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WWE have had thousands of Superstars on their books but not all reached their peak in the company. There are several who were way better outside the company and could not reach the heights in WWE. At the same time, there are many who were underutilized by other promotions and WWE made them Superstars.
We take a look at the 5 Superstars who were better before joining WWE and 5 who became better after joining the company:
Was better: Sting
Sting is easily among the best wrestlers ever. However, he joined WWE a bit too late in his career and could not have a big effect on the company. He lost on his WrestleMania debut to Triple H and then got injured while in a feud with Seth Rollins.
His career eventually came to an end and now, there is no way he can replicate what he did in WCW and TNA. He did make it into the WWE Hall of Fame but will forever be remembered for his work outside the company.
Became better: Edge
Edge joined WWE 1996, but before that, he spent three years in various promotions. He was never touted to be a big star back then but once he made it to WWE, things changed drastically.
Within two years of getting signed up by the company, Edge was working with Christian and it was clear that the two were bound for success. The Rated-R Superstar went on to win various titles in the company, including the WWE Championship 4 times, the Heavyweight Championship 7 times, and the tag-team titles 14 times!
Adding to that, he also won the Royal Rumbl;e in 2010, King of the Ring in 2001 and Money in the Bank in 2005. He was forced to retire in 2011 but made an epic comeback in 2020 at the Royal Rumble. Edge was also inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012.
Was better: EC3
EC3, then known as Derrick Bateman, was released by WWE in 2013 and that was the start of his climb to the top. He changed his name to Ethan Carter III and joined Total Nonstop Action. This is where he would go on to become a huge success.
After spending five years with TNA, WWE came calling again, and Ethan Carter III returned as EC3. His return to NXT was decent, but a push to the main roster saw him lost in the mix. He only managed to win the WWE 24/7 title (4 times) during his stint and was released in April 2020.
Became better: Xavier Woods
Xavier Woods might not have won any singles titles in WWE so far but there is no denying that he is one of the best entertainers in the ring. He has been with the company since 2010 and a part of The New Day since 2014.
Before joining WWE, Woods was a part of New Japan Pro-Wrestling and TNA but was never considered a big star by either of the promotions. Now with WWE, he is bound to be in the Hall of Fame one day as The New Day will forever be remembered as one of the best tag-teams.
Was better: Eric Young
Similar to EC3, Eric Young was a big star in TNA. His move to WWE was a decent one too in NXT but just could not replicate the same on the main roster.
In TNA, Young won several championships, including the Heavyweight championship and the X Division championship. However, in WWE, he won the NXT tag-team championship once. In April 2020, he was released by the company along with several other Superstars in the mass exodus.
Became better: Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho is easily one of the best wrestlers ever but he would have never managed to reach the heights if he had not joined WWE. The 49-year-old was a part of several promotions including WCW and NJPW before moving to WWE.
When Jericho switched to WWE in 1999, he hyped up his debut so much and it kept the WWE Universe glued. He ended up winning almost all the WWE titles but surprisingly never won the Royal Rumble or the Money in the Bank briefcase, the latter of which was his brainchild. Now that he is with AEW, a return to WWE seems unlikely to happen for the foreseeable future.
Was better: Jamie Noble
Jamie Noble did not have a great time in WWE and left for NJPW in 2004. He did well during his 6-month stay and then moved to Ring of Honor. He did not stay here for long as well but managed to win the ROH World Championship in that short time.
Noble defeated CM Punk, Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels in a fatal 4-way elimination match to capture the title, His reign lasted just over a month and within 45 days of dropping the title he left the company.
He moved back to WWE but was mostly used in the Cruiserweight division. He held the title once as well but will be remembered as a member of Seth Rollins' J&J security.
Became better: William Regal
William Regal jumped from WCW to WWF, back to WCW and then back to WWE from 1992 to 2000. In those eight years, he developed as a wrestler but was never able to reach the heights.
But a move back to WWE in 2000 changed things around and he was given the spotlight he deserved. He has stayed with the company ever since and won several titles to go with the King of the Ring tournament in 2008. He is currently the General Manager of NXT and has been for the last six years.
Was better: Samoa Joe
Without a doubt, WWE have still not used Samoa Joe to his full capabilities. He is now a part of the Monday Night RAW commentary and should return to the ring soon.
As for his in-ring performances, he will be fondly remembered by the fans for his time at TNA and ROH. Joe was one of the key figures at TNA and put them on the map but a move to WWE saw his reign as the top star in NXT. It may be a little early to pass a judgment on Joe's WWE career, but as things stand, TNA is still the place where he reached his peak.
Became better: Triple H
The rise of Triple H has been one of the best the world has ever seen. He was very good in the ring at WCW but a move to WWE saw him take his performances to another level.
Vince McMahon put a lot of trust in his and The Game revealed that the WWE Chairman himself offered him the deal to move to the company. Triple H has held the WWE Championship nine times while also becoming the Heavyweight Champion five times in his career. Adding to that, he also won the Royal Rumble twice and the King of the Ring tournament once.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
