The 411 Wrestling Top 5 02.04.09: Week 8 – Wrestlers to Never Compete in the WWE

Posted by Michael Bauer on 02.04.2009

Sting never had a match in the squared circle for the WWE. Does that mean he isn't one of the greatest ever?

Hello everyone and welcome to 411 Wrestling's Top 5 List. What we are going to is take a topic each week and all the writers here on 411 wrestling will have the ability to give us their Top 5 on said topic, plus up to three honorable mentions. At the end, based on where all these matches rank on people's list, we will create the 411 Wrestling Top 5 list. The scoring is very similiar to the Wrestler of the Week as it looks like this:

#1 Choice – 5 points
#2 Choice – 4 points
#3 choice – 3 points
#4 Choice – 2 points
#5 Choice – 1 point
Honorable Mentions will break ties, but get no points.

Also, in the case of a tie, the most votes win, regardless of where it is listed in the individual Top 5. I will also use this rule in the event that one item is mentioned more often, but is one point behind. For example, one second place vote and two Honorable Mentions will defeat simply one first place vote.


So, on to this week's topic…

THE TOP 5 WRESTLERS TO NEVER COMPETE IN THE WWE

Ok, now I know this will lead to tons of confusion, so let me lay it out first and foremost. Here was the criteria we used:

- The old "WWF" counts as part of being in the WWE.
- Tryout matches or the joking "One shot" Deals do NOT count as competing in the WWE.
- Being a Road Agent for the WWE, but never a wrestler, does NOT count as competing in the WWE.
- Pretty much, if the person never signed a full time contract with the WWE, then they are eligible.

Because let's face it, just like the best ideas not coming from the best minds or the MVP of any sports team coming from the team with the best record or the ring, the best wrestlers have not always come from the best company. For a long time, Ric Flair was one of the greatest never to show up until he debuted with the WWF back in the early 1990's. To this day, plenty of great names from the States and Japan have yet to step foot in the ring and call themselves WWF or WWE Superstar. Knocking it down to a Top 5 from the now defunct WCW, the Indy Feds of the World, and TNA would certainly be a tough task.

So what did our great group of writers select? Let's find out…



John Meehan

HONORABLE MENTIONS

AJ Styles - If you ask me, anyone who's including current TNA wrestlers (save Sting) in their top five ALL TIME performers never to have signed a contract with WWE is simply being myopic and historically unjust. With no more than ten years' experience apiece, it's pretty hard to rate *anyone* among any such list of the "All Time" elite. That said, AJ Styles has been a cornerstone of TNA Wrestling since its inception, and he is the closest thing the company has had to a certifiable homemade star to date (sorry, Christopher Daniels). If The Phenomenal One still hasn't signed with WWE in ten years' time, then his inclusion higher on the list is a no-brainer. But for today, he's an honorable mention at best.

Steve Corino - The King of Old School is an outstanding talent, but he seems content to have lived up to his "Old School" nickname by spending his career almost exclusively in smaller independent promotions and international companies rather than signing a long-term contract with any one particular company. Sadly by the time his WWE tryouts finally came to pass in 2007, Corino's best chance at a World Wrestling Entertainment contract had long since seen the light of day.

5.Nick Bockwinkel - Were he born in a different state just a decade or two later, Nick Bockwinkel could have easily been one of the biggest stars in the entire history of the company now known as World Wrestling Entertainment. Truly one of the very last bastions of the wrestling territory days, Bockwinkel was the predecessor to the very best parts of Ric Flair, Billy Graham, and Hulk Hogan combined. Cool, charismatic and incredibly capable both inside of the ring and behind the microphone, Bockwinkel was a pioneer in the showy style of professional wrestling we now take for granted as mainstream. Countless imitators across the industry are forever in the man's debt.

4.Abdullah the Butcher - For the better part of FIFTY YEARS (yes, that's 50), the man born Larry Shreve earned a reputation for being one of the most sadistic and feared professional wrestlers ever to have walked the face of the earth. What's more amazing? The man known to wrestling fans the world over as Abdullah the Butcher never once set foot in a ring owned by the largest professional wrestling organization in the world -- choosing instead to live the life of a traveling showman in order to bolster his allure as a special appearance attraction. For worldwide noteriety and career longevity, Abby nabs the number four spot.

3.The Great Muta - When it comes to international talents who've made the biggest splash on the world scene, few can challenge the cultural relevance of The Great Muta. Competing primarily in All Japan and New Japan Pro Wrestling for the majority of his career, Muta's consummate professionalism (plus a few occassional appearances on the North American continent) did wonders to ensure that his legacy was well-known far beyond the confines of his native land. Today, Muta remains a veritable cornerstone of the sport in the Land of the Rising Sun, and American fans hail him as a true legend of the game, thanks in no small part to the worldwide reputation he had earned long before the days when internet reporting made such feats commonplace.

2.Antonio Inoki - Who else among the list of professional wrestlers can claim to having founded their own political party, AND having been elected to their nation's legislature (and don't say Jesse Ventura)? In addition, Inoki has witnessed tremendous success outside of the wrestling industry thanks to smart business investments and a savvy promoter's eye toward Mixed Martial Arts. Inoki is a cultural icon, and a true professional wrestling legend if there ever was one -- making him an easy pick for the number two spot on this list.

1.Sting - Far and away, the Icon is probably the single most recognizable professional wrestler in North America never to have signed a contract with World Wrestling Entertainment. Sure, they *technically* owned his contract during the final Nitro, which could *technically* mean that he was, in fact, a WWE wrestler for at least one televised performance of his career. But screwy buyouts aside, Stinger is probably as tried-and-true a non-WWE "legend" on the North American continent as you're ever likely to find.



Julian Bond

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Alex Shelley - The man's sick on the mic when he wants to be, sick in the ring when's he's on, and he would have been crazy good if he jumped ship and the good folks at WWE gave him his proper due. Maybe that day will happen, but until then, he's rocking it out as TNA's X-Division champ.

Abyss - Abyss is a guy who I'm a little surprised hasn't been called up to the big house yet. His gimmick is awesome (his old "Doomsday" one…not his current "I have feelings" one), his crazy big guy-style crossed with his excellent agility is a great combination, and he can take hits like anyone's business. On top of this, his picture-perfect main event matches with the likes of Jeff Hardy, Christian Cage, and A.J. Styles proves that Abyss could hang with the best of them. Oh well, here's to the man doing more damage in TNA.

Jimmy Jacobs - Jacobs totally reminds me of Brian Kendrick because of how the two both had started with similar basic gimmicks (little personality, crazy spot wrestling) and how they both have evolved big time in the last few years with their significant gimmick changes (Kendrick doing his "The Brian Kendrick" thing, Jacobs as the crazed leader of the Age of The Fall). But sadly it took a much longer time for Kendrick to get his chance to shine, while Jacobs has been truly strutting his stuff for the last 2-3 years.

5.Nigel McGuiness - In my humble opinion, Nigel McGuiness is bar none one of the best wrestlers active today. He has the technical ability of a well-seasoned pro, the crazy brawling power of a definite main-eventer (i.e. Stone Cold, Undertaker), and an English accent to boot. So why haven't the WWE called him up? Who knows. Maybe it's because they have their filled quota of British wrestlers on the roster or maybe couldn't find a true gimmick for him (besides a cocky Englishman…i.e. William Regal), but either way, it's their lost as McGuiness is assumingly currently content with his standing as one of the best ROH champs of all time.

4.Bryan Danielson - Simply put, Danielson is the man. In ROH, the guy has had great match after great match with everyone you can speak of and he's not even a horribly seasoned pro yet (i.e. Shawn Michaels…who's ironically his wrestling teacher). While a good number of his matches have been ‘Match of The Year' candidates and/or winners for the last few years, it's kind of sad that McMahon hasn't offered him a spot on the roster yet despite his undeniable great ring abilities. But I guess it's for the best that it stays that way because God knows how watered down the man would become if he had to wrestle 5 minute matches on Friday Night Smackdown.

3.A.J. Styles - This man has done it all in TNA and with the winning of every single major belt, not just once, but each one on multiple separate occasions, he has proven that he can look good wrestling in every type of match. He can do cruiserweight (X-Division Title), tag-team wrestling (Tag Team Titles on multiple teams), and could easily hold the main-event spot down when needed (TNA World Title). With all of these skills, he is definitely of the rare few in the wrestling industry whose talent is so off the charts, but yet not featured on a little known show called WWE Raw.

2.Sting - There's not too much that I could say about the Stinger not being in WWE. He is without a doubt the most iconic wrestler to never step a foot in his former competitor's terrority. Hogan, Flair, Savage, the list could go on and on with the names of the legends who have been in both of the major camps (WCW/WWE). But it's funny that Sting will probably go down in history as one of the best in the biz who never submitted himself to McMahon's multiple offers.

1.Steve Corino - Steve F'N Corino. He is in my opinion the best wrestler to never have crossed over to the "dark side" of the WWE. Now you may ask why I would pick Corino over the arguable much better wrestlers in Styles, Sting, and Danielson. My response to this would be because of the fact that I could actually see Corino being in the WWE, not getting buried and getting his rightful due as a main event player. I honestly haven't seen most of Corino's work in ROH and in other independent companies, but the stuff I saw him pull back in the day of the old school ECW was excellent. He was killer on the mic (especially as a heel), he had great moves in the ring that weren't too flashy or complicated, while at the same not being too simple (for the mainstream), and he possessed an awesome gimmick as being the ultimate new "old school" wrestler. If he was in the "new" ECW today, he would no question rule that brand with an iron fist and move on to much better gigs on Raw and Smackdown. I understand that he (like the other grapplers on my list) probably didn't want to "dumb down" his work in order to get mainstream attention in the WWE, but I rank him number one because he's the best one of the bunch that had the best chance of seriously getting over if he crossed over to McMahon Land.



Scott Rutherford

HONORABLE MENTIONS

A.J Styles & Samoa Joe - I'm pretty sure both these guys will end up in the WWE at some point in the future when they want to chase the big paydays the WWE can offer before they hang-up their boots. Joe especially is probably the best fulltime active wrestler that could make Vince some cash as he would be able to feud with just about anyone and a Cena/Joe match-up would have the smarks absolutely shitting their pants in excitement.

5.The Fantastics - These guys were a tremendous underneath team that much like the Killer Bees never truly got the due they deserved even though they were more talented than most. Primarily known for there intsa-classic matches with The Midnight Express in the NWA, I would have truly loved to see them mix it up with The Hart Foundation, Brain Busters, the stylistically similar Rockers and some great big man/small man encounters with Demolition.

4.Steve Corino - I'm shocked that so many others have picked Corino but really, I think this guy was the one that got away from Vince. He was the best of a dying promotion in ECW and his "old school" mentality really worked with the "smart" crowds of Philly and ECW in general. In WWE he would have been very much a fish out of water and an ideal fit for a feud with Steve Austin and would drawn big money an great heat. I suppose the big testament to Corino's talent is that he managed to make a match with Dusty Rhodes entertaining well past the date that Dusty could even move properly in the ring.

3.Toshiaki Kawada - As proven by the successful Hakushi run and The Jumping Bomb Angels, Japanese wrestlers were easily assimilated into the WWE when Vince put his mind to it. With Kawada you had a guy would while not quite as tall as others had the size (250lbs) to be a legit threat to Vince's monsters. While it's doubtful Vince ever tried to bring this puro legend in, I think he would have been a great fit for the WWF even up until a few years ago, fuck even today he could probably draw money if handled the right way. Or put it this way, Kawada has been involved with 17 of the 65 five-star rated matches as noted by the WON. Only two others place above him and if it wasn't for the politiking of Japanese wrestling in the past decade it would have been much higher. That's talent that you can bank on.

2.The Midnight Express - See the comments about The Fantastics but even more so. MX were such an outstandingly talented tag team that could do everything and I firmly believe a series against The Hart Foundation would have produced some of the greatest tag team matches in history. Talk about four guys that "got" how tag team wrestling is supposed to be and knowing how to draw heat onto match. Add in Jimmy Hart and Jim Cornette into their respective corners and it would have been amazing. Period.

1.Sting - This pick is so obvious it's almost a drag to pick but Sting was one of the few U.S money wrestlers to not be lured to the WWE. A Sting/Ultimate Warrior encounter would have drawn millions of dollars. You can rattle off the never were matches and they would have been money (heel Shawn Michaels is another no brainer). Why Sting never came over is still somewhat of a mystery, especially earlier on when his religious beliefs weren't an issue. I'm sure Vince tried to lure him when Hogan left as a hero-replacement but it was not to be and it's a great pity because even today, a series of Sting versus Cena, Michaels, HHH, Undertaker, Orton, Edge, Jericho matches would still be big money earners if he came onboard.



Ryan Byers

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Akira Hokuto - With Aja Kong and Bull Nakano making appearances, the WWF did actually have its fair share of talented foreign women coming through its doors. However, Hokuto was probably the best that they never got for whatever reason.

El Santo - I didn't put Santo on the main list because the majority of his career had already taken place even before the World WIDE Wrestling Federation came to be, but you can't ignore the fact that he's one of the three most iconic wrestlers in history and his rise had nothing to do with the McMahons.

5.Jushin "Thunder" Liger - Building their lightheavyweight division around TAKA Michinoku in 1997 might have saved the WWF a few dollars, but everybody who followed Japanese wrestling at the time knew that Liger was the guy you really wanted if you were trying to get ahold of the best of the best Japanese flyers. Though Liger is winding down his career, I don't think it's too late for Vince to at least get the character on his roster. After all, Jericho has to have his old "Super Liger" costume sitting around in mothballs somewhere . . .

4.The Great Muta - Especially in recent times, there has always been a lingering rumor that the WWF/WWE will not or would not get behind foreign talent because they could not speak English well enough to deliver an effective promo. However, even if you think that line of reasoning is valid (which it's not), Muta is the one guy who I think could have overcome it but was never given a chance to. In addition to just being a great wrestler, his charisma is so far off the charts and his character is just so wacky that I don't imagine him having any trouble getting over if he were to show up in today's WWE environment in his physical prime.

3.The Giant Baba - While Antonio Inoki, the other iconic wrestler from Baba's era, was a regular guest star with the WWF and even held a WWF sanctioned championship (the oft-forgotten "World Marital Arts Title"), Baba and his All Japan Pro Wrestling group remained loyal to the National Wrestling Alliance. As a result, he never quite made it over to the states and had the impact that Inoki had in America, even though he was just as big of a star in his native land.

2.Mitsuharu Misawa, Kenta Kobashi, & Toshiaki Kawada - Normally I'd feel like a chump for having a tie this high on a list like this, much less a three-way tie. However, if you honestly look at these three men, they were inseparable from one another during their peaks. During a period that began in 1990 and ended in 1997, they had more five star matches against and tagging with each other than any other combination of three men in history. I don't know that their style of wrestling or the manner in which they were booked would have ever gotten over in front of a WWE/WWF crowd, but they are the men who produced the most entertaining pro wrestling product without having set foot in the McMahons' promotion.

1.Sting - A lot of entries on my list are guys who were great in the promotions that they called home but probably weren't going to be taken seriously either by WWE fans or the WWE office. Sting is different. The muscular, bleached blond Sting of the late 1980's and the early 1990's would've fit right in on a Wrestlemania, and, depending on which dirt sheets you choose to believe, there may actually have been overtures made to him at various points. The dark, brooding Sting of the late 1990's had already been made in to a mega-star who could've been slotted right in to the top of the WWF immediately, and, depending on which dirt sheets you choose to believe, there may actually have been overtures made to him at various points. Sting jumping to the WWF is one of the ultimate "what ifs" in professional wrestling which we never got to see fulfilled, and it's beginning to look like we never will.



Larry Csonka

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Kevin Von Erich - While Kerry got his chance and David got the majority of the praise back in the day, I always wanted Kevin to get his chance in the fed.

Chris Adams and Gino Hernandez - A great tag team that could have been a ton of fun in the WWF. Unfortunately Gino died way too early at 29 and never got the chance.

Steve Corino - The King of Old School is a personal favorite of mine, and I wish Vince could have gotten past appearances and gave him a chance.

5. The Great Muta - People say that Japanese guys will never get over well in the fed, and history for the most part has been true to this. But Muta was OVER LIKE ROVER in the NWA/WCW days, and in the south no less. Muta in the fed would have been a fun sight, especially working guys like Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels.

4. The Midnight Express - Scott Rutherford and I agree big time again this week, as we both have a big old man crush on the Midnight Express. These guys were great, and feuds with the Harts, Demolition, The Nasty Boys and a renewed feud with the LOD would have made for great fun under the WWF umbrella. And yes, Jimmy Hart and Jim Cornette cutting promos on each other would have been gold. Unfortunately the closest thing we got was the New Midnight Express. **SIGH**

3. Nick Bockwinkle - Nick Bockwinkle is another guy I really wished got the WWF run. I think that overall he wasn't flashy enough for Vince, but the guy could work, he could talk, and I do wish that he had gotten the chance. A great what if with Bockwinkle, as he vs. Hogan on the big stage, with Heenan involved would have been money.

2. Nikita Koloff - I am so glad to see that others have jumped on the bandwagon that I have been driving for years now. I know that there were reasons why he didn't (his wife's illness, and the fact that he didn't want to be a part of Demolition, if you believe him) but I have been a long time defender of this man in terms of he would have been great in WWE. Now I will be the first to admit that Nikita Koloff was by no means the world's most proficient wrestler, but with the right opponents could be part of a good match. He worked well with Flair (who didn't), Dusty, Magnum TA and the Rock and Roll Express. I was a huge fan of the feud with the R&R, his singles feud with Magnum TA and his eventual face turn and teaming with Dusty as the Superpowers. He wasn't a great technician or a great promo as far as traditional promo skills went, but the fact of the matter was that Nikita Koloff was believable. He was big and jacked up, just like Vince likes them. I mean seriously, imagine the jacked up Russian defeating Hulk Hogan, under the tutelage of the man that dethroned Bruno Sammartino; Ivan Koloff. That would have been INSANE heat and MANY BUYS. With the way the WWF played up the Evil nations at the time, the Koloff's would have been huge for Vince in this feud that never happened.

1. Sting - While part of me would love to put Nikita at #1, it really had to be Sting. While Flair was the MAN in the NWA/WCW, Sting was the franchise guy that never left for the fed. Besides the obvious feud with Hogan, programs with Taker and Warrior would have been easy money if he ever made the jump. But as of today, he is the one modern star that never took the trip up north, and that is part of his legacy.



Jarrod Westerfeld

HONORABLE MENTIONS

The Midnight Express - It's hard to leave these guys off a list like this, especially considering they were a part of a truly strong tag team division.

Jyushin "Thunder" Lyger - Just missing the top 5 list as other names kept springing to mind, but a former member of the Hart's Stampede wrestling, you'd figure he, like the rest of the Stampede crowd, would end up in the WWE and do amazing things. Unfortunately he didn't and should have given how influential he was to a generation of high flyers.

Sting - Such an obvious name that many fans will point to as being a guy that could have been huge in the WWE, so we'll dump him in the HM section to highlight some of the other names that are getting over looked.

5.Toshiaki Kawada - When the WWE was looking for true main event heels to step up and play the roles of tough-as-nails bad asses who don't deal with non-sense and shenanigans, then Kawada should have gotten a phone call. Instead of recycling Sid, or dropping the ball on Big Van Vader, or even wasting time on such flops as Mabel, all they had to do was go and grab up the silent assassin who could easily have looked like a threat to the likes of a Diesel or Bret Hart just because of the impact he can make as he lands a big chop or high kick to the back of a skull. The man is basically murder incarnate and yet at no point did the WWE ever think to try and bring him in just to feed this monster to one of their floundering monsters that fans could have cared less for. Even feeding him to someone like Crush could have bumped up the credibility of one of their own properties just because of how dangerous looking this man is.

4.Masahiro Chono - The ultra cool heel persona that just oozes all sorts of pure, crazy awesome, could have been big in the states, particularly in the WWE. This guy just has such a presence about him, a certain kind of swagger about how bad-ass he is. The only thing that could have held him back was the language barrier, but nothing about his character says he has to be vocal to grab your attention and drown you in the message that he's one bad mother fucker that you just don't mess with. Simply put, if you wanted a foreign bad ass character, Chono was the guy to turn to and oddly enough he never was the guy being called up.

3.The Great Muta - You want to talk about a Japanese talent that has worked out as a main event level character, then look no further than Keiji Mutoh's persona of The Great Muta. What worked out tremendously in the NWA had the tendency of working out in the WWE to a certain extent. Ricky Steamboat worked out well to provide an athletic build for the Intercontinental championship, Harley Race worked out as a draw despite his limitations towards the end of his career, and we all know about Ric Flair's jump in 1992; let's not forget the level of success the Road Warriors experienced. Muta never would have had to cut a promo to get over just be the hired assassin who was given enough credibility to hang with the main event gang simply because of his unorthodox style that made him very effective and successful against any and all opponents he came across. Worst case scenario would lead to Muta falling out of the main event scene and into the upper mid-card level where he could have participated in the IC title chase with such names as Piper, Perfect, Rude and Hart.

2.Lou Thesz - At this point, no list should be complete without the mention of the greatest World Heavyweight Champion to have never wrestled for the North, Vincent McMahon (Sr.) WWWF. The man ran for nearly 8 full years as the champion of the NWA Southern territories without suffering a single loss, much like the highly successful Bruno Sammartino would do under the McMahon banner. Starting out in 1937 and working with the AWA, a company that McMahon Jr. would raid for almost 90% of its talents in the mid 1980's, could have clashed with the biggest and best of the WWE even in the mid and late 60's. The man even continued to work with the likes of Chono at the age of 74 in 1990, and yet at no point did this man ever sign upon the dotted line with the WWE. A true to life Hall of Famer in any wrestling fans eyes and he did it without the backing of the biggest media wrestling product in the world. This man was wrestling and no list could ever be complete without a mention of this great athlete.

1.Nikita Koloff - Say what you will about the number of Japanese names lining up this list and how they wouldn't be able to get over with American crowds; but here's one name that is hard to refute could have been very successful in the WWE if given the opportunity to maintain his character the whole way through. Koloff was a big looking guy with a tremendous look, much like Don "The Rock" Muraco or Hercules, but with such better appeal and a character many fans could understand and react to in the proper context. A true bad ass Russian heel that could play up a realistic main event threat to either Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior or even Bret Hart, unlike Nikolai Volkoff who simply maintained his heat via cheap tactics like singing the Russian national anthem. If anyone on this list could have been huge in the WWE Koloff was certainly the one.



Shawn S. Lealos

5. The Midnight Express - Beautiful Bobby and Sweet Stan were the greatest technical tag team in the NWA. The WWF, at that time, were huge in the tag team scene. The British Bulldogs, The Killer Bees, The Hart Foundation, The Rockers. Remember when Tully and Arn were signed as The Brainbusters and the great matches they had against both The Rockers and The Hart Foundation? Imagine the Midnight Express against the British Bulldogs or Hart Foundation. The possibilities are limitless. Could you imagine Jim Cornette and his Midnight Express against Jimmy Hart and the Hart Foundation? This was either a huge mistake by the WWF or a great move by the NWA to hold onto one of their best sells. Stan Lane went to the WWF and worked time as an announcer, but it is the tag team I feel should have been signed.

4. Samoa Joe - Sure, a lot of tools consider Joe to be a fat, worthless untalented wrestler. Those people are wrong. Joe had a chance to go to the WWE on a couple of occasions and chose to remain in ROH and TNA. He may not be a perfect physical specimen but he can make a crowd get behind him. He has proven to keep live crowds solidly in his corner regardless of booking and regardless of whether he is a good guy or a bad guy. Remember, Joe's gonna kill a bitch.

3. Bryan Danielson - It was stated that his try out matches does not disqualify him from a spot on these lists. He is widely considered the greatest wrestler never to wrestle on a big stage. ROH haters be damned, Danielson can wrestle an awe-inspiring, exciting and breath-taking match against anyone. He can be boring in his old school style at times but the match will always turn into something special. I remember the old Ric Flair matches where Flair always wrestled the same match but seemed to bring something new to the table every time. He always made you believe he could lose but always found a way to come out on top. Danielson has put on five star matches throughout his career and with his connection to Shawn Michaels and William Regal, a storyline is already in place if they pulled the trigger. Unfortunately, they never have. Danielson would have been a great addition over Lance Cade, who the WWE did take the chance on.

2. Kevin and David Von Erich - The WWF signed Kerry Von Erich after his years of usefulness had come to an end. I loved Kerry as a kid and had no clue about his drug problems or his amputated leg. He was one of those guys whose charisma and look carried him a long way. However, he was a distant third in talent at his prime. Before he died, David Von Erich has the charisma of his younger brother, the size to realistically compete with anyone and was ready to become NWA Champion before his death. The Von Erich's believed they owed the state of Texas and only Kerry drifted out to try his hand in other, larger promotions. Even if you discount David, due to his death cutting a promising career short, you still have Kevin who was a high flying, exciting wrestler. He could have done well with in the vein of a Ricky Steamboat and would have been a thousand times better than Tito Santana.

1. Sting - This one is easy. Sting was the heart and soul of WCW, the face that carried the company through its entire existence. His former partner was huge when they packaged him as The Ultimate Warrior but could you imagine how big Sting would have been in that spot? He was a company man where Warrior proved to only be out for himself. He was better than Warrior and stood the test of time. He would have been a better signing than Kerry Von Erich at that point in their careers. Sting was a major missed opportunity but could he have made it in the Attitude Era?



Aaron Hubbard

HONORABLE MENTIONS

AJ Styles - Indy phenom and top star in TNA, his size, offense, and personal hatred for WWE pretty much guarantee he'll never perform in the E, despite his tremendous talent.

Samoa Joe - He's a good friend of John Cena, but his look and style are way too reminiscent of All Japan to get over in the WWE.

El Santo - This guy is practically a god in Mexico. His popularity there is more than Austin and Hogan combined. I'm excluding him from the list because his time was mostly before there was even a WWWF.

5.Bryan Danielson - Many experts feel that Bryan is pound for pound the best wrestler in the world. Trained by Shawn Michaels and William Regal, Bryan is a legend on the indy circuit and his name carries more value than almost anybody competing. If Bryan is on a card, attendance goes up. I believe he will eventually go to WWE, but as of right now, he meets the qualifications for this list.

4.Manami Toyota - People who claim that Trish Stratus is the greatest female in-ring performer ever seriously need to educate themselves. Kyoko Inoue, Aja Kong, Bull Nakano, Toshiyo Yamada and Akira Hokuto all put her to shame. In my opinion, the best female wrestler is Manami Toyota. Her classics with Yamada, Inoue, Ozaki & Kansai, and Kong are some of the best wrestling you will find anywhere, regardless of gender. For a very brief time in the mid 1990s, Toyota may have been welcome with her fellow Japanese women, but it never happened.

3.Lou Thesz - WWE can claim to have employed almost every major legend at some point. Hogan, Flair, Race, the Funks, Rogers, Sammartino, Graham, the Briscoes. One man they never were able to employ was Lou Thesz. Thesz was the grestest wrestler of his time and still receives mention when people discuss best of all time. Thesz was a charismatic performer, an excellent wrestler, and carried an amount of class that earned him respect wherever he went.

2.Toshiaki Kawada - Historically speaking, foreigners do not do well as babyfaces. Not just in America, but anywhere. That's an appeal to patriotism and there's nothing wrong with it. This is why I leave Kobashi and Misawa, who are equal or better than Kawada off this list. Kawada on the other hand, would have gotten over as a heel in America. Dangerous K's stiff, brutal, smashmouth style commands both fear and respect. He had a meanstreak that would have translated very well in an American ring. Just the idea of Kawada vs. Hart or Kawada vs. Michaels makes me practically shiver with excitement. Kawada was/is a great talent, and its a shame most American fans will never know of him because of forced or willful ignorance.

1.Sting - Now, this is not to say that Sting is better than Kawada or Thesz, because he's not. He gets the number one spot because of how successful he WOULD have been if he had gone to WWE in the early part of his career. He was an athletic big man that had a better than average grasp of psychology, and a one of a kind charisma. Imagine how different wrestling would be if Warrior had gone to WCW and Sting had gone to WWE. Try to picture how awesome Hogan vs. Sting would have been at Wrestlemania VI. And unlike Warrior, Sting would have a successful heir to Hogan. Flair would have come to WWE in 1992 and they could still have their classic matches, possibly even main eventing Wrestlemania VIII. Sting would have been a huge star in WWE, and its a shame that his career had a different path.



Mathew Sforcina

HONORABLE MENTION

Gary Hart/Woman/Larry Sweeney - I know it says 'Wrestlers', but I felt the need to give some love to some managers who never got a chance/haven't gotten a chance for reasons beyond my comprehension.

5.The Great Muta - This one I can understand. After all, he'd come along every once in a while to WCW, be hugely over from his last run, get pushed, the leave before WCW could stuff him up. Why would he ever want to risk Vince?

4.Manami Toyota - Occasionally with these things I'll see a name that I don't immediately recognize. If I have time, I'll look them up, as I did here. I'm very glad I did, and you should to. Now excuse me, I have more matches to go find and a Toyota/Victoria Dream Match to write out...

3.Steve Corino - This one falls under "Perfect Circumstances". What I mean by that is that Steve got a tryout a while back at a time when a veteran, charismatic mat guy who could talk, wrestle and lead in the ring, all with credibility and gimmicks to spare would have been a lock to come in. But they didn't. Ah well, at least he's still had my necklace down his trunks.

2.Sting - If Ric Flair was in on this, Sting would probably be all 5 of his picks. And who am I to argue with Ric? Well, I'm me since Sting's not my #1, but still, this is the obvious one who you know is going to win this, even before you opened it up...

1.Nikita Koloff - Ok, how the hell did this not happen? A big Russian who looked like a million bucks, could wrestle like half a million, and talk about $450K, who you can claim is related to a former WWF Champion, around the point when Hulkamania was running wild. How on earth did Hogan/Koloff never happen? Talk about a license to print money, Hogan V Commie Bastard? How did that never happen, seriously?



Jeremy Thomas

HONORABLE MENTIONS

The Great Muta - Muta is one of the Japanese superstars who really could have become something in the 'F/E. Like Byers said, I think he's one of those guys who could have overcome the language limitation and become huge for Vince. Sadly, it was not to be, and 'F/E fans were the losers in that situation by virtue of missing out.

Magnum TA - I can't say that Magnum never would have been in the ring if not for the car crash that ended his career, but such as it is. It's pretty much universally agreed that Magnum would have been one of the top stars in the business if not for said accident, and only the shortness of his career keeps him out of the five.

AJ Styles - The only reason he's not in my top five is because I think he's the most likely here to still potentially go to the 'E at some point. Certainly he's one of the top guys to not have yet competed for Vince McMahon and as much as he deserves a shot if he so desires, until that point he deserves mention at least.

5.Hayabusa - Pure personal preference here. I never felt that Hayabusa got the respect he deserved, simply because he wrestled in a garbage promotion like FMW. Hayabusa did things in the ring that made me gape; the man was as much of a human highlight reel as anyone. Sure he was a spot monkey, but no less then Rob Van Dam, Sabu or some of the other big stars were. I always wished we could have seen H in Vince's ring, before the high-flyers' style was forced to be toned down. It would have been something special.

4.Bruiser Brody - In 1988, Bruiser Brody was a big name in the sport, which was even more impressive then would otherwise be the case considering he'd never worked for a McMahon or a Crockett. He was involved largely with WCCW in the early 80's before moving onto Japan, where at one point in 1985 he became the highest paid wrestler in the world thanks to a bidding war between AJPW and NJPW, earning almost $750,000 a year...in 1985, remember. That's quite a fgure. He moved onto Puerto Rico where he joined the WWC, where he continued his WWC feud with Abdullah the Butcher and competed in the first attempt to create the AJPW Triple Crown at the same time. With all of this, it's absolutely tragic that he'll be remembered first and foremost as "that guy Foley loved who got murdered in Puerto Rico." He deserves far better than that, and he would have done insanely well in the 'E had he ever had the chance.

3.Shohei Baba - Shohei "Giant" Baba is a name that some North American-only fans will scoff at and say "who?" We call those people idiots. Baba acheived a popularity in Japan that rivals what Hulk Hogan did here in America...and the big difference between the two is Baba knew when to gracefully bow out, as he did in '84 when he voluntarily moved himself into a position to put over the next generation of talent. Before that happened though, he racked up a group of accomplishments to truly be envied; 6-time NWA International Tag Champion, AJPW All-Asia Heavyweight champion, 3-Time NWA International Heavyweight Championship, and 3-Time NWA Heavyweight Champion of the World. Vince doesn't miss the boat all that often, but this was a big one he missed.

2.Steve Corino - You know it's funny, I was talking about this exact topic with Lansdell not so long ago, and at the time I revealed to him that Corino was my personal favorite never to have gotten a shot at the "big-time." The King of Old School was an amazing and gifted competitor during his heyday, and he's one of those guys who truly could have been something in the WWF/E. He had the complete package; the mic skills, the gimmick, good in-ring skills and a good sense of storytelling. Unfortunately for the casual wretsling fans of the world, this would never come to pass and Corino will simply be known as one of the best never to step into one of Vince McMahon's rings.

1.Sting - Obviously, this is the big one, and being the obvious choice doesn't discount his selection. The Stinger may still have a chance for a small, short run in the 'E, but I almost hope he doesn't at this point, as I don't think he'd get the run that he deserves. As it is, I think he's better off by staying away from "Up North," as they say, because it's almost more of an accomplishment for him at this point to say that he's the one true icon in North America who made it his entire career and became a legend without working for Vince. That's almost bigger then him being able to say he finally competed in the 'E.



Michael Bauer

AJ Styles and Samoa Joe - Both of these would be on the Top 5, but they still have some long careers ahead of them.

Steve Corino - Take Corino a few years ago in his prime and stick him in there against some of the cruiserweights… pure gold.

Nikita Koloff - The timing would have certainly been right for it, USA vs Russia. It worked for Iraq, so wny not the same thing years earlier?

5.Lou Thesz - When Stone Cold Steve Austin has a move in every match named after you, something must hve been done right. The Lou Thesz Press is the only move seen around today that is specficly named after a wrestler who invented, patented, and perfected the move. Lou Thesz is one of the original legends of wrestling who never competed for the WWF back in the day, but his legend was certainly enough to be remembered in the lat 1990's every time the shattered glass signaled a Rattlesnake was coming to the ring.

4.The Midnight Express - In the age of Tag Team Wrestling in the old WWF, how they never had The Midnight Express is beyond me. Dennis Condrey, Bobby Eaton, and Stan Lane: Pretty much any combonation of them was the best team in the mid to late 1980's. Condrey and Eaton being named Tag Team of the Year in 1986, Eaton and Lane in 1987 (by the PWI and Wrestling Observer) and 1988. The fact that the team is still seen around at select events today is just another sign of the Midnight Express name being just as valuable as those who fought under it.

3.The Great Muta (Keiji Mutoh) - Arguably one of the best wrestlers to come out of Japan who never ventured to the bigger money is The Great Muta. He is one of only two wrestlers to ever hold the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, the AJPW Triple Crown Championship, and the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, which is pretty much the equivalent of the Triple Crown of all of wrestling. Without question, the fans of the WWE truly missed out on this one.

2.Bryan Danielson - All you need to know about Danielson, besides is one shot deal losing to John Cena on Velocity and his dark match win, is that the WWE has missed the boat by not really trying to sign The American Dragon. He is the regining four time Best Technical Wrestler as voted by Wrsetling Observer and the regining three time Most Outstanding Wrestler by the same group. He has held multiple World Titles in both the United States and Japan. Quite frankly, I don't know what else Bryan Danielson can do unless he does sign with a bigger company.

1.Sting - Yeah, there is little doubt in my mind about who should be #1. Sting was The Icon of WCW, even while Ric Flair was around during his many title reigns. In the WWE, Sting could have been bigger than Hulk Hogan and I truly believe that is why he is the definite #1 choice. And yes, I did say he could have been bigger than Hulk Hogan since Sting had the charisma of the Hulkster and he was a much better wrestler.



So with all said and done, here is the 411 Wrestling's Overall Top 5 Wrestlers Who Have Never Competed in the WWE… atleast, not yet.

5.Bryan Danielson - 10 points (1 2nd place vote, 1 3rd place vote, 1 4th place vote, 1 5th place vote)

4.Nikita Koloff - 14 points (2 1st pace votes, 1 2nd place vote, 1 Honorable Mention)

3.The Great Muta - 13 points (By rule of more votes = higher spot) (3 3rd place votes, 1 4th place vote, 2 5th place votes, 1 Honorable Mention)

2.Steve Corino - 14 points (1 1st place vote, 1 2nd place vote, 1 3rd place vote, 1 4th place vote, 3 Honorable Mentions)

1.Sting - 48 points (8 1st place votes, 2 2nd place votes, 1 Honorable Mention)