The WWE has a deep pool of talented wrestlers. Unfortunately, there are times when WWE Creative simply didn’t know how to utilize their talents. As a result, this often results in failed pushes wherein the wrestler fails to perform up to the fans’ expectations. Although a lot of wrestlers usually only get one push, some have worked hard enough to earn another. For this piece, let’s take a look at five WWE second pushes that fared better.
Karrion Kross
After doing some damage in WWE NXT, Karrion Kross’ main roster debut as NXT Champion was anticipated by the WWE Universe. Unfortunately, Karrion Kross had a terrible main roster debut that saw him lose to an aging Jeff Hardy in a quick match. Although Kross got two victories in their last two matchups, the facade of a formidable up-and-coming star in Kross was ultimately lost. As a result, this led to Kross and Scarlett Bordeaux’s releases.
Months later, when Triple H took over, bringing back Karrion Kross was one of his biggest moves. Kross returned to the WWE by attacking Drew McIntryre which brought back legitimacy to his character. Since his return, Kross has picked up victories over former Universal Champion Drew McIntyre, Madcap Moss, Drew Gulak, and many more. As a result, he has emerged as one of the best heels in WWE programming today.
Jinder Mahal
Jinder Mahal’s first run in the WWE was explosive at first, seeing him beat the likes of Vladimir Kozlov and several jobbers. But later on, Mahal’s run died down as he was even relegated to be part of the 3MB stable, a group for comedic relief.
Mahal’s second push was more fruitful, as it saw him eventually win his first and only WWE Championship when he formed a stable with The Singh Brothers. Mahal shockingly defeated Randy Orton for the title. Furthermore, Mahal defended the title successfully twice against Orton, once against Money In the Bank winner Baron Corbin, and once against Shinsuke Nakamura.
Drew McIntyre
There was a point in time when Vince McMahon introduced Drew McIntyre to the WWE Universe as a future World Champion. However, that would only happen during his second run.
McIntyre’s first run saw him become Intercontinental Champion and Tag Team Champion. But other than a mid-card talent, McIntyre was never elevated to become a main eventer. Instead, McIntyre became a jobber and spent time with 3MB alongside Jinder Mahal and Heath Slater.
But after spending time in the Indy circuit, McIntyre was called up again. His second run has seen him fulfill McMahon’s prophecy after beating Brock Lesnar for the title. He has also beaten several superstars such as Randy Orton, Seth Rollins, Baron Corbin, and many more.
Cody Rhodes
As the son of the legendary Dusty Rhodes, Cody Rhodes had enormous shoes to fill. But despite the challenge, the younger Rhodes has lived up to the bill. Rhodes has won six World Tag Team Titles and two Intercontinental Championships. Unfortunately, Rhodes was never elevated to main event status. As a result, Rhodes decided to wrestle in the Indy circuit and eventually, AEW, after finding out that WWE had no plans to give him a world title shot.
Years later, Rhodes made a triumphant return in Wrestlemania 38. Since his return, Rhodes’ second push has been a clean slate. He has defeated a high-profile wrestler in Seth Rollins three times. Rhodes has also picked up victories over The Miz and Austin Theory. Although Rhodes has been sidelined with a pec injury, it seems like the WWE star is penciled to headline Wrestlemania down the road for a world title match opportunity he has been waiting for.
Austin Theory
Austin Theory’s first push in WWE saw him become part of several stables. He first joined the stable of Angel Garza, Zelina Vega, and Andrade. After he was kicked out of the stable, Theory immediately joined Seth Rollins and Buddy Murphy to form the Disciples. Unfortunately, the WWE star faced suspension which stopped his young WWE run for a while.
Theory’s second push came in 2021 when he was branded as Vince McMahon’s handpicked star. Chosen by the WWE Chairman himself, Theory would go on to become the youngest United States Champion. He also would become Mr. Money in the Bank.
Although the departure of Mr. McMahon from the company threatened Theory’s push, which saw him lose the Money In the Bank briefcase against Seth Rollins for the United States Championship, Theory’s push remained strong as ever. He won the United States Championship for the second time after beating powerhouse Bobby Lashley and Seth Rollins in a triple threat match at the Survivor Series WarGames 2022 pay-per-view.
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