Watching wrestling is a passion. Many of us have toyed with the idea of stepping into the ring ourselves. A dream for many wrestling fans that few realize. The wrestling bubble is full of unfulfilled dreams. In this article, we will tell stories of wrong booking, heartlessness and bad luck: here are 10 wrestlers whose dreams died in the ring.
Alexander Wolfe
As a part of the “Sanity” stable, he was featured in NXT, alongside Nikki Cross, Killian Dain, Fulton and Eric Young. However, after making it to the main roster, it soon became apparent that WWE had no plans for Alexander Wolfe.
The whole thing went so far that The Miz defeated three members of Sanity at the same time in a Falls Count Anywhere Handicap Match. Alexander Wolfe was among them. His dream of making it big with the market leader was over.
Braun Strowman
When he could take the Universal Championship from Bray Wyatt, then Braun Strowman was a star. When he got defeated by Roman Reigns at Payback 2020, he emerged as a wild card. Indeed, Strowman’s potential was about as great as his stature. As a Mountain of a Man, his future in WWE was bright – you would think.
For a time, he was used super, particularly in the storyline with the Fiend. Sadly, this storyline was soon neglected, and Strowman was forced into a dull babyface role. He could never recover from that; WWE eventually fired him.
Test
In 1999, it was a great year for Test. After just a few months in WWE, already he was being pushed hard. In a storyline relationship with Stephanie McMahon, he found his career peaking. This is where WWE realized Test wasn’t the star they thought he was.
Too soon, the spotlights had been shined on him. This young Canadian lacked charisma and mic skills. So, Triple H was added to the storyline and Test’s push was soon over. After that, he sank deeper and deeper into the undercard. Test died on March 13, 2009 in his condo in Tampa, Florida. The cause of his death was accidental overdose of oxycodone.
Dean Ambrose
He began his career as Jon Moxley. For years, what he did was what he loved: wrestle and excite the crowd. But like every young talent, he wished nothing more than to make a career in WWE. And he has succeeded in doing that. Dean Ambrose is especially remembered as a member of The Shield.
But the longer he was used as a singles wrestler, the booking around his character got worse. Suddenly, he is said to make fun of his friend Roman Reigns and his leukemia disease. He was neither taken seriously nor were his wishes respected. He is leaving WWE in 2019 to appear in Japan as Jon Moxley.
Dynamite Kid
Maybe one of the most underrated wrestlers of the Attitude Era. All his life Dynamite Kid spent in the ring – as a boxer, wrestler, or pro wrestler. He suffered a neck injury in 1997 that would end his career.
However, Dynamite Kid was not ready to let go of his dreams. Despite the terrible pain, he kept wrestling until he was later released. For years, Thomas Billington sat in a wheelchair, racked by medical bills and the memory of a shattered lifelong dream. He died on 5th December 2018, on his 60th birthday.
Paul Heyman
Heyman set up the ECW wrestling promotion in 1993. The latter soon became a popular alternative to the WWE. Not everything went as planned, though, leading to the company being bought out by Vincent McMahon in 2001.
Heyman became part of WWE, where, some five years later, a catastrophic ECW reboot was to break his pro wrestling heart for the second time. That reinvention no longer had anything to do with Heyman’s original idea. In fact, it was nothing more than a WWE show – bland and boring.
Cody Rhodes
Backstage, there were some critics when Cody debuted in WWE in 2006. The son of the “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes, he was virtually born into the business. However, Cody has a love for wrestling like no other. He could also prove that quickly. Time and again, he convinced. Still, in 2014, he was made the laughing stock of the WWE Universe with the Stardust gimmick. He was forced to leave the company in disappointment two years later.
At WWE, he would not fill his father’s big shoes. However, Cody rediscovered himself and brought new glory to the Rhodes name in various leagues. He got a second chance with the market leader at Wrestlemania 38.
Paige
Paige has wrestling in her blood. At 13 years old, already she was better than half the roster of WWE Divas in 2005. She made her dreams come true by coming to NXT at that time. Having been able to have a stellar career, she had a few moments that we will never forget.
However, at a WWE house show in 2017, all of that ended. An unlucky kick to her spine would change her life forever. Due to a bad neck injury, Paige had to end her career way too early.
Ric Flair
Normally, wrestling gimmicks have little to do with the performer’s personality. It was different with Ric Flair. In real life, too, this WWE star led a pompous life, with multiple villas, Supercars, and everything that goes with it. He ended his in-ring career at Wrestlemania 24 in a legendary match against Shawn Michaels.
With “Ric Flair Finances”, he hoped to run a successful business. However, it goes bankrupt after a short time. Flair is forced to get back into the ring at 63, this time at TNA. He was fired in 2012, and to this day, he has to deal with charges and debts.
Bret Hart
Probably every wrestling fan is familiar with the “Montreal Screwjob”. One of the most popular wrestlers of all time, Bret Hart, was planning to move from WWE to the enemy WCW. However, he was still WWE Heavyweight Champion at the time, and he wasn’t about to lose his last match. That he takes the title with him to the competition, Vince McMahon could not allow, naturally.
McMahon staged probably the biggest scandal in WWE history with Hart’s opponent Shawn Michaels. At Montreal, they fell to Bret Hart’s back. In a fixed match, the latter lost the title. Bret Hart was so disappointed that he spat in Vince McMahon’s face. From that moment on, Hart’s success was washed away. Hart couldn’t make an impression in WCW, and the fallout from the Montreal Screwjob still haunts him today.
