Professional wrestling has gone through various transitional periods in the last century. From the mighty Stanislaus Zbyszko to Lou Thesz, and then from Harley Race to Hulk Hogan – professional wrestling evolved from generation to generation. During the 70s and 80s, professional wrestling became mainstream and witnessed the fans in the United States embracing the “sport”. Europe and Japan too followed this trend, as fans ardently followed the industry.In the 80s when Vince McMahon Jr. carried out his vision to globalize the then WWF, and in the process blurred the lines between reality and kayfabe, he wanted to enter the markets throughout the globe. From Canada to the United Kingdom, Vince McMahon successfully globalized his promotion, and in the process, employed some of the greatest talents from around the world. The likes of Bret Hart and Dynamite Kid are just a few examples of the international stars the WWE were able to bring in, to create more interest and buzz among their fan base, but it didn’t always pay off.In this article, we take a look at five international superstars who failed to live up to their hype in the biggest global entertainment organization.
#5 Nathan Jones
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With a history of serving rigorous jail sentence and participating in the World’s Strongest Man contests, Nathan Jones seemed to be the answer for WWE’s quest to penetrate the Australian market. Before joining the WWE, Nathan Jones also participated in MMA contests, and with his impressive physique and strength, Jones was everything WWE looked for in a superstar. However, the only hindrance was his lack of prior experience in professional wrestling, but WWE went ahead by signing him to a contract.
The WWE then started airing several vignettes, and Nathan Jones eventually made his debut, and it was immediately obvious that Jones wasn’t ready yet for the big leagues. WWE tried to cover his weaknesses by pairing him with The Undertaker, but with Jones being very green in the ring, he was sent to OVW to work on his in – ring skills.
Jones was then called up to the main roster, as the WWE once again pushed him with the “Colossus of Boggo Road” gimmick, as he worked with the likes of Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman. However, WWE’s gamble with Jones didn’t pay off, as Jones quit the company because of the constant traveling, and WWE’s search for a star from down under still continued.
#4 Lance Storm
With the reputation of being one of the greatest technical wrestlers on the planet, Lance Storm found initial success during his run with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). Storm immediately made a name for himself by working technically sound matches, while the other performers worked a more hardcore style. During ECW’s final days, Storm jumped ships to WCW, becoming one of the top talents in the company. Storm won the United States title, the Cruiserweight title, and the Hardcore championship simultaneously, becoming the only wrestler to do so in WCW history!
After WWE bought WCW, Storm was the first performer to “invade” WWE, thus kick starting the Invasion angle. Storm then won the WWE Intercontinental title, but was quickly pushed under the rug, as Vince McMahon chose to make the Invasion angle about the WWE superstars rather than the WCW and ECW talent. Storm was never able to regain his lost popularity, as he retired from the WWE and started performing on the independent scene.
It was a shame that Storm was never given his due recognition, as he could’ve been the next best wrestler emerging from Canada in the WWE after the retirement of Bret Hart.
#3 Ultimo Dragon
Japan has always been one of the hotspots for professional wrestling. With most of the North American and European wrestlers preferring to hone their craft in the land of the rising sun, Japan has witnessed some of the most legendary matches, with the likes of Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan spending time in Japan. Puroresu – the Japanese name for professional wrestling has always received great support from the fans, and WWE too has often visited the country for live events and tours.
Although Japan has produced some of the greatest wrestlers in history, including the likes of Antonio Inoki, Jumbo Tsuruta and Mitsuharu Misawa to name a few, WWE were never able to attract a big name to cater to the Japanese fans. The dilemma finally seemed to have come to an end when WWE signed one of the biggest Japanese stars, when they brought in Ultimo Dragon in 2003. WWE hoped that Dragon would make the same kind of impact Rey Mysterio did, but that ultimately wasn’t the case. Dragon performed for the WWE for a year, and left the organization in 2004 when his contract expired.
#2 Alberto Del Rio
Dos Caras Jr. was one of the hottest stars in Mexico, and with his father being a legendary figure in Mexico, Caras Jr. quickly cemented his place as one of the brightest stars in the country. This was also at a time when Rey Mysterio Jr.’s career was visibly winding down in the WWE, and the company wanted to find a replacement for Mysterio, and it was then when the WWE approached Dos Caras Jr. aka Alberto Del Rio for a potential run in the organization.
Del Rio’s rise to fame in the WWE seemed rather rushed, as he was never quite able to get over with the fans. Del Rio’s work as a heel was effective, as it came naturally to him. Del Rio also won the Royal Rumble in 2011 – just a year after his debut on the main roster, and faced Edge at WrestleMania, which turned out to be Edge’s last match before he was forced to retire. Del Rio also won the Money In The Bank contract in 2011, and had multiple runs as the World Heavyweight champion and the WWE champion, but was ultimately unable to get over with the fans.
With WWE releasing Del Rio in the latter half of 2014 due to “unprofessional conduct”, Del Rio became just another case of “what if” in the WWE.
#1 Sin Cara
One can argue that no other superstar was signed to the WWE with such fanfare as Sin Cara was, when the WWE unveiled their newest acquisition to the world in 2011. Mistico had previously worked with CMLL, and then traveled around the world, working in various countries. Sin Cara was brought in to replace Rey Mysterio, and WWE envisioned Sin Cara getting over with their younger audience, and also hoped to generate more revenues through merchandise sales – something they were successful with Rey Mysterio.
It would be an understatement to say that Mistico would want to forget about his time with the WWE, however, as the masked superstar was unable to adapt to the WWE style of wrestling. Sin Cara became the focal point of constant ridicule by the wrestling fans around the world, as he unfortunately botched numerous moves during his matches. Cara also became injury prone, as WWE’s patience wore thin, and in the end, WWE released Mistico in the early part of 2014.
Perhaps Sin Cara needed more time to adapt to the WWE style, but in the end, he will also go down as the biggest international superstar to have failed miserably in the WWE.
