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There are many superstars who come and go in WWE. As much as the reality of certain situations can be harsh, the fact of the matter is that not every superstar is going to get pushed and not every superstar is going to be a main eventer.
There's a clear hierarchy and while some can change that by getting over, to the most part, it is the office who selects who gets pushed and who doesn't. Fans may not like it, but that's simply the way it is.
However, there have been superstars that have been selected to get major pushes, but for some reason or the other, they were cancelled in abrupt fashion. Whether it was personal issues, injuries or other factors, major opportunities were missed and fans were left to wonder what could have been.
Here are five superstars who for some reason or the other had their pushes cancelled.
#5. Drew McIntyre
Drew McIntyre was dubbed as "The Chosen One" in 2009, being handpicked by Vince McMahon himself, who introduced him as a "future world champion". He was pushed right off the bat and it wasn't long before he became Intercontinental Champion.
Things were going his way, all until he reportedly had a public altercation with then-wife Taryn Terrell. Soon after, he found that his push got abruptly cancelled and after that, he spiralled right down the card.
The nature in which he spiralled down was indeed a shocking one, but his 2014 release turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as he was allowed to travel around the world and reinvent himself.
From his physique to his in-ring ability and character, he improved every aspect of his game before returning to WWE in 2017. Many believe that Vince McMahon's prophecy will indeed be fulfilled, over a decade after he made it.
#4. EC3
The most recent addition to this list, this comes as a major surprise. EC3 is everything you would think that Vince McMahon loves in a superstar. He's not a top level in-ring worker on the level of AJ Styles or Seth Rollins, but he has everything that it takes to be a top star in WWE.
Not only does he have a great look, but he has a strong character and he's an absolutely incredible talker too. His time in Impact Wrestling showed that he has what it takes to be a top star and many believed that would happen when he arrived at WWE. He didn't spend too much time at NXT, simply because he didn't need to.
He was essentially ready, but instead of getting the rumoured push, he ended up getting outright buried instead. It was bizarre because WWE went out of their way to bury him like nobody else before.
#3. Mr. Kennedy
Remember Mr. Kennedy? Around 2006-07, he was one of the hottest commodities in WWE and was really making waves as a top heel and he would even win the Money in the Bank contract.
He unfortunately suffered an injury, causing him to drop the briefcase to Edge. It would have made him a guaranteed future World Champion, but it just wasn't meant to be at the time. To make matters worse, he was scheduled for another massive push, with Vince McMahon's "illegitimate son" storyline.
The original plan was for Kennedy to be revealed as his son, go on a tear as a top heel, culminating in a high-profile WrestleMania match against Triple H, with WWE the company as a whole being on the line.
It would have been a great one, but unfortunately, bad circumstances saw that story get changed up. Kennedy would get fired in 2008 after complaints of being too stiff in the ring with top stars.
#2. Bobby Lashley
Bobby Lashley is the very definition of "what could have been" had he not left WWE in 2008. It's absolutely crazy because there was no superstar at the time who Vince McMahon was higher on that Lashley himself.
From his debut to his ECW dominance to the Battle of the Billionaires and beyond, Lashley clearly had big plans laid out for him and Vince McMahon intended to push him to the moon. However, an untimely injury halted that and then there were issues with his wife, who also worked in WWE.
His wife was at odds with the company and her departure led to Lashley requesting his release. As a result, he departed and wouldn't be back for a full decade. It was the injury that halted his push and requesting his release was certainly the end of that. It's a real shame because Lashley would have ended up being one of the top stars of the post-Ruthless Aggression Era.
#1. Finn Balor
Finn Balor, too, was destined for big things right from the start. It's safe to say that he was the single most anticipated call-up in developmental history. There was no superstar in any point of time who had as much hype when joining the main roster.
His status was further elevated when he was picked as a first-round draft pick for RAW despite never having competed on the main roster. And when he did debut on the night after Battleground 2017, it was seen exactly where he stood.
On the first night, he defeated Roman Reigns clean and cemented his place at SummerSlam to crown the first-ever Universal Champion. He would win the title, but as we know, injured himself in the process and had to vacate it a day later.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter revealed that Balor was in line for a massive push, perhaps even becoming the top babyface of RAW. After he came back, he enjoyed moderate success, but never on the same level.
