Being a WWE Superstar is an achievement in itself. However, competing in the biggest promotion in professional wrestling is one thing and winning one of the top championships is another. Only a select few have had the honors of being called a world champion in WWE. While Ric Flair and John Cena have been world champions a record 16-times each, Superstars like "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Jake Roberts never had the chance of becoming one.
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In the present roster, there are several Superstars who have been world champions at some point in their career. While some still have a decent chance of becoming a world champion again, there are a certain few who will probably never win the coveted title again. Here are 5 former world champions who may never win any of the major championships again in WWE.
#5 Jinder Mahal
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When Jinder Mahal became the number 1 contender for WWE Championship, the decision came as a surprise to many. Jinder Mahal would go on to become the WWE champion at Backlash. However, calling his win over Randy Orton a surprise would be an understatement. Many believed that the Modern Day Maharaja wasn't ready for such a push.
Jinder Mahal would go on to have an impressive reign as he defended his title against the likes of fan-favorites Randy Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura. Mahal's reign finally came to an end at 170 days when AJ Styles defeated him for the title on an episode of Smackdown Live.
Since losing the title, Mahal was demoted to the mid-card where he won the United States championship. He was later drafted to Raw and has been involved in countless meaningless feuds. At this point, it is safe to say that the "Jinder Mahal Experiment" is over and we may never see him as a World Champion again.
#4 Dolph Ziggler
Despite being one of the most talented in-ring workers, Dolph Ziggler has struggled to find his place in the main event of any show he is part of. The Show Off is a two time World Heavyweight Champion and former Mr. Money in the Bank. There have been times when Ziggler was massively over with the fans but WWE has somehow found a way to strip him of his popularity.
The last time the Ziggler held the big gold was back in 2013. In the last 5 years or more, Ziggler has been part of various crucial angles but was never seen as a contender to win the world championship. Ziggler's last appearance was at 2019 Royal Rumble and hasn't been seen since then.
Dolph Ziggler, 38, is way past his prime, both in terms of in-ring abilities and popularity. With the current crop of talent WWE has, it is nearly impossible to see the Showoff win any of the two world championships.
#3 Jeff Hardy
When The Hardy Boyz made their return at WrestleMania 33, it was arguably the most talked about segment of the event. They were still over with the fans. However, there was one small difference.
Despite having more success in WWE prior to their return, Jeff Hardy, for the first time, was the less popular one of the duo. Matt Hardy with his "Broken" gimmick was the single most exciting thing in professional wrestling at that time and the chants of "Delete" at WrestleMania 33 showed how fans in WWE were well aware of his work outside WWE.
Jeff Hardy, who was last a world champion in WWE almost a decade ago, has not aged very well. As the years passed by, the Charismatic Enigma became more of a shadow of his former self. At this time, Hardy will probably be used to put over other wrestlers. Regardless of how he will be used, Hardy will still be considered as one of the best high-flyers in the history of professional wrestling.
#2 Sheamus
It might come as a surprise to people, but Sheamus is one of the most successful Superstars in the history of WWE. Sheamus has won all the active championships in WWE except the Intercontinental championship and then newly formed Universal Championship. Apart from the championships, Sheamus has also won King of the Ring, Money in the Bank and the Royal Rumble.
The Celtic Warrior's work in the ring and his achievements are criminally underrated. However, his time at the top of the card seems to be over. Sheamus has enjoyed enormous success as a part of "The Bar" along with Cesaro since 2016. The duo has won the Raw Tag Team championships a record 4 times.
In 2017, Sheamus revealed that he was wrestling despite having stenosis in his neck. The Irishman's days in wrestling are limited and the most WWE can do with him is have him win the Intercontinental title.
#1 Rey Mysterio
Arguably the greatest cruiserweight in the history of professional wrestling, Rey Mysterio has paved the path of success for Superstars who lack in size but not skills. Mysterio made his way to the top when guys like him weren't seen as a legitimate threat. Despite this, Mysterio won the both the World Heavyweight Championship and the WWE Championship.
There aren't enough words to describe the legacy of Master of 619. However, just like all good things come to an end, Mysterio might too be at the final stage of his career. However, despite being 44, Mysterio hasn't lost a step in the ring. The Masked Luchador has put forward instant classics in a series of matches against Andrade.
As much as we would like to see the Ultimate Underdog write another Cinderella story, the chances of seeing him as a World Champions are very slim. While Mysterio might find himself in contention of the WWE Championship, his chances of winning it are highly unlikely.