 |
| Hall Photo Credit: Online World of Wrestling |
1. Scott Hall
We all know why Hall didn't get his shot with the World Championship as Razor Ramon in the WWF or under his real name in WCW. It's the same reason why his health is in poor condition and why he's unhireable to any major company. However, for as over a character as he was in both feds and as important a figure he was in the nWo and that entire scene, if he had cleaned his act up, he might have had one or two runs at the top. I mean, he did win World War 3 that one year, so you know people in WCW were high on him. In the case of whose "fault" the "should" would lie here, it's not in the promotions for failing to see the talent, but in Hall himself for not staying clean. Be that as it may, he threw away a goldmine in titles with his love of the bottle and the nose candy.
2. Goldust
Dustin Runnels was also not the most stable of guys backstage, but at his peak in 1996-97, there may not have been anyone in the WWF as over as he was not already in the main event or named Steve Austin. Goldust was a hot property and he was a sort of proto-Attitude era wrestler, almost like he was the guy to test the waters to see if edgy, hip and brash would fly. He succeeded on that test, but never got anything more than an Intercontinental Championship run. Shame, because I think Goldust would be a great Champion even now.
3. Stevie Richards
I'm not sure if I was the only one, and I probably was, that thought it disappointing that they strapped Terry Funk at Barely Legal. I thought the better story was Stevie Richards going against Raven. Richards had always been a lackey to Raven in ECW, but hiding underneath the Dancing Stevie Richards and bWo persona was a guy who knew how to play a strong character and who could actually work on a high level. He was the perfect guy to unseat his former boss, but ECW went with the nostalgia pop. AT the time it seemed right, but I wonder what could have happened if they went with Stevie at all, even if it wasn't at Barely Legal.
4. Owen Hart
Owen first got his taste of the main event and getting World Title shots in 1994, when he feuded extensively with brother Bret. By the time the Attitude era rolled around, Owen was firmly entrenched by his brother's side as the consigliere of the Hart Foundation, a future star whose future always seemed years rather than months away, someone whose fate was to be a stepping stone feud for guys like Steve Austin and The Rock. However, if his brother weren't such an egomaniac, I could definitely have seen Owen with a run to the title under the mentorship of Bret with a subsequent turn and feud that could have cemented Owen as a top-level main event babyface. Maybe Bret's last match in the WWF could have been putting his brother over before going to WCW instead of having to be screwed out of the title in Montreal. Oh what could have been...
5. Brian Pillman
Speaking of the Hart Foundation, man, they had no shortage of main event-caliber talents in that stable, didn't they? I know the window was short with Pillman with him dying and everything, and he was injured a lot, but man, talk about potential left on the table. Having him win the title in a hot-shot during the Monday Night Wars might not have been a bad idea, given how over he was, although his injuries and again, his backstage demons, might have been a big reason why he didn't get a run before said untimely death.
6. Konnan
WCW did such a terrible job of really promoting anyone during the nWo days excepting Goldberg and possibly Diamond Dallas Page (although he never got his due until towards the end). They really did have something special with the cruiserweight division and the influx of foreign talent, which was highlighted by how many of them rose to main event prominence after migrating to the WWE (Jericho, Mysterio, Guerrero, He Who Shall Not Be Named). Of all those who came in during that era, Konnan might have been the most ready to make the leap. Granted, Hogan probably didn't want one of those foreigners to beat him or take focus away from the nWo, but the facts are that the cruisers were pretty over at one time, and they deserved a lot more exposure than they got. Konnan was a gifted performer on the mic and in the ring in his own way, plus his experiences in Mexico prepared him for the main event (even if lucha libre and WCW were different stylistically).
Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!
