5 New Generation Era Superstars who should have been WWE Champions

In the previous article, we listed and looked at the five greatest WWE Superstars from the Golden Era who should have been crowned as WWE Champions. That list included Roddy Piper, Ted DiBiase, Jake Roberts, Ricky Steamboat, and Jimmy Snuka. Other honourable mentions from that era are Nikolai Volkoff, Paul Orndorff, Greg Valentine, Jesse Ventura, Junkyard Dog, and George Steele.

Now, we will take a look at the New Generation Era which started in 1993, when Vince McMahon started pushing younger talents such as Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, and The Undertaker.

The WWE was ravaged by the steroid scandal a year before, so they had no other choice but to repair their image. The New Generation Era lasted for just four years, and it only produced a handful of new WWE Champions. They were Yokozuna, Diesel, Shawn Michaels, and Sycho Sid.

Now, lets take a look at 5 superstars from the New Generation Era who should have been WWE Champions.

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Honorable mentions: Ahmed Johnson and Bam Bam Bigelow

Bam Bam Bigelow

Unlike the Golden Era which had a lot of deserving superstars, the New Generation only had a handful of characters who were WWE Championship material. First, the honourable mentions which are Ahmed Johnson and Bam Bam Bigelow.

Johnson was signed by the WWE in 1995, and there was a lot of hype surrounding him. There were even talks of him being a future WWE Champion. He had the look and the size, but his health failed him. Johnson suffered from kidney problems in his second year in the WWE, and he was never the same after that. He joined WCW in 1999, but was released a year later due to weight issues.

On the other hand, Bam Bam was a unique monster who deserved a short run as WWE Champion. He was a big guy, standing 6’4” and weighing 390 pounds, but he moved like a cruiserweight. Bigelow had problems with The Kliq (Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and Sean Waltman) backstage, which led to his release from the WWE.

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#5 Lex Luger

Lex Luger

When Hulk Hogan left the WWE in 1993, Vince McMahon tried to replace him with Lex Luger. The former WCW Champion had the look, since he was heavily muscled, and he was 6’6”. Luger started his WWE career with a narcissistic gimmick, with Bobby Heenan as a mouthpiece.

It was very effective at that time, but he was abruptly turned babyface to be Hogan’s successor. However, he lost all of his momentum because his charisma was non-existent. He defeated Yokozuna at SummerSlam 1993, but he did not win the WWE Championship because the title cannot change hands due to a count out.

Luger returned to WCW in 1995 wherein he was booked better than he was in the WWE. He won the WCW Championship one more time in 1997, and he was in a team with Sting. Luger retired in 2007 after a spinal infarction, and he has been with the WWE since 2011 as part of the WWE Wellness Policy.

#4 Curt Hennig

Curt Hennig

Curt Hennig was truly perfect, but his career was not, since he never became a WWE Champion. “Mr. Perfect” was a two-time Intercontinental Champion, and he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007. He was the complete package, as he was a natural in the ring, an athletic freak, and he possessed charisma.

Hennig lived up to his gimmick as he was perfect inside the squared circle. He could play as a babyface, but was better as a heel. He is also the only superstar who can make spitting his gum out and swatting it while in the air look cool. It is a real shame that he never held the WWE championship.

“Mr. Perfect” never got over the hump since Hulk Hogan dominated the WWE in the late 80s. A back injury in the early 90s really hurt his push, as he was sidelined for almost two years. The only time he ever came close to the WWE Championship was being a special guest referee for WWE title matches on a number of occasions, which was a real letdown.

#3 Vader

Vader

Big Van Vader was a star on WCW, winning the World Heavyweight Championship 3 times in the early 90s. When he jumped ship to the WWE in 1996, many expected him to become a WWE Champion, but it never materialised.

Vader debuted at the 1996 Royal Rumble, and he should have won. A shoulder injury halted his momentum, but he got it back by feuding with Shawn Michaels for the WWE Championship. He was the perfect monster WWE Champion for Michaels to conquer, but the company dropped the ball on him, and his momentum was lost again.

A feud with The Undertaker in 1997 never really helped him get his mojo back. He went on to battle superstars like Goldust and Kane before jobbing out to up and coming wrestlers such as Edge, Mark Henry, Ken Shamrock, and Edge. Vader was released from his WWE contract the following year.

#2 The British Bulldog

The British Bulldog

It is hard to believe that there has never been a WWE Champion from the United Kingdom. It is even harder to believe that someone like Davey Boy Smith was never a WWE Champion. Just like Curt Hennig, The British Bulldog had the look, the physique, and the charisma to carry the company.

However, Smith also had his demons during his multiple runs in the WWE, which might have been one of the main reasons for not winning the big one. He was known as a heavy drinker, as well as getting caught using performance enhancing drugs. Those demons eventually caught up with him at the age of 39 when he died from a heart attack.

Despite not winning the WWE Championship, Smith’s trophy cabinet is full of gold. He was a one-time Intercontinental Champion, a two-time European Champion, a two-time Hardcore Champion, and a 3 time tag team champion. He should also be in the WWE Hall of Fame by now, and it’s a shame he is not.

#1 Razor Ramon

Razor Ramon

Just like Curt Hennig and Davey Boy Smith, Razor Ramon had it all - from the look, the character, the charisma, and the mic skills. He should have been WWE Champion at some point during the New Generation Era, but it never happened.

1995 would have been the perfect year for the WWE to crown Razor as champion, but it never materialised. Shawn Michaels and Diesel dominated the WWE during that span, and they had a lot of power backstage. The duo could have easily told Vince McMahon to give their fellow “Kliq” member a WWE title run.

“The Bad Guy” also had his demons back then, so it could be one of the reasons why the top brass never entrusted him with a big responsibility. Also, Razor seemed content on being the Intercontinental Champion, as he elevated that title during his first run in the WWE. Still, it would have been cool to see him as the WWE Champion.