Stars from the 90's the faded too soon

[Boxer 0]

Even before the big Monday Night Wars era began, we still had plenty of stars in the early 90's. Some were old, some were young. Which guys to you fell off the fastest that was a big star in the 90's but couldn't sustain themselves, either from injury, poor booking, or a lack of conditioning? For all the hate HHH, Undertaker and Shawn Michaels get, hey, at least they are still around and pretty much performing at the top of their game.

 

My picks:

 

Ahmed Johnson. I think if healthy, we would've been a star well into the mid 2000's. The WWF was looking to go in that direction, but his body let him down. That, and being sloppy in the ring too.

 

DDP: He was hot around 97-98 but man, his star power fell off fast. Sure, turning him heel wasn't smart and by WCW's dying days and the Invasion, he was pretty much dead to me. His star power didn't even make it to two years.

 

Goldberg: Yeah, he was a HUGE star. But some say it wasn't sustained. Sometime around 1999 he was damaged goods and by 2000 he didn't even draw no more. If he did, WCW would still be in business.

 

Scott Steiner: He had his big monster heel run in 1998 and 2000-01. But the latter push was dead on arrival with WCW being on life support.

 

I'm sure there are more guys out there, but that's all I can think of at the moment.

 

 

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

This thread begins and ends with Vader.

[Bigelow34 0]

Do deaths count? Because Brian Pillman would have been a mega star in the Russoriffic Attitude era. He could have played so many roles too. He could have been anti-authority like Austin or he could have become a corporate sell out like Mick Foley. He was destined for an IC title run (which I think he would have gotten over Rocky) and definitely a feud with Austin as 98 rolled along.

 

Dr. Death may have gotten over as well in 98 as Vince's muscle if he didn't tear his body up in the BFA.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

Ravishing Rick Rude. He was fantastic in the early 90s, and probably would have been WCW World Champion if not for a crucial injury in 1992. A year and a half after this, he was retired.

[Youth N Asia 0]

I don't think Dr Death was ever going to get over by the time the late 90s rolled around.

 

I'm going with Val Venis...I just couldn't understand his career. Big guy, Vince likes that, and could put on really good matches, was huge over for quite a while but never got to the upper tier.

[RepoMan 0]

I don't think Dr Death was ever going to get over by the time the late 90s rolled around.

 

I'm going with Val Venis...I just couldn't understand his career. Big guy, Vince likes that, and could put on really good matches, was huge over for quite a while but never got to the upper tier.

 

Venus was sort of blessed and cursed with the whole porn star gimmick. It got him super over in the mid-card, but he could never get past his character whenever they tryed to push him into the upper-card. And he just looked like a duffus during his RTC and Chief Moorly days.

 

I always thought D-Lo had the potential to be in the upper card. Another mid-carder who couldn't get elevated for whatever reasons.

 

[Crimson G 0]

I'm going with Val Venis...I just couldn't understand his career. Big guy, Vince likes that, and could put on really good matches, was huge over for quite a while but never got to the upper tier.

 

He would still be over huge if they gave him the f'ing mic every once in a while. The crowd seemed to love him speaking, whether heel or face he really drew heat. They just turned him into a jobber because he was so damn good at putting other people over with his ring work. He's really a solid performer and I hope he gets one last push sometime soon.

[Diamonddust 0]

This thread begins and ends with Vader.

 

Agreed 100%. I've said it on this board before, but I'll say it again. Hogan KILLED Vader's credibility as a guy who was breaking the backs of jobbers and ripping ears off of people.

 

I don't think many would disagree that Bret Hart was a big casualty of the Monday Night Wars.

 

[cabbageboy 0]

I don't really think guys like Vader or DDP faded too soon. Vader had his run in WCW where he was allowed to work stiff as hell and damn near kill people. Two things hurt him: 1. Hogan buried him by the end of that feud. 2. WWF wouldn't let him work as stiff, and the reality is he wasn't a good enough wrestler (or healthy enough) to change his style.

 

DDP was already 40 or so when he first started getting over big circa 1996-97. So even if WCW hadn't botched his heel run in 1999 I don't know how many more peak years he would have had.

 

I do agree on Rude though. He would have been a major star during the late 90s if he hadn't been hurt. And on a similar note I would say Curt Hennig as well. Watching the Mr. Perfect DVD made me realize that Hennig should have been that big rival for Bret Hart circa 1993-95, but his injuries and off and on stints prevented him from ever quite attaining that level of success. Unlike Bret and Shawn, those guys respected and enjoyed working with each other. Could have been the closest thing to Flair/Steamboat for the WWF, but it wasn't to be.

[King Kamala 0]

I'm going to have to disagree with DDP. While he never reached the same heights he did in '97-'98 and his heel turn in '99 did set him back a bit, he was still a borderline main event guy until the bitter end of WCW.

 

I'm also going to disagree with Goldberg. Yeah, he was damaged goods but it wasn't his own doing. It was WCW's dumbfuck booking that did him in. Again a stupid heel turn really hurt him but even in the end, he was the most over babyface in WCW. Hell, he could come back today to WWE or TNA and get over huge if booked right.

[Timmy8271 0]

Rude was hurt by Flair coming in as he was basically a tweaked version of Flair. I would have loved to see him wrestle in ECW though. It's a shame he was only a announcer cause he was great there.

 

I got to go with Bam Bam Bigelow. It's not everyday you get a guy like that and both WWF(1995) and WCW(1999) screwed him over. Did WWF ever do Diesel/Bam Bam after Mania? I don't think they did. Goldberg/Bigelow could have been huge but Nash fucked that up.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Did WWF ever do Diesel/Bam Bam after Mania? I don't think they did.

I believe that they had a match on Raw right before Bam Bam turned face.

[Brett Favre 0]

I know he had a solid career, and maybe this doesn't apply to this question, but how big do you think Brian Pillman would have been had he not died? He was tailor made for the attitude era that was taking place.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

I know he had a solid career, and maybe this doesn't apply to this question, but how big do you think Brian Pillman would have been had he not died? He was tailor made for the attitude era that was taking place.

I typically try to downplay historical "what ifs" in wrestling, but I truly believe that Pillman would have been Austin's primary foe during the Attitude era. I don't think it's a stretch to say he would have had a 2 or 3 year run at or near the top of the company.

[HarleyQuinn 0]

I'll make the mention of Raven in WCW (97-98). Maybe not "faded" but he's never really reached that pinnacle that a guy like him should have. He wasn't that memorable in his ECW return (His feud/team with Dreamer & Sandman just lacked the same spark) and bounced to WWE and then TNA.

 

He was getting plenty of heat and had solid, lengthy feuds with Diamond Dallas Page just before/during DDP's takeoff into main event status and with Chris Benoit that also included Page in it at points. Even into 1999 there was the memorable three way tag feud b/w Benoit & Malenko, Raven & Saturn, and Kidman & Rey Mysterio Jr.

 

I think what hurt Raven were his own demons (drugs & alcohol) and the fact that he never really had that chance to be around the major players. I remember his debut when he hopped the railing and stared down Scott Hall and absolutely nothing was done... just boring stuff around legal contracts & employment and crap. Here is a former ECW Champion that could've come in right into the scene (Maybe a brief feud with Hall) acting like the rebel he is while leading The Flock, his personal group of rebels almost like WCW vs. NWO vs. Them.

[CanadianChris 0]

I know he had a solid career, and maybe this doesn't apply to this question, but how big do you think Brian Pillman would have been had he not died? He was tailor made for the attitude era that was taking place.

I typically try to downplay historical "what ifs" in wrestling, but I truly believe that Pillman would have been Austin's primary foe during the Attitude era. I don't think it's a stretch to say he would have had a 2 or 3 year run at or near the top of the company.

I think you have to go even further than "if he hadn't died," to "if he hadn't had the motorcycle accident." He was a walking cripple for pretty much his entire WWF run, and there's almost no way he could've stood up to the rigors of being the guy on top. Plus I doubt Vince would've looked at him (appearance-wise) and seen a main eventer. He was pretty small, even smaller than Eddy, I think.

[1234-5678 0]

Do deaths count? Because Brian Pillman would have been a mega star in the Russoriffic Attitude era. He could have played so many roles too. He could have been anti-authority like Austin or he could have become a corporate sell out like Mick Foley. He was destined for an IC title run (which I think he would have gotten over Rocky) and definitely a feud with Austin as 98 rolled along.

 

Dr. Death may have gotten over as well in 98 as Vince's muscle if he didn't tear his body up in the BFA.

 

 

Pillman couldn't work a lick by then due to injury.

[Promoter 0]

I know he had a solid career, and maybe this doesn't apply to this question, but how big do you think Brian Pillman would have been had he not died? He was tailor made for the attitude era that was taking place.

I typically try to downplay historical "what ifs" in wrestling, but I truly believe that Pillman would have been Austin's primary foe during the Attitude era. I don't think it's a stretch to say he would have had a 2 or 3 year run at or near the top of the company.

I think you have to go even further than "if he hadn't died," to "if he hadn't had the motorcycle accident." He was a walking cripple for pretty much his entire WWF run, and there's almost no way he could've stood up to the rigors of being the guy on top. Plus I doubt Vince would've looked at him (appearance-wise) and seen a main eventer. He was pretty small, even smaller than Eddy, I think.

 

Damn, I was going to agree with Pillman until I saw the point about him being pretty much cripple. However, since this is "what if" I think Pillman was the epitome of attitude. I think Vince saw him as a big star actually if we remember his original angle coming into the wwf. They played him off like they did with Bret Hart eventually as both face and heel. Remember the press conference that one week they played parts where he came off like a face thanking the wwf and fans for the opportunity of being in the wwf and then the following week he was a jerk heel cussing out the "reporters"? The worked shoot came really big after his death, but he initiated it with "I respect you bookerman" in wcw. He would have played the character to the fullest. I think the wwf is trying to this with MVP now somewhat how his character has developed as the asshole big money athlete acquisition.

 

I agree about Vader losing his steam with Hogan before even coming to the wwf, but the potential was there. I remember them pitting him against Shamrock for his first feud and even that little incident he had with the reporter saying what he did was fake and threatening him. Vader still had his badass aura to him. He just got out of shape and wasn't the same imo. Goldberg and Warrior man are the biggest.

 

Warrior was suppose to be the Hogan of the 90's after getting the strap at Mania 6. By 1996 he was a shell of himself due to his disappearances and so on. Goldberg was the poor man's Warrior in that respect as the same thing happened to him.

[Chazz 0]

Billy Kidman. Was one of the best cruiserweights in pro wrestling in the late 90's. Where the hell is he today?

[Silence 0]

Billy Kidman. Was one of the best cruiserweights in pro wrestling in the late 90's. Where the hell is he today?

 

FCW trainer.

[Epic Reine 0]

The thing about Kidman is that while he was very good for his time, what he did has been blown away by today's cruisers. Look at his SSP which was sloppy and bothced half the time and then look at Evan Bourne's or Paul London's which are hit with perfection everytime. Nothing he did back then (which wasn't even that long ago) stands up what guys like Bourne and London can do today and as soon as he got to WWE, he was just another paint by numbers cruiserweight.

[cabbageboy 0]

Even at his peak Kidman did some truly irritating things in the ring, like the constant powerbomb reversal spot he seemingly worked into every match. But yeah I think guys like Rey and Juvi were making Kidman look better than he really was in WCW and once he hit WWE it wasn't the same.

[haws bah gawd 0]

 

Billy Kidman vs Gregory Helms on (what I believe is the only edition of) WCW Smackdown. They botch some things, though it may have been due to them being nervous about impressing their new employers. I'll agree though, Kidman was doing some amazing things for the time in the late 90's, but in this age of Canadian Destroyers and Evan Bourne going 15 feet in the air with a Shooting Star Press, he probably wouldn't be as well received. I used to enjoy the bit of "You CAN'T Powerbomb Billy Kidman".

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Ugh...The constant powerbomb reversal spot was definitely a pet peeve of mine.

[Chazz 0]

I don't think it helped matters that a.)Kidman really didn't have any kind of a personality, not to mention good acting skills, and b.)Shortly after his arival in The WWE, they instuted this "New WWE Style" of wrestling, which basically meant everyone had to work a more ground based style to avoid injuries. I think this was the final nail in Kidman's WWE tenure.

[Silence 0]

I don't think it helped matters that a.)Kidman really didn't have any kind of a personality, not to mention good acting skills, and b.)Shortly after his arival in The WWE, they instuted this "New WWE Style" of wrestling, which basically meant everyone had to work a more ground based style to avoid injuries. I think this was the final nail in Kidman's WWE tenure.

 

He even lost his wifebeater/jeans attire and wore biker shorts like Crash and Hardcore Holly.

[Chazz 0]

Marc Mero's WWF run from '96-'98. He was flopping in that stupid "Wildman" gimmick when he first started with the company. Then he got hurt, and came back as angry boyfriend/husband of Sable, which actually helped elevate her career more that it did his. Nevertheless, I thought Mero was awesome in his abusive spouse-type character.

[The Truthiness 0]

Marty Jannetty, should've been a huge star.

[HarleyQuinn 0]

1: The Headbangers... came about 2-3 years too late but could've been a great gimmick tag team from 1991-1994 during the height of the grunge era. Instead they were just a decent but late gimmick saddled with two average workers.

 

2: I'll make the mention of Venom/Joey Abs. By all accounts he was a star in the making from 1996-1998 and then finally got into the WWF where he was promptly saddled with the awful Mean Street Posse gimmick and stuck with two wrestlers who were bland and below average in the ring. I think if Abs had come in with a gimmick more suited to his personality/size (something similar to Bradshaw... i.e. a tough, hard nosed brawler/power wrestler) then he could've done a lot better and eventually gotten to the IC Title level or higher.

 

I really would've liked to see Abs come in with Jeff & Matt Hardy in their feud with Gangrel/Edge/Christian rather than Michael Hayes getting the managerial role.

 

[slabinskia 0]

Marc Mero's WWF run from '96-'98. He was flopping in that stupid "Wildman" gimmick when he first started with the company. Then he got hurt, and came back as angry boyfriend/husband of Sable, which actually helped elevate her career more that it did his. Nevertheless, I thought Mero was awesome in his abusive spouse-type character.

 

In regards to Mero, I always thought he got too many negative comments his way. When you look at his in ring work, I thought it was very solid. Some will say he was in there with good opponents in wcw but I thought he held his own and had good matches with Austin,Regal,Pilman,Anderson,etc. He also carried ddp and hhh when both were very green. I'll agree that he didn't find a good gimmick until 98 though.