The release of Mr Kennedy... Kennedy got me thinking. Who are the Top Ten Wrestlers, whose WWE-Career ended before they could reach the mountain top? I came up with this Top-Ten list (it's my personal Top Ten so if you'd like you can always add to it) of guys who had it all, but just somehow didn't get the stars alligned for them:

 

TOP TEN SUPERSTARS WHO JUST COULDN'T REACH TOP:

 

10. CHRIS NOWINSKI, HARVARD (WWE 2003)

Novinski was a guy that started very young and had a lot of potential. He was instrumental in the 3-Minute-Warning skit with Jamal and Rosey and he was very good on the Mic. Unfortunately before he could reach his full potential he started to get hurt a lot. In fact he had so many concussions, that he finally had to end his career before it really begun. He retired in 2004 and is now one of the most influential guys in fighting concussions in sports.

 

9. ADAM BOMB, THREE MILES ISLAND (WWE 1993-95)

Bomb had a unique character in an aera were lame gimmicks evolved. While there were garbagemen and plumbers there were also young guy with a lot of potential - like Bomb. He stood out and impressed with some power-moves and a lot of charisma. Unfortunately his wresling was sub-par and after 1995 he suddenly dissapeared until WCW brought him back as Wrath. He tried a Comeback in 2001 and had one of the worst matches ever against Kane and Undertaker, which resulted in him getting fired.

 

8. LUDVIG BORGA, HELSINKI (WWE 1993-94)

Rumors have it, that Borga was predestined to win the Royal Rumble 1994 so you know what kind of potential this strange dude from Finland had. He started in 1993 with a long winning streak and was portrayed as a very tough almost unbeatable guy. He had impressive power and charisma and could've been a main-player in a time, where they needed a heel like him in the worst way. Unfortunately he broke his shin in 1994 and wasn't seen again.

 

7. TEXAS TORNADO KERRY VON ERICH, DENTON,TX (WWE 1990-93)

The Von Erichs ruled the Wrestling-World in the 80s especially in Texas and vicinity. So it was only a matter of time until the best von Erich made his WWE debut and what a debut it was - Right in his first match he defeated Mr.Perfect @SummerSlam and became Intercontinental-Champion. Kerry had so much potential and charisma and everybody thought, that this first title only would be the start for something much bigger - but it never happened. The reason for it: Kerry had personal problems with drugs and a like and the WWE never had the faith in him to push him to the top. Unfortunately in 1993 he committed suicide.

 

6. AHMED JOHNSON, PEARL RIVER (WWE 1995-1998)

Before there was Bobby Lashley or the Rock, there was Ahmed Johnson. The former Football-Player started with a Bang into his WWE career and many saw him already as a candidate for the first black WWE-Champion in history. He won the Intercontinental Championship in 1996 from Goldust @King of the Ring and his career looked to be on track. But Johnson had problems in WWE - first of all he was injury prone and second he was sometimes a bit too stiff in the ring and hurt his opponents. Johnson never reached his full potential and left WWE in 1998.

 

5. BOBBY LASHLEY, COLORADO SPRINGS (WWE 2005-2008)

Lashley made his WWE-Debut in 2005 in the first 'young superstar initiative' orchastrated by Teddy Long and he skyrocketed to the Top of SmackDown in no time. He had all the potential in the world as a legit wrestling champion in college and military and his physic was superb in a time, when those bodies shrunk. So he stood out and got a big push almost from the beginning, winning the Intercontinental-Championship in a very short match against JBL, then the ECW-Championship and became a prominent face in the Trump/McMahon rivalry. Everything looked up for this young athlete but then he hurt his arm and shoulder and had to take time off and then everything went south in a hurry. Nobody knows exactly the reasons for his departure but all of the sudden WWE released him in January 2008 to most everybodys surprise. Now he is trying his hand at MMA.

 

4. MR KENNEDY, GREEN BAY (WWE 2005-2009)

Mr Kennedy started as Mr Anderson in WWE, then he became Mr Kennedy and from there his career took off. His ability on the mic, his above average in-ring-ability and his undoubted charisma made him one of the biggest Stars on SmackDown. The Undertaker took him under his wings and together they had a very good rivalry in 2006, that put Kennedy on the map as a future Main-Eventer. Everything looked great when he won the MITB @WrestleMania23, but then a string of mistakes and injuries started and derailed Kennedys career completely. Everytime when it looked like he finally got his feet under him again, he stumbled and crash landed. Surprisingly WWE cut him just a few days ago after he nearly hurt himself and Randy Orton in his comeback-match again.

 

3. OWEN HART, CALGARY (WWE 1991-1999)

The young brother of Bret Hart started his WWE career in 1989 as the Blue Blazer under a mask but his real big moments came in the later Nineties after he feuded with his brother. Especially his match against Bret @WrestleManiaX and his heel persona put him on the WWE map as a future Main-Eventer. He won King of the Ring, Intercontinental-Championships and feuded with Shawn Michaels when Bret left. Owen was a very good wrestler, he was more than okay on the mic and he had the Hart-Legacy that made him a Star. But in 1999 everything was over before it actually really begun: @ Over the Edge a misguided stunt cost him his life and he died in the Blue-Blazer-outfit in the WWE ring. Owen was only 34 when his life came to an abrupt end.

 

2. RAZOR RAMON, MIAMI (WWE 1992-1996)

Talk a bout a man who had it all: Great charisma, great mic-skills, good wrestling-ability - Razor Ramon aka Scott Hall started his career as the 'Bad Guy' in WWE in 1992 but he was so cool and so great that the fans couldn't really hate him. So he became one of the faces of the 'New Generation' of WWE. He won the Intercontinental-Championship in 1993 after Shawn Michaels dropped the Gold which lead to one of the best matches in WWE history @WrestleMania X - the infamous first Ladder-Match. Razor won the IC-Title some more later on, but he never reached his full potential due to problems with alcohol and in 1996 he left WWE for WCW, where he again became one big part of wrestling history as the 'Outsider' and later the nWo. When he returned to WWE his alcohol-problems already had derailed his career and he was too old to get another shot at the title.

 

1. MR PERFECT, MINNESOTA (WWE 1989-1996)

His name said at all: Perfect - Curt Hennig was the perfect WWE-Superstar in the beginning of the Nineties, but he never reached his full potential. He started in 1989 and quickly became Mr Perfect and one of the most hated heels in WWE. He had everything: Charisma, Mic-Skills and very good wrestling-ability. Unfortunately he took too many high risk moves and they cost him badly. In 1990 he won the Intercontinental Championship and looked to be on his way to the top, but repeating back-problems derailed his path to the WWE-Title and after he dropped the Gold to Bret Hart @SummerSlam he had to end his career premature. He became a spokes-person for Ric Flair, before he started an in-ring-comeback - though he never could reach his full potential again. In 1996 he left WWE after a contract dispute and returned only in 2002, were he looked really good and almost won the Royal Rumble. Unfortunately he died 2003 due to a cocaine intoxication.