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Professional wrestling changes and develops more and more with each passing year, and because of how quickly time moves on in this business, we tend to forget the faces of yesterday within the blink of an eye. Because of that, we’ve decided to lift the lid and send some folks on a trip down memory lane with these names from the turn of the decade.
Now some of you may legitimately remember many of these superstars, with a few being extremely notable – but the reason they’re included on this list is that we were surprised to discover they were still around back in 2010. After all, the tenure of most WWE wrestlers isn’t all that long.
Some have gone on to bigger and better things, but they’re certainly worth remembering regardless of how big or small their contributions to the company were.
With all of that being said, here are ten forgotten WWE superstars from 2010.
#10 Chavo Guerrero
The majority of you will obviously know the name, Chavo Guerrero, as he was a tenured member of the WWE roster for many years. His work with Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio will always be fondly remembered, in addition to his amusing bout against Kane at WrestleMania where he lost the ECW Championship in less than 15 seconds.
In 2010 he was circling the drain in many ways, and he wasn’t being used all that much in an on-screen capacity. One of his most notable acts towards the end of his run was a terribly botched finish to a match with Sin Cara, which just about sums things up for poor old Chavo.
Thankfully, he continued his career for a few years following his release.
#9 Ezekiel Jackson
Ezekiel Jackson was pushed to the moon for a brief period of time towards the end of his WWE tenure, but for the most part, he was used as a background character or jobber. His fantastic physique ensured that he enjoyed some form of success, though, as he won the prestigious Intercontinental Championship and held onto it for a few months.
In the wake of his WWE run, he competed on the independent circuit for a few notable promotions, before eventually turning to Lucha Underground. That was where he was finally able to be recognised as a top talent, as LU seemed to play to his strengths immensely.
Who knows, perhaps we’ll see him back in a WWE ring one day – if only for a one-off appearance.
#8 David Hart Smith
While he may never have had ‘world title’ potential in WWE, David Hart Smith’s exit from the company was certainly a surprising one. He had a history in the business and was still relatively young when he walked out the door. His tag team partnership with Tyson Kidd lead to him becoming a champion, not long before he was shown the door.
Nowadays, however, he’s moved on to new pastures and is currently thriving over in New Japan Pro Wrestling. That news may come as a surprise to some people who probably thought he had dropped off the face of the planet when, in reality, he was busy honing his craft and attempting to get better with each passing day.
In our opinion, it’s safe to say that he accomplished that goal.
#7 Ted DiBiase Jr
No – we aren’t referring to the Million Dollar Man. Instead we’re talking about his son Ted DiBiase Jr, who many fans considered to be the ‘next big thing’ once the split of Legacy had been confirmed. Unfortunately for both Ted and the WWE Universe, Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes both went on to bigger and better things while DiBiase’s career fizzled out.
He did manage to hold onto the Million Dollar Championship, although in reality, that really didn’t mean all too much. If one or two things had gone differently in his development then there’s a chance he could’ve become a real success story, but in the end, he just wound up being another face in the crowd.
After that, Ted DiBiase Jr left on his own terms after the hectic WWE schedule didn't give him enough time with his family. Being the family man that he is, the son of the WWE Hall Of Famer would leave in 2013, have a forgettable run in the indie scene and quietly retire.
#6 Yoshi Tatsu
If you’re looking for a list of guys who had a tonne of potential and wound up being wasted, then Yoshi Tatsu would likely feature on that. The guy had an interesting look in addition to an intriguing in-ring move set, and yet for some reason, his career never excelled beyond winning a pre-show WrestleMania battle royal which wasn’t even televised.
Tatsu has moved over to Japan since being released by WWE, although in the grand scheme of things, he was never able to make too much noise in the business. That may partly be due to his own abilities, but the fact that he wasn’t treated as a big deal from the word go in WWE didn’t help his cause either.
#5 Gail Kim
When you hear the name Gail Kim, majority of the fans tend to associate her with TNA, when in reality, there was a time when she could’ve become a real star with WWE. Obviously, it never wound up coming to fruition and for that, we have to question whether or not WWE thought she possessed the ability to reach that next level.
We aren’t referring to her in-ring work, which was obviously stellar – we’re talking about her skill on the mic. She’s shown flashes of what she can do over in Impact Wrestling, but for the most part, we’re always going to sit back and think “what if” where Gail Kim is concerned. It’s a real shame too, as she could’ve done wonders for the current women’s revolution.
#4 Serena
Serena, also known as Serena Deeb, was a member of the Straight Edge Society back in 2010. If you don’t recognise her by name alone, then you may remember her as the girl who had her head shaved bald by CM Punk. Unfortunately, her run with the company didn’t last all too long, and it took nearly seven years for her to finally walk back through the company’s doors.
She took part in the Mae Young Classic back in the summer, although she only managed to make it to the second round before being eliminated by Piper Niven aka Viper. Nowadays she’s busy down in Orlando as a trainer at the WWE Performance Center, and when you consider her journey through pro wrestling, you have to concede that she’s certainly earned that role.
#3 Caylen Croft
If you’re sitting there wondering who exactly Caylen Croft is, then don’t worry – because that’s probably the case for a vast majority of the people reading this. Croft was a member of the Dude Busters team alongside Trent Barreta, but unlike Trent, Croft didn’t actively pursue a career in professional wrestling in the years following his release.
Instead, Caylen focused on becoming a mentor and success coach. That may initially seem like an odd road for a former WWE Superstar to take, but when you analyse the work he’s done, it actually seems like a pretty smart business move on his part.
While we may not see him back in the ring on a global stage, we’ll certainly give him bonus points for having a unique alternative career path.
#2 Slam Master J
If you aren’t familiar with the work of Slam Master J (and we don’t blame you), then perhaps you’ll remember him as ‘Jesse’. Yes, that’s right, this guy was one half of the Jesse and Festus team alongside Luke Gallows. Sure, they may not have accomplished much in the grand scheme of things, but you can’t deny that they were memorable.
Jesse will likely be considered the Marty Jannetty of the group, and that tag won’t be helped by the fact that his father, Terry Gordy, became a WWE Hall of Famer back in 2016.
Jesse represents the many mid-card/lower card stars who were a part of the WWE family in the last decade or so, and despite his lack of perceived ‘success’, his contributions to the company should still be remembered.
#1 Kung Fu Naki
There really isn’t all too much to say when it comes to this entry, but we’re going to try our best. Essentially, for a period of around two years, the iconic Funaki character transformed into the racially stereotypical Kung Fu Naki. It was weird, it was uncomfortable, and he didn’t even show up on WWE TV for the majority of his run under the gimmick.
Currently, he’s still working for the company as a Japanese commentator, but that likely only takes up one or two days in month, courtesy of the pay per view schedule. Unfortunately for Funaki fans, we probably won’t see him pop back up as a character, although you never know, he was ‘SmackDown’s number one announcer’.
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