5 WWE legends who should have been world champions

The WWE World Championship has always been and will always be the top prize in professional wrestling. Some of the best to step foot inside the ring have held the coveted title. Yet, plenty of iconic legends have never captured the World Championship.

While some former WWE Superstars certainly deserved at least one run with the world title, some never needed a title to legitimize their careers. Some have worn other titles, such as the Intercontinental Championship, which was once considered one of the top championships as well.

Today, we take a look at five legendary former WWE Superstars who never captured the industry's top prize. Who do you think should be on the list? Drop the names in the comments section.

#5. WWE Hall of Famer Ricky The Dragon Steamboat

When you think about all the top good guys throughout WWE history, few were as loved and respected as Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat. Ricky kicked off his wrestling career with AWA back in 1976, wrestling under his real name Rick Blood. Early in his career, Ricky made his way through numerous territories all over the United States.

In 1985, Ricky signed with WWF, during a time when the company was on the cusp of a mainstream breakthrough. Needless to say, Ricky got his start with the company at the perfect time, with the first WrestleMania approaching.

Expand Tweet

The mid-to-late '80s was a fantastic time to be a wrestling fan, and Ricky Steamboat was one of the key components to the success of the famed Golden Era. With historic feuds with the likes of Davey Boy Smith, Jake 'The Snake' Roberts, and 'Macho Man' Randy Savage, Steamboat provided some of the best moments in WWE history. Even though Steamboat went on a legendary run with the Intercontinental Championship, he was certainly worthy of at least one run with the Winged Eagle.

#4. Former Intercontinental Champion Razor Ramon(Scott Hall)

In March 2022, the wrestling world said goodbye to the most beloved "bad guy" professional wrestling had ever known. Scott Hall (aka Razor Ramon), gave wrestling fans nearly four decades of incredible memories as a professional wrestler.

Hall got his start in professional wrestling in 1984, when he debuted for NWA's Florida territory. It wasn't until 1992 when Scott signed with WWE that the Razor Ramon moniker was born. Razor was a highly charismatic persona who resembled a character straight out of the Scarface film.

During his career, Scott provided fans with some of the greatest moments in WWE history. His feud with Shawn Michaels will be talked about forever. At WrestleMania X, Scott defeated Shawn Michaels in a ladder match to be crowned the undisputed Intercontinental Championship. This would be the first WWE match to ever receive a 5-star rating from pro wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer.

Scott Hall danced to the beat of his drum and had a successful wrestling career in the process. His swagger, in-ring presence, and superior skillset combined to create one of the greatest WWE Superstars of all time even though he never captured that elusive world title.

#3. Two-time Intercontinental Champion Mr. Perfect

Curt Hennig was a successful second-generation superstar and son of the legendary Larry 'The Axe' Hennig. Curt grew up in the wrestling-rich state of Minnesota, where the likes of Vergne Gagne, Rick Rude, and Brock Lesnar came from, just to name a few.

Curt cut his teeth in the wrestling industry in the early 80s. His first signs of superstardom came during his time with AWA. Hennig would become the AWA World Champion after defeating former champion Nick Bockwinkel. Curt also held the AWA tag title with his former partner Scott Hall.

In 1988, Hennig officially signed with WWF and picked up the "Mr. Perfect" gimmick. There was a fantastic build to this persona, which included numerous vignettes that showed Hennig executing near-impossible tasks, such as shooting a basketball behind his back. Curt would go on to win the Intercontinental Championship twice during his career, but never got a fair shot at the World Title.

The wrestling world was devastated by the news that Curt Hennig passed away on February 10, 2003, at only 44 years old. He left behind four children. Hennig's oldest son, Joe (Curtis Axel), followed in his footsteps as a professional wrestler as well.

#2. WWE legend Jake "The Snake" Roberts

Jake Roberts speaking during the 2014 WWE Hall Of Fame ceremony

If you have followed the Jake Roberts saga over the past few years, you are probably aware of his inspiring story of redemption and how, thanks to the helping hand of Diamond Dallas Page, Jake was able to rise from the ashes of addiction and alcoholism and reclaim his life.

In the early 1970s, Jake got his start in the Louisiana territory, working as a referee and wrestler. He quickly made his way to Mid-South Wrestling, which is where he started gaining notoriety for his work, as well as World Class and Mid-Atlantic, among other premier territories at the time.

In 1986, Jake signed with WWE and almost immediately became one of the top stars on the Golden Era roster. Some of Jake's most legendary feuds were against fellow Hall of Famers such as Ricky 'The Dragon' Steamboat, Honky Tonk Man, and Randy Savage.

Jake 'The Snake' Roberts will forever be remembered as one of the greatest minds in professional wrestling history. Few have ever matched his mic skills. While Jake certainly never needed a championship to legitimize his career, it would have been nice to see him with at least one title run. With that said, Jake's career culminated in 2014 when he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

#1. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper

The greatest villain of all time, Roddy Piper

Finally, we have Hall of Fame legend 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper coming in as our number one former WWE Superstar who definitely deserved a run with the world championship.

Roddy Piper signed with the company in 1984. He had previously made occasional appearances for the company before coming on full-time. Like Jake Roberts, Piper was an incredible talker. He also had the ability to hold the audience in the palm of his hands, using nothing more than words.

Some of Piper's greatest rivalries were against fellow legends such as Bad News Brown, Ted DiBiase, and Hulk Hogan. Piper was a true heel in every sense of the word. There was a cult following who loved him and another group that loved to hate him. Nonetheless, Piper was an important part of professional wrestling history and his contributions are still revered to this day.

Piper was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame with the class of 2005. The world grieved his loss on July 31, 2015. He was only 61 years old when he passed away.