#4 Richie Steamboat
Richie Steamboat, the son of Ricky ‘the Dragon’ Steamboat, was once a promising wrestler whose star was rising in the pro wrestling world. He wrestled throughout the independent scene and overseas in Japan, earning a lot of experience in the process. He eventually made his way to WWE’s developmental territory,
During his time in FCW, Steamboat achieved quite a bit of success, winning both the FCW Heavyweight Championship and the FCW 15 Championship. But things took an unfortunate turn in late 2012 when Steamboat suffered a debilitating back injury that required surgery. That injury and the subsequent recovery proved too much for both Steamboat and WWE, as he was released from his contract after over a year of inactivity.
Unlike others on this list, who were expected to live up to the hype and failed to do so out of their own (in)actions, Richie Steamboat was a victim of bad luck and poor timing. Had that particular injury never occurred, who knows how much success how much success he would’ve had.
