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#2. The Ultimate Warrior
Randy Savage's attempt to succeed Hulk Hogan as pro wrestling's top star didn't pan out mostly because the Macho Man failed to resonate with fans as well as the Hulkster.
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So when the time came for Hulk Hogan to try and drop his title again, WWE picked a man whose popularity was through the roof, especially with younger fans; The Ultimate Warrior, Jim Hellwig.
The Ultimate Warrior had been on a roll ever since conquering the Intercontinental Championship from Honky Tonk Man at the very first SummerSlam. His merchandise sales were huge, and he seemed to resonate with fans quite well.
He and Hulk Hogan faced off for the WWE World Championship at WrestleMania VI, in the Ultimate Challenge, which Warrior won.
What Happened next: The Ultimate Warrior was a great mid card champion, but his one dimensional character and lack of technical skill, as well as his bad attitude back stage, ruined his chances of remaining the face of pro wrestling.
He would drop the belt to Sgt. Slaughter due to interference from Randy Savage. The Ultimate Warrior would never again wear a 'big belt' for any major promotion, and eventually sort of faded away.
#3. Lex Luger
During the New Generation Era, the steroid scandal WWE had found themselves embroiled in had led to wrestler physiques shrinking. Gone were the gigantic men, replaced with more streamlined athletes.
Though Bret Hart won the WWE World Championship in 1992, his reign at that time was little remembered, as he was mostly a transitional champion to get the belt around the ample waist of heel Yokozuna. With the mock sumo devastating the roster and reigning dominant, a new hero would emerge to face him: Lex Luger.
Luger had already started a run with WWE as the Narcissistic character, but when he showed up on July 4, 1993 to answer Yokozuna's "Body Slam Challenge", he had transitioned to a flag waving American Hero.
Vince McMahon put Luger on a red, white, and blue decorated bus dubbed the "Lex Express", and had him paraded about the country in an attempt to recapture the glory of 1980s Hulkamania.
What happened next: Lex Luger has always been a solid if not spectacular performer, but he's never quite had the charisma to carry an entire company on his broad shoulders. The Lex Express cost WWE a ton of money with tiny crowds responding, if at all. Luger's WWE title reign never happened, and he would only briefly reign as WCW World Champion before his career wound down.
