WWE stars whose reputations outgrew their talent

Did the hype go too far?

Breaking through in WWE means more than just brute force. You need ring craft, staying power, a persona the crowd can connect with and the ability to own the microphone. Yet some names became legends without ticking every box. With Hulk Hogan’s passing at 71 reminding us how myth can shape a career, we look at those whose fame may have outstripped their true ability.

20. Shawn Michaels

OK, let's get it off to a rocky start. We love Shawn, but he's not exactly had a flawless career. His first run was full of backstage politicking and petty behavior. He obviously righted this, but is he really deserving of a status that puts him among the greatest of all time? We're not convinced.

18. Batista

While Dave, as we like to call him, looked the part and had the presence, he never quite lived up to the hype in the ring. Better workers usually carried his biggest matches, and his 2014 return showed that fans weren't as into him as WWE thought.

17. The Rock

An incredible talker, no doubt. However, when it came to actual wrestling, The Rock's matches were often formulaic, and his overselling could be downright goofy. WWE built up his legacy based on charisma, not technical ability. He's arguably the most famous wrestler of all time, but we're not sure it's got much to do with his in-ring ability.

16. Trish Stratus

Ok, we know this is going to annoy many of you as Trish is a WWE legend, but was she truly the best? She had charisma and the look, but WWE pushed her as the greatest, even though she wasn't even the best in-ring worker of her era. Lita, Victoria, Jazz, and Molly Holly were all well above her, but for WWE, it's always been about Trish. Looks will get you far in this business.

15. Randy Orton

Well, this came out of nowhere... or did it? Yes, he's had a long career, but let's be honest – how many of his matches have been must-see? For years, Orton coasted on his reputation, delivering slow, methodical (a.k.a. boring) matches that rarely felt urgent, or even that memorable.

14. CM Punk

The Pipebomb promo made him a legend, but his long title reign was filled with forgettable feuds. A great talker, but was he really that revolutionary in the ring? We weren't convinced then, and we're not convinced now. 

13. Roman Reigns

His Tribal Chief run has been great, but let's not forget – WWE forced him down fans' throats for nearly a decade before they finally got it right. His early main-event runs were painful, and even now, his dominance is becoming predictable.

12. Ric Flair

The 16-time champ had a legendary career, but WWE revisionist history makes it seem like he dominated everywhere. For us, he was a great character in the WWE years, but wasn't ever that convincing. Fast forward to his last few years, and his matches were often dull and languid affairs where fans had to really use their imaginations to buy in that a 60-year-old man could brutalize a 20-something Adonis. 

10. Goldberg

Built on squash matches and aura, Goldberg was never a great wrestler. Once you got past the entrance and the 90-second match, there wasn't really much to him. Not to mention, he was at times dangerously sloppy, as The Undertaker can attest to.

9. John Cena

Carried WWE through the PG era, but at what cost? His move set consisted of just the same five moves over and over again, his promos were equally repetitive, and he refused to put over rising stars when it mattered most (see: The Nexus). His legacy is huge, especially with young fans, but he's not exactly the greatest of all time – and barely a midcarder based on his snorefest of a match at WrestleMania 41.

8. Shane McMahon

The "Best in the World" gimmick was a joke, but WWE still kept pushing Shane as a legitimate wrestler. We know a lot of wrestling fans absolutely love his matches, and his crazy bumps were fun, but let's be real – he had no business competing with top stars in actual matches.

7. Dean Ambrose

Ambrose definitely had a cult following, but let's not pretend he was great in WWE. His goofier promos and awkward brawling style made it hard to take him seriously as a top guy, and WWE never really knew what to do with him. A bit of a miss, despite the love.

6. Daniel Bryan

A different side of the same coin, we have Daniel Bryan. Fans treat him like a god, but his WWE career was full of stop-start pushes and long stretches where he wasn't particularly exciting. His underdog story was great, but was he really one of the all-time top guys in WWE?

5. The Miz

A solid talker, sure – but has The Miz ever had a truly great match? WWE has treated him like an all-time main eventer, but in reality, he's always been an upper-midcard guy at best.

4. The Ultimate Warrior

More energy than skill. Warrior's promos were gibberish, his matches were often disasters unless he was carried. While it didn't necessarily affect the fan experience at the time, his attitude behind the scenes made him a nightmare to work with (as The Sportster reports), but it didn't do much for his legacy either.

3. Brock Lesnar

An absolute beast, no doubt – but his matches were painfully repetitive. WWE relied way too much on his suplex-heavy formula. His time in WWE always looked like a job to us. While we know he has his fans, we just never bought what he was selling. Plus, his unwillingness to put over younger stars really hurt the product.

2. Andre the Giant

A spectacle more than a wrestler. By the time WWE made him a megastar, his physical limitations were obvious, and most of his matches were slow, plodding affairs that relied on his size alone. Great gimmick and an important figure in the industry, but he's nowhere near the great wrestler he's remembered as.