10 Wrestlers WWE Buried Despite Fan Adoration
Rob Van Dam
10. Rob Van Dam
When Rob Van Dam returned to WWE in 2013, fan reactions showed he was still a major draw. His initial run featured strong booking, but after WrestleMania 30, his role shifted dramatically. He was largely used to put over other talent, rarely winning matches and often working without any real storyline direction. The lack of meaningful creative plans led to frustration, with RVD later criticizing how his return was handled, saying WWE did nothing with him during that period.
9. Natalya
Natalya has long been recognized as one of WWE’s most reliable and technically sound performers. Despite her experience and consistency, she has rarely been positioned as a centerpiece of the women’s division. She spent long stretches without meaningful title opportunities, was given widely criticized gimmicks, and was frequently used to elevate other talent. Since 2008, she has held a women’s singles championship only twice, a surprisingly low number given her longevity and skill level.
8. Luke Harper
Luke Harper’s in-ring ability and presence made him a standout whenever he was given the chance. A face turn in 2017 sparked hopes of a breakout singles run, backed by strong crowd reactions. Instead, he gradually disappeared from television and was often used to elevate others. Despite recovering from injury, he remained sidelined creatively. Reports consistently suggested that upper management was never fully invested in him. After requesting his release, he spent the remainder of his contract underutilized before departing in late 2019.
7. Zack Ryder
Zack Ryder’s rise was unique. Through his independently produced YouTube show, he built a massive fanbase without WWE’s backing. He became one of the company’s top merchandise sellers and most followed performers online. Once WWE officially embraced his popularity, it quickly unraveled. His character was humiliated on television, his creative control was stripped away, and he was pushed back down the card. Even his Intercontinental Championship win at WrestleMania 32 was undone less than 24 hours later, reinforcing the sense that management never fully believed in him long-term.
6. Rusev
Rusev organically became one of WWE’s most popular acts during the “Rusev Day” era. The chants were constant, merchandise sold out, and crowd reactions clearly signaled a star-level babyface turn. WWE resisted the momentum, delaying his face turn and failing to build around his popularity. The breakup with Aiden English was poorly executed, and Rusev struggled to gain consistent wins afterward. His lone U.S. Championship reign was brief, and by the time creative moved on, the once-red-hot act had cooled significantly.
5. Mustafa Ali
Mustafa Ali’s main roster run was defined by momentum repeatedly being built and abruptly halted. Early performances on SmackDown, including a standout match with Randy Orton, positioned him as a potential mid-card breakout star. Injuries and last-minute creative changes derailed key opportunities, including plans for a Money in the Bank win. Promising ideas, such as his hacker character, were abandoned, and his involvement in the Retribution faction further stalled his rise. After years of stop-start booking, Ali requested his release and was eventually let go in 2023.
4. Tommy Dreamer
Tommy Dreamer built his career on resilience, connecting with fans despite frequent losses. During WWE’s ECW revival, he emerged as one of the brand’s most popular babyfaces, and his matches often drew the show’s highest ratings. WWE hesitated to reward that popularity with sustained main-event booking, seemingly relying on the fact that Dreamer could lose repeatedly and still remain over. When he finally won the ECW Championship in 2009, ratings improved, but the push was short-lived. He was quickly removed from the spotlight, and his title reign lasted just seven weeks.
3. Damien Sandow
Damien Sandow repeatedly demonstrated an ability to get over regardless of presentation. His “Intellectual Savior” character gained traction, and even when saddled with comedic or cosplay-based roles, he remained entertaining. His run as The Miz’s stunt double, Mizdow, earned strong crowd reactions and fan respect. Winning Money in the Bank in 2013 should have been a turning point. Instead, Sandow was booked on a prolonged losing streak before failing his cash-in against an injured John Cena. From there, he was increasingly treated as a joke act. Despite reportedly strong merchandise sales, his momentum was never restored, and he was released less than a year after his most popular run.
2. Rey Mysterio
Few wrestlers in WWE history have remained as consistently popular as Rey Mysterio. His Royal Rumble victory and World Heavyweight Championship win at WrestleMania 22 should have cemented him as a long-term main event fixture. Instead, his title reign was marked by weak booking. Mysterio frequently lost non-title matches, struggled to look dominant as champion, and was often denied meaningful redemption in feuds due to disqualification finishes. Despite unwavering fan support, his momentum stalled. His later world title reigns were both extremely short, reinforcing the perception that WWE never fully viewed him as a top champion.
1. The Hurricane
At his peak, The Hurricane was one of WWE’s most successful under-200-pound acts. His superhero persona moved more than one million replica masks and proved that smaller wrestlers could be major merchandise drivers. A brief but memorable rivalry with The Rock further elevated his profile and gave him legitimate momentum with mainstream audiences. Despite this, WWE never followed through with a sustained push. After his win over The Rock, Hurricane was quickly cooled off, given inconsistent television time, and slotted into a comedy-heavy tag team with Rosie. Losses to top stars came before his character could fully capitalize on crowd support. He never won the Intercontinental Championship, even during periods when fan reactions clearly justified it.
