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Moving along with our picks, today we come down to number 6 in our series of the top 10 underrated performers in the history of the WWE. Till now, we’ve seen some of the best technicians and entertainers who weren’t given their due in the WWE. From the likes of Tom Billington to Christian to Scott Hall, these were/are the performers whom the fans have adored and respected, but the WWE management, for some reason chose to ignore the voices of the WWE fans and have grossly underutilized the talents. This series was started with the aim of finding the best of those underused “wrestlers”.
Today, we look at one of the best technicians in the history of professional wrestling, and one of the very few legitimate tough guys in the business. Also known to be a bare knuckle brawler and one of the toughest individuals to come out of United Kingdom, he used to perform as a grappler in a circus before deciding to try his hand in professional wrestling. His matches with the likes of Chris Benoit have become a stuff of legends, and although he was never given his due credit, he is one of the most respected individuals in the locker room. He is none other than “Lord” Steven Regal, aka William Regal.
William Regal was always seen as one of the best mat wrestlers by his peers. Possessing incredible technical prowess combined with some stiff work ethic, William Regal was a force to be reckoned with. With his reputation of being a legitimate tough guy, he earned whatever he has achieved in the world of professional wrestling, but in all fairness, should have achieved more for his contributions to the industry. Regal first made a name for himself in WCW, as “Lord” Steven Regal, and was involved in a memorable incident against Bill Goldberg which allegedly led to Regal getting fired from the company. Instead of “jobbing” to Goldberg clean, Regal shoot – wrestled Goldberg, catching him off – guard and made him look foolish in the process. Later, Regal joined the then WWF where he achieved most of his success.
Although Regal’s first run with the company didn’t last long, he returned in 2000 and became an on – screen character. It was during this time that Regal, like many talented wrestlers before him, succumbed to his personal demons. After checking himself into rehab and overcoming the odds, William Regal was hired as the on – screen commissioner of the WWF. In 2002, Regal tasted his first championship success when he won the prestigious WWE Intercontinental championship, and went on to win the WWE Tag Team championships, European championship and the Hardcore championship on multiple occasions. Regal was then relegated to the role of an on – screen character till the WWE once again decided to push the south – paw in 2007.
William Regal, aside from being one of the most technically sound wrestlers, also trained the likes of Daniel Bryan and CM Punk in the WWE. In 2008, Regal won the King of the Ring tournament, and was set to receive a push before he was suspended for violating the wellness policy of the company. What was set to be a platform for Regal’s push ended abruptly, as he along with the likes of Mr. Kennedy were suspended. After that, Regal never covered the lost ground, although he won the Intercontinental championship in United Kingdom, but dropped it to Punk and was later drafted to WWE – ECW. Since then, Regal has been working with the NXT rookies as well as announcing on the show.
William Regal will go down as one of the last legitimate tough guys in professional wrestling. Although Regal never truly got the opportunity to showcase his talent, his work ethic and his in – ring skills made him one of the most respected wrestlers in the industry. Regal also won more than 60 championships in his career! This earns William Regal the number 6 spot in our list of the top 10 underrated wrestlers in WWE history.
