5 WWE Superstars born in the wrong era who never got a chance to shine

#4 Robert Maillet (Kurgan)

Not the right time to be a giant?

In case you haven't noticed while following the WWE, being over 7-foot tall can really help you get over as a WWE superstar. Because of Vince McMahon's preference for larger than life athletes, we've become used to seeing people get opportunities that they probably hadn't earned.

Guys like The Great Khali and Giant Gonzalez have competed for the WWE on the grandest stages despite having very limited talent in the ring.

Another person on that list is Robert Maillet who made his name as Kurgan during the 90s. He initially debuted as part of The Truth Commission, a heel faction from South Africa. He was so big and powerful that even in the world of WWE, fans took notice immediately.

The problem was, the wrestling business had changed since the 80s, and Maillet was probably born a decade too late. The young fans who were mesmerised by the huge specimens in the ring during the Golden Era had grown up and were now demanding a more realistic type of competitor that could actually wrestle.

Kurgan was somebody whose novelty wore off pretty quickly and his limited abilities were soon exposed.

Maillet would probably have excelled in the Hogan era. He wouldn't have had to do much in the ring apart from collide with fellow monsters like Andre and King Kong Bundy. He might also have made a perfect opponent for Hogan himself, acting as a pro-South African, anti-American giant for Hogan to slay at a Wrestlemania or Summerslam.

Kurgan's career will not be something wrestling fans will long remember. In many ways, he is yet another example of how the WWE has never really moved on from the land of the giants we all became used to in the 80s.