WWE STARS WHO WERE BAD WRESTLERS BUT GREAT SPORTS ENTERTAINERS
When it comes to professional wrestling, the focus is obviously on the in-ring product as people want to watch the best possible in-ring encounters. Anybody who can work well inside the ring always has a good chance of thriving in the business, but sometimes it is not a necessity.
Hulk Hogan's Definitive 13 Best WWE Matches, Ranked
Hulk Hogan is one of the biggest stars in the history of wrestling. While he wasn't known for his in-ring skills, Hogan had some classic matches.
WWE wrestlers who can entertain can thrive even if they are not as skilled or finely tuned inside the squared circle. Sometimes that is down to their charisma alone as they can win over an audience with how they act, or by the promos that they can cut to make people connect to them.
UPDATE: 2024/09/14 20:00 EST BY TOMS CUNHA
Being a good technical wrestler is not the only thing it takes to be a successful professional wrestler. Looks, promos and entertainment are also a big part of wrestling, especially in a global company such as WWE. Thus, there have been many names who enjoyed successful WWE careers despite not being particularly awesome inside the ropes. Fans forgave them for their lack of in-ring skills because of their charisma. Fans were aware they weren't going to have the best match on the card every night, but the wrestlers still got over in the promotion because they were great sports entertainers.
The Ultimate Warrior Had More Energy Than Any Other WWE Wrestler
WWE Fans Loved Warrior Because Of That
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The Ultimate Warrior is one of the most exciting performers in WWE history. He got over because of his incredible physique, his colorful ring attire and the energy he brought to every match and promo. While Warrior was never a master inside the ropes, he could also deliver a great match against the right opponent.
Warrior had some of the most memorable matches of all time against people like Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage, capturing both the Intercontinental and WWE Championships in his career. Ultimate Warrior is the perfect example of what a sports entertainer looks like.
Vince McMahon Created Sports Entertainment
McMahon Himself Was A Great Sports Entertainer
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Vince McMahon is the reason why we're writing this article, since he essentially created 'sports entertainment' during his WWE run. After the infamous Montreal Screwjob, McMahon debuted as a proper character on television and quickly became the company's top heel working with Stone Cold Steve Austin.
Throughout the next decade and beyond, McMahon feuded with other stars such as Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair and Bobby Lashley. The 'Mr. McMahon' character was always over on television, and he even managed to win both the WWE and the ECW World Championships, as well as the 1999 Royal Rumble Match.
JBL Did An Incredible Job As A Heel
Fans Had Loved Him In The APA & Loved To Hate Him As JBL
| WWE Run | 1996-2009 |
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The APA was a fun midcard act during the Attitude Era. Fans loved to watch Bradshaw & Faarooq's backstage segments on a weekly basis and the team was successful. While Bradshaw did win the European & Hardcore Titles during that run, he was still associated with APA and fans never thought he'd get over on his own. But in 2004, Eddie Guerrero had no credible challengers after Brock Lesnar left WWE and Kurt Angle & Big Show were out injured.
The company chose Bradshaw as SmackDown's top heel, splitting the APA for good and creating the John Bradshaw Layfield character. While JBL wasn't the greatest in the ring, his promos always drew massive heat and he made the most of his opportunity. JBL worked with top stars such as Eddie Guerrero, John Cena, Batista, Rey Mysterio, Shawn Michaels and others until the end of his in-ring career in 2009. JBL notably held the WWE Championship in 2004, but also had brief runs with both the United States Championship (2006) and the Intercontinental Championship (2009).
Goldberg Was Over Because Of His Dominant WCW Career
Goldberg Notably Feuded With Brock Lesnar In Both WWE Runs
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Great in-ring skills and polished technique have never been something that Goldberg has been associated with, which is one of the reasons that the majority of his matches ended up being so short. WWE always played to his strengths with short encounters that allowed for him to hit a few power moves and then move on.
Considering how he was booked fans were able to gravitate toward him because he was made to look like a monster inside the ring that could kick anyone's ass. That was always entertaining to watch, and the impactful moves that he brought out was something that helped him become a top star.
The Boogeyman Is A Memorable Gimmick From The Ruthless Aggression Era
But He Never Had A Good Match In His WWE Career
| WWE Run | 2004-2009 |
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| WWE Accomplishments | None |
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Sometimes a fantastic character is all that is needed to entertain the wrestling world, and that is exactly what The Boogeyman provided. Inside the ring, he was a very limited worker who never put on a classic match throughout his run, yet everybody remembers him as an act.
5 Supernatural Wrestling Characters Fans Loved (& 5 They Hated)
Pro wrestling is a form of entertainment, so supernatural gimmicks were often used. However, while some of them were loved by fans, others were hated.
That's because he was given tons of focus with lots of smoke and mirrors, from the fancy entrance to the great backstage segments. That is something that helped to make his character popular as he won over WWE fans.
Koko B. Ware Could Always Entertain The Fans
Koko Was Inducted Into The WWE Hall Of Fame
| WWE Run | 1986-1994 |
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| WWE Accomplishments | WWE Hall Of Fame (Class Of 2009) |
| Notable WWE Feuds | None |
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Koko B. Ware might be a WWE Hall Of Famer, but that doesn't mean that he was a great professional wrestler, as he is someone who was best known for his ability to entertain an audience. During his era, it was all about bright colors and vibrant personalities, and few came close to matching what he had.
Koko was someone that could easily connect with a crowd, and that is a skill that a lot of professional wrestlers have never been able to master, no matter how much talent they might have inside of the ring.
James Ellsworth Was A Fun Gimmick
He Even Scored Wins Over WWE Champion AJ Styles
| WWE Run | 2016-2018 |
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| WWE Accomplishments | None |
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James Ellsworth didn't look like a top-level superstar, and he certainly didn't perform like one either, which was why he originally got brought in as an enhancement talent to put over Braun Strowman. However, he was so entertaining in that quick squash that he ended up being kept around.
Ellsworth was then given a variety of roles from being a goofy babyface sidekick to Dean Ambrose to someone who defeated AJ Styles. He also thrived as a heel alongside Carmella, proving that while he might not have been able to deliver a five-star classic, he could elicit a reaction from the fans.
Lana Got Over Working With Rusev
She Stood Out Because Of Her Accent
| WWE Run | 2013-2021 |
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| WWE Accomplishments | None |
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Lana made great strides to improve inside of the ring, but by the time she was released by WWE she hadn't reached the level where she could put on brilliant matches regularly. But none of that mattered because on the microphone, there were few who were better on the roster during her time in the company.
Whether she was a sympathetic babyface playing up to the crowd or helping Rusev to get major heat, Lana was always able to get a reaction from the crowd. She threw herself 110% into every single role she did, and that ability to entertain served her well.
Jillian Hall Was Probably The Most Hated WWE Diva
Jillian Had The Shortest WWE Divas Championship Reign In History
| WWE Run | 2003-2010 |
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| WWE Accomplishments | WWE Divas Championship |
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Inside the ring, Jillian Hall didn't offer much of note in comparison to the other female talents that were around at the time, and while she could put together a solid enough match, nothing was ever flashy or exciting. However, there is no denying that she was brilliant at the sports entertainment aspect of the business.
The singing gimmick that she put together ended up being an incredible one, and even though it was designed to make fans hate her, heels are just as crucial to the business as the babyfaces, which is a role she fulfilled perfectly.
Gillberg Was A Comedy Character
His Job Was To Mock WCW's Goldberg During The Monday Night Wars
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| WWE Accomplishments | WWE Light Heavyweight Champion |
| Notable WWE Feuds | None |
Gillberg wasn't a good wrestler, but that was the entire point of his gimmick as it was initially something that was done to mock Goldberg when he was in WCW. Because of that, the focus on him was always designed to be comedic and funny, rather than something that serious.
He made the most out of every opportunity he was given, and always got a great reception from the fans, even if it wasn't a gimmick that was ever supposed to headline a PPV. Gillberg was purely created for the sake of entertainment, which ended up being a hit.
Lex Luger Stood Out Because Of His Incredible Physique
Luger Debuted In WWE As The Narcissist
| WWE Run | 1993-1995 |
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| WWE Accomplishments | Royal Rumble Winner (1994) |
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Lex Luger was at a completely different level from the likes of Gillberg, as he was far from a jobber, but at the same time, his in-ring skills didn't match the position that he had on the card. Vince McMahon always pushed him though, and how he was booked helped him thrive.
Fans were conditioned to see Luger as a top-tier talent, and that is exactly what they did. He played up to the part as best he could, and always worked hard with his role, but inside the ring, he just wasn't at the top level to match the impressive physique he had.
The Great Khali Is A Former World Heavyweight Champion
He Became A Comedy Face In His Final Years With WWE
| WWE Run | 2006-2014 |
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WWE loves to bring in a big man, and anyone who has the height and power that The Great Khali has is always going to find themselves earning a push. He wasn't a good in-ring talent as Khali was arguably too big to work with any real fluidity.
9 Amazing WWE Matches Featuring Awful Wrestlers
Even bad wrestlers can have a good match with the right opponent. Here are 10 amazing matches featuring awful WWE in-ring performers.
While a lot of fans liked to complain about him, Khali was capable of putting together some memorable moments, whether he was a dominant heel against The Undertaker or a comedy act that would dance around the ring, he certainly knew how to entertain the masses.
Kelly Kelly Made Her WWE Debut When She Was 19 Years Old
Kelly Finally Became WWE Divas Champion In 2011
| WWE Run | 2006-2012 |
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Kelly Kelly is someone who is often seen as one of the most popular divas in WWE history, but that wasn't down to her being a great wrestler. Instead, it was all about the entertainment factor for her, as she knew how to get the fans on board in order to cheer for her as a babyface.
It's something that worked, as Kelly Kelly became one of the most popular wrestlers in the company at the time. However, she wasn't one of the best wrestlers, which was a shame as it stopped her from being one of the absolute best.
2024-09-15T12:02:54Z dg43tfdfdgfd