Which WWE-alum do you feel sorry for the most?

[S.J. Maximus]

With all these legends and icons in the business returning to the WWE in 2011, I can't help but think about all the legends and icons that I'd love to see come back but can't due to injury. The point of this thread is simple, of all the injured icons of the past, which one do you wish would come back in 2012 the most? For every Rock and Roddy Piper, there's an Edge and Lex Luger, which is sad because I bet they'd love to come back for one more match if they could but they're not physically able.

My personal choice goes to the Hitman Bret Hart. The fact that Hart even drew money in 2010 without actually doing a wrestling move (besides the Sharpshooter) speaks volumes to how much he could've drawn if he didn't suffer the concussion in 1999 or the stroke in 2002. Think about it, Bret is younger than Flair, Hogan, and Steamboat, which are 3 guys who have recently put on decent matches with young talent. Hart could've came back and truly help the Hart Dynasty get over by working matches with them. He could've donned the pink and black tights and actually made a significant difference in the SummerSlam 2010 main event. Bret is my favorite wrestler of all-time and I think it's a damn shame that every time I see him in a WWE ring I know that he will only do the sharpshooter and then leave.

So tell me, which injured star of the past are you missing the most right now?

 

[sabataged]

Easy one for me....


Brian Pillman. I always loved the loose cannon gimmick. he was rally coming into his own before his passing. RIP Pillman

 

[VinnieSunshine]

Owen. Who's yo say where he would be today if that tragic day hadn't happened. Now is legacy can't even live on because his wife has such a stranglehold on his career that she won't let WWE use his image or reference him. There can't even be a career DVD.

YOU'RE MY BOY BLUE!!!!

 

[Lowdown]

For me its between Droz and Owen Hart. Both were affected by freak accidents (fatally in Owen's) case. I know Droz continued to be a columnist for WWE after being paralyzed, though I don't know what he's been up to in recent years.

 

[warchildrex]

for me?

andrew "test" martin.

here was a guy that looked like nash, but moved 4 times as fast. he had a great look, and i always thought he had great potential. his "love her or leave her" match against shane mcmahon was, in my opinion, a great match...but then he got punked out after triple h and stephanie married (on screen). then it was just one bad gimmick after another ("test-icles." really?)...

and then he died alone on his couch, a half-eaten pizza beside him.

not long before his death, he worked an indie show for a friend of mine, and he was telling us how vicious the locker room politics were in wwe, and how heartbroken he was that he had been "used up, broken down, and thrown away" by the company. i felt so bad for him that night, and was greatly saddened when he died just a few months later.

 

[The Hardcore Kid]

I've always felt bad for Bret Hart. Now, I don't agree with a lot of things he's done. While I condone no one's actions on the Montreal Screwjob, I think that he played just as much a part in causing that situation as Vince did. He didn't want to lose in his home COUNTRY? Come on.

Anyway, on topic, The Screwjob obviously sucked hardcore. Bret has said that he felt forced into signing with WCW, and the day he signed his WCW contract was the "darkest day of his life". His lifeblood was with WWE, and it was all he knew. It was his family and he felt forced out while Vince and co. acted like his decade of contributions to the company were meaningless.

Then two years later his brother died in a freak accident. His brother and one of his best friends. Then the British Bulldog, another close family member, passes away. Then, what, a year later? After being misused since the day he arrived in WCW, Goldberg ends his career by being a sloppy, terrible wrestler. Next up, because why not keep shitting on Bret Hart, life decides to give him a stroke.

In five year's time Bret Hart lost his job, his brother, his brother-in-law, his career, and his ability to even properly live day-to-day life.

Watching the Bret vs. Shawn DVD, the juxtaposition of Bret's horrendous 5 year span from 1997 to 2002 next to HBK getting married, finding god, ditching drugs, having children and miraculously coming back to the ring when doctors said he never would, it's really, really hard not to feel bad for the Hitman.

 

[asiatic7]

I personally am a huge Owen Hart fan. I absolutley loved the man. I wear my Owen 3:16 shirt to every MSG show and it is very popular and nostalgic. I see a few people say they feel bad for Bret. One guy made a point about where their respective lives and careers went after Montreal. I feel for the guy too. I wanted to share a little story. I was at a live show in MSG 9/25/10 and it was Bret Hart appreciation night. On the mid card was Hart Dynasty and Bret Hart VS NEXUS....Bret...YOU STILL GOT IT!!! Bret wrestled that night and it was the bret of old! It got me wondering why he was so limited at Wrestlemania earlier that year. It reminded me of Ricky Steamboat at WM25. I'm not saying Bret could have gone on the road and wrestle full time again, but that night, I didn't feel sorry for the Hitman at all!

 

[dotty_84]

Personally Ravishing Rick Rude, he could have done so much more in my eyes. For me the epitomy of cocky full of himself heel.

 

[gwarren]

I'd have to say Edge as even since he retired, SmackDown's been going downhill. Honestly, Edge was the heart and soul of SmackDown and the one person I kept tuning in for. That and the fact that he was so popular, almost everyone loved him just out of respect.

 

[justtxyank]

Bret Hart. Add to his suck run of bad luck the fact that his best friends Curt Hennig and Rick rude died in that span. He also took the death of Elizabeth really hard.

I think Bret Hart is always going to be a heartbreaker for me. I can just see it when he does interviews. He has so much darkness in there now.

 

[TripleMeat]

I thought this was the perfect forum to make my account for. I'm surprised no one has mentioned him yet.....Eddie Guerrero.

He was one of those of the guys, heel or face, would always get me pumped listening to his promos. One of the best in ring performers, if not the best, during his time. He was going to receive another major title run but then he, well.....you know the story.

Imagine the feuds he could have had. Could have continue the rivalry with Batista. Or feuded with Y2J, HHH, Orton, Rhodes, Punk and many other along the way.

 

[Oldschoolersrule]

Here's a few for the list:

Double A, Arn Anderson comes to mind. His career was cut short due to a treatable neck injury, but he was too old school in his thinking that if he took the time off his "spot" would be lost... In my opinion he was a great upper mid card talent both in the ring and on the mic..

I also wonder what Andre The Giant would of done if he would of taken better care of himself through the years..

Jesse "The Body" Ventura is another talent whos career was cut short due to health problems outside the wrestling ring..

 

[Cookie14]

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned Stone Cold Steve Austin yet. I would have loved to see how much further he could have gone if he'd never broken his neck.

I would have also liked to see more from Ken Shamrock, but I heard that he had to be released due to suffering from a blood condition, possibly heamophilia (blood not clotting to form scabbing to heal a cut)

I guess you could also include people like Jeff Hardy if he had always been drug free, of MVP had he not been a convicted criminal before signing with WWE. I know these were not limited by injury, but their careers were always going to be limited due to their histories.

 

[wrestling fan 666]

I've got a few here:

Rick Rude: In my opinion, one of the most underrated wrestlers in the business. He had it all, looks, mic skills, ring skills, and he helped up and coming wrestlers on the craft. Too bad he broke his neck against Sting in Japan.

Steve Austin: The man can draw money. He may not be the most technical wrestler, but his mic skills, his skills to put butts in seats, and his hard ass character are legendary.

Eddie Guerrero: He was at his peak. He was set up to take the title again when he died. He was a great wrestler, mic skills, and charisma where above approach.

Mr Perfect Curt Hennig: He was just like Rude; great athlete, great mic/ring skills, helped young wrestlers learn the craft.

Last but not least, David Von Erich: The World Class Championship Wrestling was becoming the WCW. It was going national, selling out everywhere, and it was where the young talent wanted to be in the 80's. Once he died, the whole company wasn't the same. Not to say that he could've prevented it from imploding; but he was set up to be the NWA champ before he died. Who knows how far his career could've gone if the big company picked him up? He had the "it" factor of the family and I believe he could've gone on to become a major player if he hadn't died so young.

 

[The A]

I agree with everyone. Even though I wasn't watching much when he was around, I feel bad that Ken Kennedy (that was his name right?) had to go because he injured RKO. Thats the story right?

 

[shalliin]

Which WWE-alum do you feel sorry for the most?

you title this thread and yet go into a completely unrelated list and everyone follows you?
You should have labeled this properly as another 'who would you like to have back' instead of a who do you feel sorry for thread.

Now that that is done, I'll answer the original thread and the actual thread.
who do feel sorry for: would have to say i feel bad for some of the older guys who have suffered injuries and made bad decisions. two of the top would have to be jake roberts and ultimate warrior. for warrior, mainly because he was being positioned to be the replacement to hogan and let his ego and handlers push him over the edge, he's now nothing but a sad and i think bitter man who will do or say anything to gain even a flicker of the spotlight. jake, well his problems and difficulties were well documented in 'wrestling with shadows' dvd. his family life was horrible and he couldn't control the demons.

now as for who was taken too early and wish we could still have:
like most, owen, droz, bulldog, and bret.

as one mentioned, Andre in his prime, absolutely amazing, he was doing drop kicks, superplexes and other moves, say what you will about his later limitations, in his prime he was as agile as a man half his size.

a healthy undertaker who had never gone through the multitude of injuries he's had. take away the injuries and there would be talk of the streak lasting 30+ years. a lot of fans don't realize that his career has been as brutal on his body as foley's or terry funks,

ahmed johnson in his prime would be good, picture this: ahmed vs ezekial jackson vs mark henry or just as good ahmed+ezekial+henry as an updated nation with possible bringing in either or both of the guys in nxt redemption would be an insanely powerfurl stable.

 

[ShawnRulesHBKNWO]

The wrestler I feel most sorry for is Bret. While I guess you can feel sorry for wrestlers that are dead, the point is moot. They have passed and they're no longer with us. They can't feel any of our sorrow whether you're a believer or non-believer.

It's all for reasons that people have mentioned. Bret had to endure the death of is brother, brother-in-law, divorce, end of career, and stroke in five years. And it's sad that everyone says that Bret "had no mic skills." Bret Hart today was at least, at the very least, 500 billion times better at the mic than worthless Dolph Ziggler or worthless Miz.

 

[BDaMan612]

I gotta say I feel sorry for Chavo Guerrero the most. When he came into WWE, he pretty much remained in the shadow of Uncle Eddie throughout his whole WWE career. When they were Los Guerreros, when they feuded, and when Eddie died, Chavo was always the afterthought. Chavo just never got a real chance to shine in WWE. Hell, even Vickie came in and got more TV time than Chavo.

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

Maybe I'm off here but as soon as I saw the title of the thread, I thought Scott Hall.

I know he dragged himself in the hole that he's in but I remember an extremely charismatic and fired up wrestler that made being 'the bad guy' cool. He was one of the best characters during the late federation years and when he went to WCW, he just got bigger.

However, bigger things brought bigger perks, and Hall spiralled into a professional and personal downfall. His alcoholism, a storyline while he was an addict.

 

[byrnside]

I am going to have to go with Scott Hall, the Bad Guy. In my opinion perhaps one of the last great IC champions and he held virtually every title WCW had to offer. The fact that he never won a "major" world title in his career his absolutely astonishing to me. I think if he had stayed in the WWE in '96 he could've had a decent shot. With an adjustment or two to his Razor Ramon character [a la Scott Hall/WCW days] he could've resurrected his feuds with HBK or Bret Hart. What if the Goldust face turn happened during his feud with Razor? A series with an up and coming Stone Cold Steve Austin would've been a nice draw and probably would've been what Wrestlemania X8 wasn't. Later he could've been in DX or feuded with The Rock, Ken Shamrock or Foley. The list goes on and on. Hall was a great brawler and a decent technician who, when he wanted, was a good seller and delivered every move with amazing power. It's just a shame that Hall's demons have seemingly gotten the better of him.

 

[J.J.]

for me?

andrew "test" martin.

here was a guy that looked like nash, but moved 4 times as fast. he had a great look, and i always thought he had great potential. his "love her or leave her" match against shane mcmahon was, in my opinion, a great match...but then he got punked out after triple h and stephanie married (on screen). then it was just one bad gimmick after another ("test-icles." really?)...

and then he died alone on his couch, a half-eaten pizza beside him.

not long before his death, he worked an indie show for a friend of mine, and he was telling us how vicious the locker room politics were in wwe, and how heartbroken he was that he had been "used up, broken down, and thrown away" by the company. i felt so bad for him that night, and was greatly saddened when he died just a few months later.

Test saw 2 stints of mild success in WWE. If you remember correctly he asked for his release after subsequently violating the wellness policy.