We all know about the Von Erich’s and their legacy as one of the most dominant families in professional wrestling, Led by the patriarch, Fritz, the empire built in Denton, Texas was wrought with tragedy and alleged drug use. Oldest brother David was being groomed to win an NWA World Title when he died of death was a heart attack, caused by ruptured intestines resulting from acute enteritis. While others have theorised about drug use as the cause during a tour in Japan, these rumours were never substantiated.
With Von Erich, you always wondered, “What if?”
There are many others like Von Erich and his brother, Kerry, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Some much promise and so tragic their loss. Their deaths rocked the industry then and continue to be a reminder of how the landscape of this business could have been otherwise.
WWE has not been without scandal since the days of Vince McMahon creating a dynasty, although controversial at times. With each superstar’s passing, fans globally wondered over time, what could have been. Could these men (and women) have been “the guy” to lead a small army? Here are five wrestlers who could have been champions in today’s WWE, but passed away before they could get their due.
Mr. Perfect
Curt Hennig was a former AWA World Champion and a two-time Intercontinental Champion. At the height of his career, he was a top-five star and as the son of Larry “The Ax” Hennig, his bloodlines ran deep into the business. Not only is Hennig known as an advisor to Ric Flair in the WWF, he was also known as the man who took down The Four Horsemen in WCW as a member of the New World Order. Hennig got his start in the AWA and was a world tag team partner of Scott Hall.
Eddie Guerrero
To this day, the world misses Eddie Guerrero. A member of the famed Guerrero family, there was no one who was more decorated than the former wrestling great. Guerrero won 23 titles during his career, including 16 between WWE, WCW, ECW, and Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA).
In 2004 at No Way Out, Guerrero defeated Brock Lesnar in the main event to win the WWE Championship. The victory made him a Triple Crown and Grand Slam Champion in the process. Known for his trademark, “Lie, Cheat and Steal” his persona would still get over in today’s wrestling promotion. Guerrero passed away in November 2005 due to acute heart failure.
Owen Hart
We can all agree that at some point, Owen would have surpassed his brother Bret, had he not died in a wrestling accident in 1999. The younger brother of Bret and a mainstay in WWF both as a babyface and a heel was on the verge of something big. He had, however, never held the company’s main title.
Owen was a two-time WWF Intercontinental Champion; a one-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion; a one-time WWF European Champion; a four-time WWF World Tag Team Champion; and the winner of the 1994 WWF King of the Ring. He appeared destined for greatness.
Rick Rude
I’ve not been able to understand why Rude was never a WWF World Champion. The man with the chiselled body from Robbinsdale, MN had the body every woman wanted to be with and every man was jealous of. Just like Ricky Steamboat never played the role of heel, Rude never played the role of babyface.
He was solid in the ring, good on the microphone and was spot on with everything he sold. Rude did most of his early work in Memphis with Jerry Lawler’s promotion and moved between Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas before he jumped to the WWF. While he became a one-time Intercontinental Champion and co-founder of Degeneration X, he never held the company’s top strap.
Chyna
I know her time in WWE was long ago and her passing earlier this year wasn’t a shock to some, but Chyna in today’s WWE would not have just been a champion, shewould have been a huge part of the revolution the company has gone through over the past year.
During the Attitude Era, there wasn’t a single dominant female wrestler who could match the strength and skill of the Ninth Wonder of the World. Even more impressive is the fact she was a women’s champion and a WWE Intercontinental Champion twice in her time with the company.
A feud with Charlotte may have become the biggest and the best this business could have ever seen.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
