WCW launched many legendary superstars like Sting and Booker T. After Scott Hall and Kevin Nash showed up at WCW in 1996, it seemed any wrestler could become a superstar at the company. Unfortunately, this was not the case for every wrestler who stepped into a WCW ring.
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Many stars from other companies arrived to WCW and were absolute flops. Mike Awesome went from ECW Champion to "Fat Chick Thriller." Many big-time wrestling legends were also not immune from failure at WCW. Although it seemed the grass was greener on the other side, WCW did lose the Monday Night Wars. This list examines 10 legendary wrestlers who flopped at WCW and what went wrong.
10 Ultimate Warrior: Was Never Expected To Succeed
The WWE Hall of Fame icon known as "The Ultimate Warrior" was never the best wrestler in the ring but always made a big impact upon arrival. His run in the WWE was legendary, as was his nasty departure. Most fans assume the only reason Ultimate Warrior showed up on WCW was for Hollywood Hogan to avenge the loss he suffered at WrestleMania 6.
Maybe Warrior was brought in to fail at WCW, but he was also extremely out of place at the company. Every big-time WCW star from Hogan to Kevin Nash all evolved as wrestlers to fit the modern audience. Warrior was trying to do an 80s gimmick in the late 90s, and it only went so far with the fans. A heel turn or even adding something beyond what fans knew about him would've helped him make a bigger impact (if Hogan truly didn't bring him back to avenge a loss).
9 Bret Hart: Poorly Booked
Bret Hart would not be considered a flop in WCW if it were not for his career in the WWE. He was the face of the company for an entire generation. Hart also had a huge hand in setting up D-Generation X and Steve Austin to take over the world of wrestling. Bret Hart was a Triple Crown Champion at WCW and had all the dream feuds fans wanted, but they never increased viewership.
Although his injuries also played a role in his average WCW career, Bret Hart never got a classic feud at the company. He and Sting could've been a rivalry on par with Hart's feuds with Michaels, but there was no creative storyline or moment that ever set them up to succeed. Bret was still in his prime when he arrived in WCW and some fans forget that because he wasn't booked at the same level of his stardom.
8 Jim Neidhart: Was At The End Of His Career
Bret Hart was not the only person to leave the WWE after "Bret screwed Bret." Survivor Series 1997, where the Montreal Screwjob took place, was also the last pay-per-view Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart competed in for the WWE. He joined Bret Hart at WCW, but his time there was extremely lackluster.
"The Anvil" never found a purpose at WCW and floated around the card. It was clear he had no desire to expand his legacy as his Hall of Famer future was already written by the time he arrived.
7 Jake The Snake: No Creative Direction
One of the greatest wrestlers to never win a world title in the WWE, Jake "The Snake" became a wrestling icon due to his great gimmick. Many fans forget he had a stint with WCW since it only featured one major feud.
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He left the WWE after he felt the company had disrespected him by not letting him join the writing staff. His move to WCW seemed to be more emotional than logical. WCW never had any major plans for the legend and most of his time there is a forgotten mess.
6 Big Boss Man: Failed To Evolve His Gimmick
The Big Boss Man was one of the most "over" stars in the WWE. He was never a main event star, but every fan knew who he was. He left the WWE in 1993 and showed up at WCW with a similar gimmick.
"The Boss" did rejuvenate his career for a moment, but never grew his identity. He became "Guardian Angel" which also failed to catch on. He became a lesser version of his WWE self at the company.
5 Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake: No Gimmick Really Worked
Brutus Beefcake made his name in the WWE. He's a Hall of Famer thanks to how well he played his insane gimmicks and his arrival to WCW seemed like a chance for him to write a second chapter as a star. Unfortunately, not only did he have too many gimmicks at WCW, The Butcher, The Zodiac, and The Bootyman to name a few, none of them ever stuck with the fans.
The beauty of his time as "The Barber" in the WWE was that fans couldn't get enough of him. He never established a gimmick with that same staying power at WCW and, as a result, had a below-average run at the company.
4 Curt Hennig: Not A Strong Enough Personality
Hennig will always be remembered as Mr. Perfect. Although the gimmick was sometimes lukewarm, in terms of fan reception, Hennig played the role well. He never won the WWE Championship and hoped arriving to WCW would give him the shot in the main card he deserved.
He was pushed heavily in WCW but never got over at a level of Hogan or Sting. Hennig lacked the personality of Nash and Hall and had also clearly lost a step in the ring upon arrival. Despite being a major player in the NWO and joining the Four Horseman, Hennig's run in WCW felt like a step back from his time as Mr. Perfect.
3 Ted DiBiase: Manager Role Was Diminished
"The Million Dollar Man" has one of the most iconic runs as a manager in the history of wrestling. His addition to the roster in WCW was supposed to help get wrestlers who lacked promo skills over. After the nWo was established, he became the spokesman for them, and it seemed a long career at WCW awaited DiBiase.
For no apparent reason, he was replaced by Eric Bischoff as the spokesman of the nWo after a few months. He struggled to help other factions get over, and his role shrunk the longer he was there.
2 Honky Tonk Man: Didn't Get Along With Eric Bischoff
Although he seems a little goofy for today's wrestling audiences, Honky Tonk Man was a huge star in the 80s. He was a great heel that fans loved to hate. He signed with WCW in 1994 joining his friend, Hulk Hogan.
Eric Bischoff never wanted Honky Tonk Man on his WCW, and it showed. He had no memorable matches or feuds and was constantly working between Hogan and Bischoff.
1 The British Bulldog: Suffered A Freak Injury
The British Bulldog had two runs in WCW, and his run in 1997 was an absolute flop. He had become a huge star in the WWE and likely would've held the WWE Championship if not for his personal problems outside the ring. He joined WCW when Bret Hart left the WWE after the Montreal Screwjob.
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A gimmicked trap door used for the Ultimate Warrior's entrance caused an accident to Bulldog that left him unable to compete at WCW. He fizzled out of the company shortly after the freak injury.
