The Great Eight: Top 8 Underutilized WWE PG Era Wrestlers

When you think of wrestlers who came to fame leading up to and during the PG Era, there are a lot of names that might come to mind: John Cena, Daniel Bryan, CM Punk, Randy Orton, Batista, Brock Lesnar, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns, to name a few. But what about the ones who didn’t quite reach that level of fame? The wrestlers who had all the talent but either didn’t click with the fans or the booking wasn’t behind them?

That’s who I want to highlight and celebrate today, the wrestlers from that era, who, for whatever reason, never made it. And yes, writing last week’s column made me want to write this one.

Plugs

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Disclaimer:

This is my list; if you don’t like it or have a different list, awesome! Please share your own list and opinions in the comments section. I welcome open discourse about this wacky art we all love. It is an art form, so it is subjective; we all have our opinions on it, and all of them are valid. So, if you want to share your thoughts and opinions, don’t insult others for their opinion. There is already enough negativity in the world; let’s not add to it. And with that, on to the list!

The List

Honorable Mentions:

The Ascension, Zack Ryder, Elijah Burke, Katie Lea Burchill, Trevor Murdoch, and Carlito

8: Damien Sandow

Sandow had a lot of potential; while he wasn’t the best in-ring technician, he was capable of good matches and could be carried to great ones. Where he excelled was in the character work and charisma. He played the arrogant and intelligent role so well. And his work with The Miz showed he had great comedic timing as well.

Only the second man to lose his Money in the Bank cash-in, and he never really reached those heights again. Sandow would have been better as World Champion than some of the others during this time. Even just a single run at the top, and then placing him as a Main Event gatekeeper would have worked well.

But no, Sandow just slowly dropped down the card until he was released in 2016.

7: Justin Gabriel

Justin Gabriel is one of those guys who really needed to have come in a few years later. Gabriel would have thrived in the Black & Gold era of NXT or the current AEW. He brought a style that few others were doing in the WWE at the time; he was good-looking and still relatively young when he left in 2015. Unfortunately, after The Nexus, Gabriel was never positioned to be much of anything.

His three WWE Tag Team Championship reigns as part of The Nexus were the only titles he would win in the WWE. And while he did get some high-profile matches, including the 2011 Money in the Bank, he quickly dropped down the card. He would soon be a mainstay on Superstars and Main Event, mainly being used as a jobber, before quitting right before the 2015 Royal Rumble.

6: Chris Masters

Masters looked primed to be a main eventer; within his first year, he feuded with Shawn Michaels, was part of Team Raw at Survivor Series, and feuded with WWE Champion John Cena, which led to him being in the Elimination Chamber at New Year’s Revolution. Master’s first would fail due to his own demons. He first would enter rehab for a painkiller addiction, returning with a slimmer look. Then he would fail a wellness test twice in less than six months, leading to his release.

He would come back in 2009, but despite having a promising start, he would soon find himself at the bottom of the card. His last four months regulated to matches on Superstars. Sadly, it seems Masters’s issues were of his own doing versus bad booking. If he had been able to get clean during his first run, he could have made a comeback and ended up as a solid upper-card wrestler and a possible run with the World Championship.

5: John Morrison

Morrison actually debuted a few years before the official start of the PG era, but we will include him here because his runs with the Miz and as Intercontinental Champion fit the dates. Morrison is the first guy on the list that I feel absolutely could have been World Champion during the PG era. He is an impressive wrestler, underrated on the mic, has a great look, and has since shown he can carry a company.

Watching during his first run, it felt like he was always on the cusp and just needed a nudge to get there. He was like a young Shawn Michaels: athletic, inventive, and had the looks that the girls loved and the guys hated. The fact that the closest he got to being the WWE Champion was the WWE ECW Championship is just a shame.

Like Gabriel, if Morrison had come up in the Black & Gold NXT, he would probably be a WWE Champion by now.

4: Wade Barrett

Part of Barrett’s issue was staying healthy. It seemed like anytime he started to gain momentum, he would get injured. Barrett had the look, the ability, and the promo skills to be a multi-time WWE Champion. Put him on SmackDown during the 2010s as Bad News or the Bare Knuckle Brawler and let him run the show.

Hell, King of the Ring Barrett would have been great as WWE Champion. He would be able to be a mix of Regal and Booker T’s runs as King of the Ring. Bringing a bit of comedy, but tempered with absolute malice and violence. He would also be able to play off the fact that he was the only proper British WWE Champion.

So, while injuries did hamper his rise to the top, the booking was never fully behind him. I think he was an underrated wrestler, and at only 45, there is a chance we could see him lace them up one more time in the future.

3: Montel Vontavious Porter

MVP always felt like a guy who deserved more than he got. In six years with the WWE, he won the United States Championship twice and the WWE Tag Team Championships once. That’s three championships in six years. He would participate in the WrestleMania XXIV Money in the Bank Ladder Match and the WWE Championship Scramble at Unforgiven of the same year.

He was put on a losing streak, with the rumors from the time being that it was to prove he would tough it out and not leave. MVP was a guy who could put on good matches and be carried to great ones. He was able to cut great promos and transcended his bad ring gear to show that he was a great prospect. Giving him a shot at the top would have been better than someone like Khalil. But unfortunately creative never really got behind him.

2: Rusev

Rusev is one of the most baffling careers ever. He came onto the main roster hot, stayed undefeated for over a year, and became the first Bulgerian champion in the WWE when he beat Sheamus for the United States Championship. His hot run would get cooled off by a feud with John Cena, who would beat him at WrestleMania 31.

From there, his first run in the WWE would be very up and down. He would join the League of Nations and slide down the card. After moving to SmackDown, he would jump-start his career again after partnering with Aiden English and starting Rusev Day. If there was ever a time to give Rusev a World Championship, this was it. He was red-hot during the Rusev Day run, and the fans would have loved it.

Sadly, his last feud was with Bobby Lashley over a cheating Lana, and then he would be cut during COVID-19.

He is back in the WWE after an up-and-down run in AEW, but after losing in the Last Time is Now Tournament, he has been on TV, so the chances of Rusev ever being a World Champion are getting less by the day.

1: Cesaro

How they missed the boat with Cesaro, I will never know. Cesaro is one of the best in-ring talents of the 21st century; he is an underrated promo and has the look Vince loved. When you try so hard to push the global appeal of your company, having a guy who can speak multiple languages as the face of your company is a good thing.

Cesaro was the guy you could put with anyone and have a good match. His feats of strength were entertaining, and he worked well as a heel or a face. The Barr is one of my favorite tag teams ever. And while he is a seven-time WWE Tag Team Champion, he only ever had one singles championship with the United States Championship.

The closest he ever came to being a World Champion was a match against Roman Reigns during his 1,316 days as Champion. Honestly, the fact that he hasn’t been in the AEW World Championship scene is also a shame. Yes, he got two runs as ROH Champion (something he should have gotten before he went to the WWE) and is the. Current CMlL World Champion. But there is no reason he shouldn’t be in there mixing it up with MJF, Samoa Joe, Mox, Page, and Strickland.

Preview:

Tune in next week when we look at the top eight NXT Black & Gold Era Wrestlers!