30 Wrestlers Everyone Forgets About... Can You Name Them?
- by Chris Roberts
- – on
- in Sports
It takes plenty of courage, talent, and ability to withstand pain to become a professional wrestler, but it's charisma that often defines the greatest wrestlers of all-time. Think Ric Flair, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, or Chris Jericho; all were talented in the ring, albeit in their own way, but could also command the attention for an arena full of diehard wrestling fans both during a match and while on the microphone. Sometimes it's not so much the wrestler as it is the character. While someone like Kane doesn't exactly ooze charisma, the character was a huge success and has now been around for nearly 20 years, however his previous characters - Isaac Yankem, DDS and Fake Diesel, among others - didn't quite get over with audiences.
You can say the same about a lot of the wrestlers in this quiz. While they may have been talented workers capable of putting on a good match, they were unable to build a lengthy career in wrestling due to either being given a poor gimmick or being incapable of exciting fans. Some, however, have cult followings because of their short, but memorable, stay in either WWE, WCW, or ECW. After all, not every wrestler in a promotion can be main event starts. Sometimes you need comedy acts or those with strange gimmicks to balance out a show.
So, how many of the following 30 wrestlers can you name?
Who is this forgotten wrestler?
This wrestler's stay in WWE wasn't short-lived due to being unable to get over with crowds. In fact, he was a fan favorite during his nearly five-year run as this character from 2001 to 2006 and even recently returned for the 2018 Royal Rumble. He even enjoyed a decent amount of success during his WWE career. He's a two-time World Tag Team Champion, two-time Cruiserweight Champion, one-time European Champion, and one-time Hardcore Champion. He still holds the WWE record for longest-reigning Cruiserweight Champion at 13 months, although he wasn't wrestling as the character in question during that time.
Who is this forgotten wrestler?
"Hello Ladies," is what fans would hear before this WWE wrestler's theme song blared throughout the arena. He would then come down with a towel around his waist and attempt to appeal to the women in the audience with his hip thrusting and gyrations. That's because his gimmick was that he was a former adult film star and he even appeared in vignettes with real-life adult actress Jenna Jameson. Despite the ridiculous gimmick, he had moderate success in WWE as a two-time Intercontinental Champion, one-time European Champion, and one-time World Tag Team Champion.
Who is this forgotten wrestler?
Mike Bucci is the real name of this wrestler who also competed as Super Nova in ECW, but is perhaps best known by his WWE gimmick as an obnoxious fitness guru. He debuted in 2004 under the guise of promoting a fitness program of diet, exercise, and supplements, which he did through parodied fitness infomercials. His only memorable PPV moment came during No Mercy in 2005 as he suffered a defeat against Bobby Lashley and was forced to eat 20 double cheeseburgers backstage which, naturally, caused him to puke. He was released in 2007.
Who is this forgotten wrestler?
Previously known as "Sparkplug," this wrestled adopted a hardcore gimmick during the Attitude Era of the WWE and regularly competed for the Hardcore Championship. He was a six-time Hardcore Champion and often feuded with Al Snow for the championship with their most memorable match coming at St. Valentine's Day Massacre, where the battle spilled out into the Mississippi River. He's also a three-time WWE World Tag Team Champion, having won the titles with The 1-2-3 Kid, Crash, and Cody Rhodes.
Who is this forgotten wrestler?
An Australian actor and powerlifting champion, this 48 year old former wrestler competed in WWE for a brief period of time during 2002 and 2003. He was originally supposed to be a protege of The Undertaker, but was later paired with Paul Heyman and that didn't work either. His only real feud involved The Big Show and his only major PPV appearance was at Survivor Series, when he competed on Brock Lesnar's team. Before embarking on a career in powerlifting and wrestling, he was one of Australia's most-wanted.
Who is this forgotten wrestler?
This wrestler unfortunately passed away in 2016 after a nearly 30-year professional wrestling career. He began competing in World Wrestling Council in 1987 and competed in WWE for a brief period of time in the 1990s as the ridiculous Xanta Clause, which, not surprisingly, lasted only a few weeks as fans weren't all that into a villainous Santa Claus gimmick. He is best known, however, for his work in ECW as this character. He spent four years with the company and was a three-time World Tag Team Champion, having twice won with Spike Dudley and once with Masato Tanaka.
Who is this forgotten wrestler?
Glenn Gilbertti is the real name of this former WCW wrestler who had the forgettable gimmick of being a dancer who was inspired by one particular genre for music - one that was solely popular during the 1970s. He competed in WCW from 1995 to 2001 and, despite the somewhat comical gimmick, actually had a decent career as a two-time WCW World Television Champion, one-time Cruiserweight Champion, and one-time World Tag Team Champion alongside Alex Wright. Somewhat fittingly, he is now a host at a Las Vegas-based club.
Who is this forgotten wrestler?
The WWE has awfully hesitant with any depiction of violence or characters in poor taste in recent years, but that wasn't always the case. While this wrestler was a 10-time OVW Heavyweight Champion, he wasn't treated as serious in WWE as he debuted as a character with intellectual disabilities believed to be the nephew of then-Raw general manager Eric Bischoff. He feuded with the likes of announcer Jonathan Coachman and Triple H before eventually taking on Bischoff in a match at Taboo Tuesday. He was a one-time World Tag Team Champion with William Regal.
Who is this forgotten wrestler?
While this wrestler had a relatively inauspicious WWE career, it could have gone a lot better had he been part of Evolution as originally planned. The faction included Ric Flair, Triple H, and young superstars Randy Orton and Batista, who both won multiple World Championships. Instead, the former WCW superstar was relegated to the lower end of the card and often put in tag team programs alongside the likes of Garrison Cade and Luther Reigns. He lasted three years in the company and never won a championship, although he was a two-time WCW World Tag Team Champion with Sean O'Haire.
Who is this forgotten wrestler?
This hardcore wrestler carried around the head of a mannequin for the majority of his career, first in ECW as a schizophrenic character supposedly driven insane by his previous use as a jobber in WWE - he held a number of gimmicks in the company during the early 90s, including Avatar and Leif Cassidy. However, he returned to WWE under the new gimmick in 1998 and enjoyed considerable success as a six-time Hardcore Champion, one-time European Champion, and one-time Tag Team Champion.
Who is this forgotten wrestler?
This wrestler competed in WWE as Aldo Montoya during the early 1990s, but is best known for his time in ECW, where he competed under the name in question and was one-half of the popular tag team The Impact Players along with Lance Storm. In addition to winning two World Tag Team Championships with Storm, he reached the pinnacle of his career in 2000, when he defeated Tommy Dreamer at CyberSlam to win the ECW World Heavyweight Championship. He successfully defended the title on multiple occasions against both Dreamer and Storm before losing it to Steve Corino.
Who is this forgotten wrestler?
This hulking superstar had promising potential in WWE during the mid-90s, but was unable to live up to the hype due to a series of injuries and setbacks. He debuted in 1995 and, in less than a year, became the first African American to win a singles championship in WWE when he defeated Goldust to win the Intercontinental Championship. In addition to Goldust, his most memorable feud was with the Nation of Domination and its leader Farooq. However, he later turned heel and joined the New Nation, aligning himself with his former rival in the process.
Who is this forgotten wrestler?
If you're a fan of Impact Wrestling, you might know this former WWE superstar and valet by his real name of Don Callis. The 54 year old Winnipeg, Manitoba native is the current co-executive vice president of the promotion, but earlier in his career was under contract for three years in WWE, where he portrayed this character. He served as the leader of The Truth Commission and managed Kurrgan, but the faction lasted only a handful of months before it was disbanded at WrestleMania XIV. He later briefly managed The Oddities and The Acolytes.
Who is this forgotten wrestler?
Steve Lombardi is the most popular jobber in wrestling history, having competed in the WWE under a variety of gimmicks from 1983 to 1998 and even re-appearing in recent years to reprise his most popular gimmick, which is the one in question. Not surprisingly, he has never won a championship in the WWE, but is still adored by fans. He most recently appeared during a backstage gimmick at Raw 25 and last competed in a match during the 2012 TLC PPV, when he competed alongside The Miz and Alberto Del Rio in a six-man tag match against 3MB and scored the win for his team via a Boston crab on Jinder Mahal.
Who is this forgotten wrestler?
This Houston, Texas native was a co-winner of the first ever season of Tough Enough and, while she didn't go on to have a memorable career in the WWE, she at least managed to stick around for a few years, during which time she managed Jamie Noble and feuded with the likes of Torrie Wilson, Trish Stratus, and Gail Kim. She eventually broke away from Noble, who often used her to shield himself from his opponents, and actually faced him in a match at No Way Out in which he was forced to wear a blindfold.
Who is this forgotten wrestler?
Well before Jinder Mahal, the WWE's Indian representation was this fellow Indo-Canadian who competed in the company from 1997 to 2002, although he was very rarely used on PPVs or even on Raw as he was mostly limited to Sunday Night Heat and live events. He did, however, compete in the 1999 Royal Rumble and later served as manager of the Lo Down tag team that was comprised of Chaz and D'Lo Brown. The 47 year old still wrestles occasionally on the independent circuit.
Who is this forgotten wrestler?
Disco Inferno wasn't the only dancing act in the WCW; in fact, he even teamed with this wrestler at one point and the pair were one-time WCW World Tag Team Champions. In addition to that title, this German-born superstar was a one-time Cruiserweight Champion and one-time World Television Champion. Das Wunderkid, as he was also known, debuted for WCW in 1994 and worked with the company until it was purchased by WWE in 2001. He is now the founder and CEO of New European Championship Wrestling.
Who is this forgotten wrestler?
Charles Bernard Scaggs first debuted in WWE as Flash Funk in 1996 after two-year stints in both WCW and ECW and began displaying his high-flying athleticism, although he never broke past the lower end of the card. As a result, he reverted back to his original name during his WCW and ECW run and joined Al Snow's J.O.B Squad. He worked for WWE until 1999, when he was released after asking for time off due to personal reasons. Despite being 52 years old, he still regularly competes on the independent circuit.
Who is this forgotten wrestler?
Most fans might easily recognize this wrestler as Chavo Guerrero Jr. and it is. Although, while he used that name for almost the entirety of his WWE and WCW careers, he was also briefly repackaged in WWE as this character who had somewhat of a racist slant, as evident by his last name. The irony was that Guerrero Jr. himself is Hispanic, but his character denounced his heritage and adopted a stereotypical, white, conservative viewpoint and began driving a golf cart to the ring. Fortunately, the gimmick only lasted a few months.
Who is this forgotten wrestler?
A 46 year old native of West Warwick, Rhode Island, this wrestler first debuted in WCW in 1998 and joined WWE as part of the Invasion angle in 2001. Primarily a tag team worker, he was a four-time WCW World Tag Team Champion in WCW (x3 with Shawn Stasiak and once with Sean O'Haire) and was a two-time WWE Tag Team Champion with Billy Gunn as the two wrestlers adopted a gimmick that ultimately led to a mock wedding that was disrupted by Eric Bischoff.
Who is this forgotten wrestler?
This wrestler's story is one of the more inspirational in WWE history. The 35 year old Michigan native had his left leg amputated when he was eight years old, but nonetheless pursued his dream of becoming a professional wrestler and managed to work in WWE during 2003 and 2004. He teamed with Mr. America, who was obviously Hulk Hogan in disguise, in a feud against "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Sean O'Haire and later feuded briefly with the likes of Shannon Moore, Matt Hardy, and even Brock Lesnar. He was released in February 2004, but has since appeared in TNA and wrestled extensively on the independent circuit.
Who is this forgotten wrestler?
This character has actually been portrayed by several different wrestlers since the early 1990s, when Matt Osborne began portraying him as a dark and twisted clown. Over time, the character turned face and would play tricks on his opponents to gain leverage in matches - tying the tie of IRS around the ring post to earn a countout and squirting water in his opponents' faces, for instance. The character was pushed aside by 1997, but has since appeared in numerous WWE events, including episodes of SmackDown, Raw 15, and Raw 1000.
Who is this forgotten wrestler?
At 6-foot-8 and 307 pounds, this Pennsylvania native had an opportunity to become a force in WWE, but that never happened as he was instead relegated to being more of a comedy act near the end of his run with the company. Although, his debut was quite cringe-worthy as well; he fought Kane in a no-disqualification match in which he accidentally caused Kane to fall on a (kayfabe) pregnant Lita, who then lost the baby. The character proclaimed "It wasn't my fault," and that somehow became his catchphrase.
Who is this forgotten wrestler?
A former bodybuilder, this 53 year old native of Portland, Oregon made her WWE debut in 1998 by coming from the crowd to hand Sable yellow rose prior to a match on Raw. She maintained the angle of an obsessed fan, but was eventually pushed aside by Sable, who challenged her to a Women's Championship match at WrestleMania XV. She only worked three years with the company, but helped legitimize the women's roster with impressive in-ring abilities and also served as the manager of Kane and X-Pac during their impressive tag team run.
Who is this forgotten wrestler?
Goldberg was one of the most popular wrestlers during the late 1990s and, as a result, the WWE felt they had to find a way to mock the WCW star. It was quite common for the two companies to engage in such behavior back then, so the WWE debuted a parody character based on Goldberg to be played by the smaller Duane Gil. Despite the fact he was mostly used for comedic purposes, he scored a win over Christian on Raw in 1998 to win the Light Heavyweight Championship, which he held for more than a year, although hardly ever defended it.
Who is this forgotten wrestler?
A 47 year old native of Lafayette, Louisiana, this wrestler first appeared in ECW in 2000 before signing with WWE in 2002. He spent two years with the company during his initial run and later returned for a year in 2006. In his first run with the company, he joined Teddy Long's Thuggin' And Buggin' Enterprises faction, which was comprised of African Americans who felt they were victims of racism in the industry. He held the "White Boy Challenge," in which he would defeat jobber white wrestlers, but that ended when he was defeated by Goldberg in less than a minute.
Who is this forgotten wrestler?
While this wrestler is currently working as a trainer for the WWE brand NXT, he actually never competed in a WWE ring and instead worked predominantly in WCW, where he was a two-time Hardcore Champion. Part of his charm as Hardcore Champion stems from the fact his character was against competing in hardcore matches and often wore helmets and shoulder pads to protect himself. He also wrestled briefly in TNA and had tryout matches in WWE back in 2003, but wasn't signed.
Who is this forgotten wrestler?
This former wrestler is also working for WWE in a backstage role. He has been a producer with the company since 2015, primarily working on Raw, but previously worked nearly eight years in the ring. He's a one-time Cruiserweight Champion, but other than that was mostly used in a lower card role. He teamed with Kid Kash as The Pitbulls and had valets like Nidia and Michelle McCool at different points of his career. While working behind the scenes in 2014, he and Joey Mercury (J&J Security) aligned themselves with The Authority.
Who is this forgotten wrestler?
"If I can be serious for a minute" was this character's punchline when beginning an interview segment, which was ironic because his biggest criticism among fans was that he lacked personality and was always too serious. Despite an apparently lack of charisma, he was a super talented in-ring worker who is lauded among several wrestlers as one of the best technical wrestlers of his time. He's a one-time Intercontinental Champion and four-time World Tag Team Champion in WWE and a three-time ECW World Tag Team Champion. He has also trained dozens of wrestlers, including Dolph Ziggler, Mickie James, and Tyler Breeze.
Who is this forgotten wrestler?
A one-time WWE Cruiserweight Champion and one-time Hardcore Champion, this former wrestler currently works as a color commentator for the WWE's Japanese broadcast team. Earlier in his career, while still wrestling, he adopted the gimmick of SmackDown's No. 1 announcer, performing backstage interviews, often with his own opponents in the cruiserweight division. Perhaps his most memorable role in WWE was the Kai En Tai tag team with Taka Michinoku in which he would follow up the latter's poorly-dubbed Japanese promos with only one word: "Indeed."