10 Greatest Wrestlers never to win the WWF Title

[Kyle]

I was discussing this with some buddies of mine, and we came up with a couple names...well, I started looking into it afterwards and came up with this list. I'm kind of interested if there's any other thoughts on the matter. Keep in mind, I'm only talking WWF here. And as far as "Greatest Wrestler" goes, I'm talking total package, not just in-ring ability.

#10 - The British Bulldog
Very underrated in my mind. Him and Dynamite put on awesome tag matches in the 80s. Then he had a couple really good runs where he almost broke through to the top in 92 and 95, before he was cemented in the mid-card for good. Won every title but the big one

#9 - Razor Ramon (Scott Hall)
He was always the #2 babyface to Bret Hart in the mid-90s before he jumped ship to WCW. He was over like a motherfucker and really busted his ass in the ring. The gimmick was kind of lame which probably kept him from getting his shot...and the 8,000 drugs I'm sure he was on.

#8 - Mr. Perfect (Curt Hennig)
He was at one time an awesome wrestler and could hold his own on the mic...injuries killed his career in the WWF...and then drugs killed his career elsewhere

#7 - Vader
Some may laugh at this, but when Vader arrived in the WWF he really busted his ass and had some great matches with Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels among others...rumor has it he was suppose to win the title for a short period but he was one of the guys HBK refused to put over, because after all...HBK jobs to no man (at least then).

#6 - Booker T.
He was the last good thing about WCW. WWE pushed him for a little while when he arrived, but he's never gotten the respect he deserves since arriving there. While he could conceivably still win, realistically, it's probably too late for him. Booker was a great wrestler for a number of years, and I've always liked his gimmick.

#5 - Christian
Talk about missing the boat on a guy. Great personality, solid wrestling skill. He was a victim of politics more than anything. HHH and Stephanie pushes their guys (Orton, Batista, HHH himself) and Christian was one of the many guys who was just completely underutilized because of that. At least he's getting his due in TNA these days.

#4 - The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase
For his time period, which was awful 80s wrestling, he was more than capable in the ring, and how could you not like his smarmy asshole gimmick. He came very close several times, but for whatever reason (probably politics backstage with Hogan, as was the case with a bunch of others), they never let him run with the ball.

#3 - Roddy Piper
Same thing as DiBiase. Ok wrestler for his time period, great personality. Piper was one of the most hated heels of the 80s. Yet Hogan would not lay down for anybody so Piper got screwed over as far as ever winning the title.

#2 - Ricky Steamboat
Maybe the best wrestler of the 80s (next to Flair of course). As far as his WWF career goes, they just didn't push anybody who was under 275 lbs, and not named Hogan. Luckily he got his due in the NWA and had maybe the best feud of all-time with the Nature Boy.

#1 - Owen Hart
I still can't figure this one out. Owen was phenominal. He was one of the best wrestlers in the WWF in the 90s, and he was one of the most entertaining guys they had in the WWF at the time. He had a great feud with Bret, and then they just threw him back in the mid-card. After the Montreal Screwjob, Owen vs. HBK would have been gold, but they had one match on RAW and that was the end of that. Another guy who won all of them but the big one, and someone who was completely overlooked by the WWF his entire career as far as the World Title went.

[commish13]

It's tough to really rank this, and I know I certainly wouldn't put Owen over most of those guys. I'd honestly only put Owen over Bulldog, Razor and Christian.

Also, anybody who would laugh at you saying Vader should have won the title is a god damn retard and should be burned at the stake.

[Mick32]

I agree with many of the names you mention:
Piper
DiBiase
Hennig
Hall
DBS
Vader
How Dibiase and Piper never got the title just blows my mind. To finish out the list:
Superfly Snuka
Don Muraco
Big John Studd
King Kong Bundy
If they came ten or fifteen years later, I guarantee the above four all would have won the WWF title at least once.

[Kyle]

It's tough to really rank this, and I know I certainly wouldn't put Owen over most of those guys. I'd honestly only put Owen over Bulldog, Razor and Christian.

Also, anybody who would laugh at you saying Vader should have won the title is a god damn retard and should be burned at the stake.

Let's not forget Vader also had that role on "Boy Meets World." Yeah, Shawn Michaels, where was your TV show?

I don't know I was big into Owen (and no, not just cause he's dead, which is a popular sentiment these days). He was really good in the ring...not as good as Bret or HBK who were the guys at the time, but I think he was main event level. And I honestly think he had more charisma than Bret did, he just never got a chance to really show it because he was always linked to him in one way or another and Bret broke first which kind of screwed him. As good as he was (or at least as I think he was), I think he could have been great if the company had gotten behind him. There was no more perfect time than after the screwjob too, but HBK nixed that idea.

As great a wrestler as Michaels was, he really was an asshole. I wonder if the story about him refusing to job to Austin at WM XIV was true, until Undertaker threatened him if he didn't.

[Kyle]

Superfly Snuka
Don Muraco
Big John Studd
King Kong Bundy
If they came ten or fifteen years later, I guarantee the above four all would have won the WWF title at least once.

I thought about Snuka and Bundy. They both just missed my list. I think Bundy was very underrated for a guy his size. I watched his WM2 Cage Match with Hogan about a month ago and Bundy really carries the match (it's actually Hogan's best in-ring performance at a Wrestlemania with the exception of the Mega Powers at WM V)

[70s Bush]

Goerge The Animal Steele?

[badcellphoneguy]

George Steele...your kidding right???

[Nitetrane]

Gotta say Henning and Steamboat are top 2 on my list, Henning was a great technician and very good mic skills, Steamboat had flashier and more athletic ring skills, not as good on the mic though. Steamboat came in too early for his shot, like Kyle said in the first post, only if you were near the 300 pound mark were you gonne be a champ in the 80's

[Kid Brock]

Let's not forget Vader also had that role on "Boy Meets World." Yeah, Shawn Michaels, where was your TV show?

I don't know I was big into Owen (and no, not just cause he's dead, which is a popular sentiment these days). He was really good in the ring...not as good as Bret or HBK who were the guys at the time, but I think he was main event level. And I honestly think he had more charisma than Bret did, he just never got a chance to really show it because he was always linked to him in one way or another and Bret broke first which kind of screwed him. As good as he was (or at least as I think he was), I think he could have been great if the company had gotten behind him. There was no more perfect time than after the screwjob too, but HBK nixed that idea.

As great a wrestler as Michaels was, he really was an asshole. I wonder if the story about him refusing to job to Austin at WM XIV was true, until Undertaker threatened him if he didn't.


Ha ha ha, every time Vader showed up Mr. Feeny would punk him out. You don't mess with Feeny. He was those kids teacher from 1st grade through college somehow. Seriously though, how about the Dynamite Kid, he was one of the greatest singles wrestlers of all time and he is only remembered as a tag team.

[commish13]

Because he only was ever a part of a team in the WWF, and according to so many people, that's all that matters/exists, therefore are unaware of his work elsewhere.

[Kid Brock]

Because he only was ever a part of a team in the WWF, and according to so many people, that's all that matters/exists, therefore are unaware of his work elsewhere.


Yeah, its sad especially what he put his body through to master his craft. There are so many wrestlers today that started wrestling because of his influence.

[Skeet Slambone]

Based soley on crowd reactions and how over the wrestlers were, it's absurd that, Piper, Debiase & Henning never won as heels.

Steamboat & Razor Ramon were over enough as faces to win it.

That's about what I can agree with.

[Kyle]

Because he only was ever a part of a team in the WWF, and according to so many people, that's all that matters/exists, therefore are unaware of his work elsewhere.

Well, unless you trade tapes on the net, or have access to some of the better torrents, the only place you really would have seen Dynamite was in the WWF...it's not like people could readily turn on the TV and catch him in a singles match in Japan, or Stampede Wrestling, at least not in the States.

Dynamite defintely had the wrestling talent. I've never really seen him cut a promo by himself. At any rate, if he had been able to stay healthy and made it to WWF circa 93-94, he, like Hart and Michaels may have gotten a shot at the top when the WWF started promoting smaller wrestlers.

[Kid Brock]

Well, unless you trade tapes on the net, or have access to some of the better torrents, the only place you really would have seen Dynamite was in the WWF...it's not like people could readily turn on the TV and catch him in a singles match in Japan, or Stampede Wrestling, at least not in the States.

Dynamite defintely had the wrestling talent. I've never really seen him cut a promo by himself. At any rate, if he had been able to stay healthy and made it to WWF circa 93-94, he, like Hart and Michaels may have gotten a shot at the top when the WWF started promoting smaller wrestlers.


I understand most people don't have access to his finer moments, I just find it unfortunate that not everyone has seen his singles talent. Plus everyone knows Matilda cut all the Bulldogs promos antway.

[Mick32]

I don't know about Dynamite in the Hart/Michaels era. The reason they went to the smaller wrestlers was because of the steroid trial, and you'd have a really hard time looking at Dynamite and not thinking he was gassed.

[Evilpete]

What about the Honky Tonk Man? The greatest IC title champ ever?

and it is a crime that dibiase and Henning never got to hold the title

[jrewing5]

I definately agree with most of the list, especially Dibiase and Hennig.
I also thought Rick Rude had a lot of potential back in the day, and could have done more.
I thought the same about Kerry Von Erich. He was way over when he came into WWF. Had he kept his shit together, he could've been huge.

[Kugzilla]

Superfly Jimmy Snuka

Tito Santana

Booker T

RVD (well, at least not yet...*fingers crossed*)

[InternetStalker]

1.Greg Valentine
2.Curt Henning
3.Paul Orndorff
4.Ricky Steamboat
5.Kerry Von Erich
6.Johnny Rodz
7.Dino Bravo
8.Masked Superstar
9.Rick Rude
10.Junkyard Dog

[flyerfan116]

1.Ted Dibiase - could have pulled a great Ric Flair type deal here having Hogan chasing the 'bad guy' but Dibiase always finding a way to come out on top.
2.Curt Henning - Lots of talent never got the respect he deserved
3.Paul Orndorff - See #1
4.Ricky Steamboat - Smaller than most WWF guys in his era but still made it believable
5.Andre the Giant - and don't give me the he won the title bullshit, he had it for like 5 minutes to set up the tourney..could have been given a monster heel push
6.Jake Roberts - yeah not the most technical but over as shit, if he stayed clean he would have had a great run.
7.King Kong Bundy - again another missed opportunity for a monster heel champ
8.Barry Wyndham - NWA missed the boat not putting the strap on him and Vince had him a few times under contract & could have taken advantage of an undervalued talant.
9.Rick Rude - especially after he started juicing..people HATED this guy would have been great as champ.
10.Earthquake - If pushed properly with Jimmy Hart as his mouthpiece i think he would have done well in a heel push, yeah he sucked in the ring, but so did Hogan & Warrior....but after the Hogan attck he could have been pushed huge again people HATED him.

[Skeet Slambone]

9.Rick Rude - especially after he started juicing..people HATED this guy would have been great as champ.
10.Earthquake - If pushed properly with Jimmy Hart as his mouthpiece i think he would have done well in a heel push, yeah he sucked in the ring, but so did Hogan & Warrior....but after the Hogan attck he could have been pushed huge again people HATED him.

Speaking of Rick Rude + Steroids, he had the WORST man titties I've ever seen.

#10. Ring ability means shit if you are way over with the crowd. (see Goldberg)

[commish13]

Yes, but in this day in age, unless you have the most intriguing character or angle ever, it's ring ability that can get you very, very over with the crowd.

[MinusBlindfold]

I would say Rick Rude and Bulldog definately should have held the strap in the WWF.

[BobSaget666]

Jake the Snake, without a doubt. One of the best minds in the business. Too bad he has so many "demons" as the wrestling world likes to call it.