There was a time when no one was WWE Champion. Back in the day, when Hulk Hogan was running wild all over WWF and professional wrestling, the man in canary and red ruled the roost. That meant few opponents had a chance to walk around with gold around their waist.
After a pay-per-view event, wrestlers were sent back to the drawing board, they were repackaged, and they assumed another wrestling life. Back then selfishness ran the business. Vince McMahon, and an elite group of story writers sought it fit to keep the title on Hogan while the likes of Roddy Piper, Paul Orndorff, and. Ricky Steamboat toiled.
Today, only a handful of superstars get to wear company gold in a year’s time. Whether it's four or five or even fewer champions, the company that gives you both the red and the blue brands has been cautious to put titles around the waist of wrestlers it believes won’t draw blank.
This means there will be many who will never know what it's like to be the king of the mountain. As a fan, not a writer, that's a shame. Over the years, I have seen wrestlers who are just as good, if not better than sitting champions and were never given this opportunity.
Of course, politics plays a big role in this, and we know there is such a thing as favouritism when it comes to certain stars on the company ladder. For that reason alone, there will be fans who will be disappointed in the fact that their favourites won't get to experience the "Hogan effect."
Looking at WWE's roster right now, I can tell you there are a handful of stars who won't have this opportunity. Here is a look at seven wrestlers who will never be WWE world champions.
#1 Samoa Joe
My reason for putting Joe on this list is simple. The former NXT Champion should have already been a mid-year call-up to the main roster. It has not happened yet and many of us are not sure why. Joe is a former TNA Champion and an independent sensation. He is one of the most agile big men you will ever see in the ring.
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Matches with Kevin Owens, John Cena, Roman Reigns and even Brock Lesnar are on his horizon. The question is when will that happen and when might he be considered “title worthy?” I love Joe as a mega heel, but as long as AJ Styles is enjoying this kind of success in WWE, Joe will be nothing more than an afterthought.
#2 Sami Zayn
Just the mere fact he won his last meeting with Kevin Owens and wasn’t given a proper promotion to the main event or even part of a title opportunity tells me Zayn will never be a front man for either brand. With Zayn, you get the likeable “every man” theme. In the ring, you get a solid performance.
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Most of his shtick is the same, but there is always the chance he will wow you at any given moment. He looked strong against Owens and should be considered a contender based on their feud alone. Matches with Jericho and possible matches down the line (Nakamura possibly?) make him a solid “fringe” competitor.
But don’t get your hopes up about anything more.
#3 Titus O’Neil
It will be a real shame if O’Neil never gets a real run as a singles star in WWE. O’Neil, a former tag team specialist with Darren Young, has the size, the look and the mic work to become more than just a mid-card exception. His work with Rusev alone should have given him a chance to move up the ladder on either side of WWE’s branding.
Right now, he has no true place in the company, which is sad. Give him a chance at a solid program with Chris Jericho or have him take a few laps around the ring with Roman Reigns. He deserves a better fate.
#4 Big E
I assume putting the Intercontinental Championship around Big E’s waist was more of a test that the current tag team competitor failed. There is a lot to like about him. He is a crowd favourite, he is mechanical, and he is powerful. He has a look which appeals to the younger generation.
But there isn’t the powerful appearance that he should have. Maybe a new look, a new gimmick gets over and he moves the needle forward. Maybe there is another run in the mid-card in his future. But Big E, regardless of the rumours of a push as a singles star, will never stand atop the WWE mountain.
#5 Bray Wyatt
I know this one will be met with major criticism, but please hear me out. Wyatt is the company’s safety net. He makes himself look great by making everyone else look great in the ring. His mic skills are the best in the business and until now, he has not needed a world title to prove how good he is.
The best thing for Wyatt is he remains strong while bringing in members to his family and enhances their position. He is Raven and Kevin Sullivan. He could be the next Undertaker. I had to justify this one to myself, but I don’t see him getting a world title run as long as there are other stars leapfrogging him to get title matches.
#6 Big Cass
The baby of the bunch. Cass appears to have all the tools to be a champion on the singles circuit.
The only issue I have with him – which will be the one thing that holds him back, is that he’s not very fluid and his movement in the ring is very stiff. While he and Enzo Amore are the perfect tag team and the newest version of the New Age Outlaws, I think there is more “Test” in him than people realise.
All of that might change at some point. Eventually, he will be given another chance to go after a title, hopefully as a heel with a manager. Paul Heyman, I hope you are listening. But for now, others are ahead of him on the learning curve.
#7 Bobby Roode
Much like Samoa Joe, there is so much to like about Roode’s ability in the ring and the fact he is as technical a star as there has been in some time. The former TNA World Champion has been compared to Arn Anderson on many levels.
As a singles star, he is at par with just about anyone on WWE’s roster. As a tag team specialist, he and James Storm were highly rated at the time of their long-standing run. Roode could be Anderson, Magnum TA, even an upgraded Bob Backlund. He just needs a chance. For now, he is excelling in NXT. He will be there for a while.
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