-ring potential.

 

[Headman]

Bob Backlund: His second reign after Bret served it's purpose (transitional champ), so I don't fault him there. But I've always been astounded a guy like Backlund held the WWE championship for three years! His reign was before my time and I know the business was different, but there didn't seem to be anything special about Backlund as a face. Also, the guy directly after him (Hogan) took the business to unparalleled heights, which doesn't speak loudly to Backlund's draw as a champion.

Backlund was a legit wrestler and a pretty over one at that. He fought Ric Flair, Harley Race and Antonio Inoki in interpromotional dream matches that wouldn't become possible again for decades. He was much better than you give him credit for especially for the time. And considering the next best guy on the card would have been Greg "The Hammer" Valentine I really don't see what you're complaining about. The fact that Hulk Hogan (With a brief Iron Shiek bridge) came next is about as valid as Shawn Micheals being the guy to hold the belt before "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.


Jack Swagger on the otherhand was completely unworthy and remains so today. Putting the belt on him was a sure sign that the World title had become the new ECW title.

 

[enviousdominous]

The most undeserving in my mind is John Cena. He works his ass off, he makes the wishes of ill children come true and he's a shining example to children that if they believe in themselves they'll likely be successful. Here's the thing though, for the better part of the mid to late 2000s it wasn't about who he was, it was about keeping him on our minds by selling us the idea that nobody can legitimately beat him. I can only think of two clean Cena losses since they put they put the belt on him for the first time. Cena himself realizes that without that belt, he has to ride Zack Ryder's popularity and be involved in this "embrace the hate" angle.

I'm not saying that Cena should not have won the belt in the first place, I'm saying that every other person who held the WWE title after him should not have had to see the belt back on him in some way or another a month later at most.

Mark Henry has been paying hard dues ever since he pissed off Vince in the late '90s and he's pretty damn convincing as a brute champion. I personally was very satisfied to see Orton give up a clean loss to him. Would I have accepted it if he lost to Randy? Sure.

Daniel Bryan is another example of someone who is there first and foremost to convey an interesting chapter in an ongoing saga in the ring. If he has to go out there and get destroyed, he'll find a way to stay on our minds and in our hearts while doing so. The WWE hands Daniel Bryan the belt so fans of his (like me) have a reason to fill seats and buy shirts and makes him look silly so as not to make him seem like a better wrestler than Randy Orton.

Daniel Bryan and Punk are the champs, but look at who closes each show. I always tune out near the end because it never fails, Cena and this fucking stupid "embrace the hate" angle is still being pushed on us and it won't die until Cena gets a belt back.

 

[Nick Black]

Bleacher Report did an article on this a little while ago and it probably sums up what everyone is saying (well, if you go back a few months).

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/693472-wwe-power-rankings-the-15-worst-wwe-champions-ever

Some things they say don't apply now since it was posted in May of last year. They cite Kane's title reign from a long time ago, Big Show's from WWF days, and Sheamus' original run. Times have changed for those.

But they do mention Khali, Swagger, Hardy, Vinnie Mac, and RVD <---the WORST.

RVD never deserved to be champion. The weed smoking spot monkey he is couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat (if he even knew he was in a boat). The fact that he didn't deserve it was further proved when he got caught with a large amount of his favorite thing, weed a little while later and got himself screwed over. The only reason he was champ was to please the ECW maniacs at One Night Stand.

 

[theBec2101]

David Arquette- The Fall of WCW.
Vince Russo- no one new who he was until he screwed Hogan
The Miz- Really, Really, Really, Really, Awsome!!!, Really, Really, Really.(enough said)
The Great Kahli- Wow, he can chop, and do a double chockslam. One of the worst Big Men
Honourable Mentions- Jeff Hardy, Batista, Jeff Jarrett, Brock Lesnar, and Dan Savern