10 WWE Superstars Who Failed to Meet Expectations

Sin Cara

10. Nathan Jones

Nathan Jones debuted through vignettes portraying him as an ex-prisoner with an insanely impressive physique, and WWE officials referred to him internally as a big time player. In early 2003, creative booked him as The Undertaker’s protege and scheduled them as a tag team for WrestleMania 19. During preparation, the company concluded Jones was not ready for a featured match. Plans were changed days before the event, and Jones was removed from the lineup. He was sent to OVW for training and later returned as a heel in late 2003, but crowds did not respond. His push ended after management determined he could not deliver at a major-match level in the ring.

9. Mabel

During the summer of 1995, WWE centered its heavyweight push on Mabel and branded him as the next big threat. He won the 1995 King of the Ring tournament and was positioned to headline SummerSlam 1995 against Diesel for the WWE Championship. However, fans rejected both the character and the push. The Summerslam match was poorly received, and backstage officials viewed his work as reckless and unsafe. Reports at the time claimed Vince McMahon nearly fired him.

8. Veer Mahaan

WWE aired Veer Mahaan return vignettes for months on Raw and SmackDown. The extended build stalled momentum rather than increasing interest. When he finally appeared, the reaction was flat. The creative delay led to the perception that WWE had no long-term plan for him. His main-roster run failed to gain traction, and he was released by April 2024.

7. Matt Morgan

In 2003, WWE promoted Matt Morgan based on his size and presence. Once he began working televised matches, his in-ring limitations became clear. He was sent back to developmental, then reintroduced in 2005 with limited improvement. That second run drew little reaction and ended in his release. He later rebuilt his career in TNA and reached the main-event level there, but his push in the Stamford based company did not succeed.

6. Gene Snitsky

Gene Snitsky appeared on Raw in September 2004 in an angle that involved Kane accidentally falling onto a pregnant Lita, which positioned Snitsky as one of WWE’s most hated villains overnight. After the Kane feud ended, his presentation shifted toward exaggerated and comedic segments. Creative leaned into shock and parody instead of development, and his in-ring skills did not match his TV time. He was gradually moved out of serious storylines.

5. Lacey Evans

Lacey Evans joined the main roster in 2019 with a Southern-belle inspired character and received immediate pay-per-view exposure against Becky Lynch. WWE continued adjusting her presentation through multiple character changes, including pairing her with Ric Flair. Despite repeated resets, she never connected with the audience as a credible singles star. Her performances against Lynch drew mixed reactions, and she failed to establish herself as a consistent title-level contender.

4. Sin Cara

WWE announced Sin Cara’s signing at a press conference in Mexico City in February 2011, presenting him as a future top Luchadore babyface. Problems began almost immediately. He struggled with WWE’s match structure, and televised bouts were riddled with mistimed spots and visible communication issues. Even with experienced opponents such as Chavo Guerrero and Daniel Bryan, matches failed to improve. Audience interest dropped, and he exited the company by 2014.

3. Mordecai

Vignettes hyped Mordecai as a dark, religious-themed antagonist positioned as a long-term rival for The Undertaker. He debuted at Judgment Day 2004. The presentation came across as unconvincing, and the three-minute match did not help establish credibility. Naturally, the company ended the character shortly after, and the storyline was abandoned.

2. Curtis Axel

In 2013, Curtis Axel was paired with Paul Heyman to push him into the main-event picture. The partnership of Axel and Heyman never clicked on screen. The WWE Hall of Famer later admitted expectations were unrealistic after his run managing Brock Lesnar and CM Punk. By late 2013, the son of the legendary Curt Henning was moved down the card and the association ended.

1. Ted DiBiase Jr.

Following the breakup of Legacy in 2010, WWE expected Ted DiBiase Jr. to become the group’s breakout star. WWE Magazine featured him in 2009 as a projected future world champion. But without Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes, his singles run stalled. He lacked presence as a standalone performer, lost crowd support, and never won a world title. Cody Rhodes, by contrast, went on to become a main-event star and is reigning world champion in December 2025.