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In the summer of 2008, the WWE decided to move on from the majority of the elements of the Attitude Era and become more conservative. The company chose to have a PG television rating so this new era was called the PG Era. It was a move criticized by many of the WWE’s hardcore fans but it was a way to stay afloat and have a more kid-friendly programming.
John Cena was the face of the company during this era and the WWE failed to develop future superstars. The era ended in early 2014 when CM Punk abruptly left the WWE and the Reality Era was born.
But just like any other eras, there are some worthy superstars who should have won the WWE championship. Yes, superstars like Jeff Hardy, Sheamus, The Miz, Alberto Del Rio, and Daniel Bryan became WWE champions during the PG Era but these five deserved to be too.
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Here are five PG Era superstars who should have been WWE champion, as well as some honourable mentions.
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Honourable Mentions: R-Truth, Ryback, and Ted DiBiase Jr.
R-Truth had an amazing run as a heel in 2011 that culminated in a WWE championship against John Cena at Capitol Punishment. Although unsuccessful, it led to the formation of the Awesome Truth that faced Cena and The Rock at Survivor Series. R-Truth failed a Wellness Policy test after that and he never got pushed to the main event again.
Ryback, on the other hand, was given an undefeated streak after his re-debut in 2012. It resulted in a WWE title match against CM Punk at Hell in a Cell but lost. He followed it up by being in a Triple Threat Match at Survivor Series against Punk and Cena. During the match, The Shield made their debut and Ryback never got main event push again.
As for Ted DiBiase, he had all the tools to become WWE champion. He had charisma, he has the look, he was marketable since he starred in The Marine 2, he can wrestle, and he can talk. But after the breakup of Legacy in early 2010, it all went downhill for DiBiase as he was booked like a loser until he was released in 2013.
#5 Damien Sandow
Damien Sandow started his WWE career in 2006 as Idol Stevens, teaming with KC James and managed by Michelle McCool. He was released a year later but was re-signed in 2010 before making his debut as Sandow in 2012.
The Sandow character was full of potential and it was evident that he was WWE championship material. He even won the Money in the Bank briefcase in 2013 but was booked like a loser moving forward. His cash-in against John Cena failed, he was demoted to the lower mid-card, and he even got the impersonations gimmick.
But despite all of that, Sandow managed to get popular with the Damien Mizdow character, a stunt double for The Miz. Mizdow was one of the most over superstars during his peak but the WWE just did not know how to use him right. Sadly, Sandow was released in 2016 even though he was still popular with the fans.
#4 John Morrison
Once dubbed as the Shawn Michaels of The Miz and Morrison tag team, John Morrison had all the potential in the world to be the WWE champion. The WWE can’t seem to properly use him until 2010 when he was given a push and a shot at the WWE championship.
Morrison feuded with Sheamus to become the number one contender for the WWE championship. Many fans believe that he will finally win the WWE title but failed in his match against the then-WWE champion, and former tag team partner, The Miz.
The former Johnny Nitro’s WWE contract ended in 2011 and he did not sign a new deal to heal his injuries. There are even reports that Vince McMahon did not like Morrison and it was one of the reasons why he never gave him a serious main event push.
Currently, Morrison has been successful outside of the WWE. He is a former AAA Mega champion, a one-time Lucha Underground champion, and the current Impact World champion.
#3 Cody Rhodes
Cody Rhodes has been very successful after getting released by the WWE in 2016. He has won the ROH World championship one time, the NWA World championship, and he is the current IWGP United States champion in NJPW. Rhodes also produced “All In” PPV with The Young Bucks, which sold out 10,000 tickets.
One of the biggest stars in wrestling out of the WWE today, Rhodes should have been WWE champion but Vince McMahon saddled him on the Stardust gimmick. Despite all the potential he had, the WWE never really trusted Rhodes to be a main event guy but he is proving them wrong in the past couple of years.
In a recent interview, Rhodes revealed that he turned down a WWE offer and he will be a free agent at the start of 2019. There have been rumors of Rhodes and other members of The Elite (The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, Marty Scurll, and Adam Page) will be joining the WWE. If Rhodes returns to the WWE, there is a big chance that he might finally win the WWE championship.
#2 Kofi Kingston
Kofi Kingston has been with the WWE for more than a decade and he is a surefire Hall of Famer when he retires. He is a four-time Intercontinental champion, a three-time United States champion, and an eight-time Tag Team champion. Kingston also holds the record for most cumulative days as a tag team champion.
Back in 2009, way before his New Day gimmick, Kingston received a huge push when he feuded with Randy Orton. He seemed to have the upper hand on Orton as Kingston destroyed his car, putting him through a table, and defeating Orton’s team at Survivor Series. However, Orton won the feud and Kofi was relegated as a midcard star.
At the age of 37 years, Kingston is still in his prime and he could still possibly win the WWE championship. His New Day comrade, Xavier Woods, has been campaigning since June for Kingston to become a world champion. It could work and it will cement The New Day as one of the greatest stables in the WWE history.
#1 Wade Barrett
In 2010, Wade Barrett was the hottest thing going in wrestling when he formed the Nexus. He was slotted in the main event immediately and received a WWE championship match against Randy Orton. However, Barrett fell victim to the Cena curse as he never won the WWE title, a championship he truly deserved.
Cena singlehandedly killed Barrett’s and the Nexus with some questionable booking decisions. Team Cena defeated the Nexus at SummerSlam, Cena costing Barrett the WWE championship against Orton, and Cena beating him in a TLC Match and “burying” him with 23 folding chairs.
Even though he did not become a WWE champion, Barrett had a pretty successful tenure in the company. He was a five-time Intercontinental champion and the 2015 King of the Ring. Barrett has wrestled in several independent promotions in the UK since his release in 2016. He is currently signed to Lucha Underground, going by the name “The Lord.”
