The WWE often showcases a deep pool of talent. However, it’s a reality that not every wrestler will get the push that they deserve. But even if they do, that doesn’t mean that the push will last as long as their careers. In fact, some wrestlers would receive a strong push and only fizzle out after a brief period of time. For this piece, let’s take a look at 10 of WWE’s one-hit wonders.
Vladimir Kozlov
Vladimir Kozlov pretty much had a strong start in the WWE. Designed to be a monster heel, Kozlov ran through several jobbers. However, he also earned a string of victories over Triple H and The Undertaker, immediately pushing him into the main event scene. However, Kozlov would never capture a world title in his career after that. Moreover, nothing was also successful for Kozlov during his brief ECW run. While he did manage to win a Tag Team Championship with Santino Marella later on, Kozlov’s energy as a monster heel never felt the same again as he was relegated to a role for comedic relief.
Nathan Jones
Nathan Jones was popular for debuting as the protege of The Undertaker. He defeated Bill DeMott in convincing fashion during his Smackdown debut. Furthermore, he earned victories over Nunzio and Shannon Moore. However, his in-ring flaws were evident as WWE couldn’t mask them despite putting him alongside The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar. As a result, it won’t be long before the creative team pulled the plug on Jones’ monster run.
The Ascension
Ever since their NXT days, The Ascension was a dominant Tag Team. They held the NXT Tag Team Championship for a record of 364 days. Upon their promotion to the main roster, they immediately made an impact by beating several Tag Teams such as Miz and Mizdow, the New Age Outlaws, and local wrestlers. However, their streak came to an end after losing via disqualification in a Tag Team turmoil match. From there, the team mounted a losing streak and never recovered.
The Spirit Squad
Despite having an odd cheerleading gimmick, The Spirit Squad immediately rose to prominence in the WWE. With five members in the stable, the Spirit Squad often used the numbers game to their advantage. They defeated the team of Big Show and Kane to claim their first Tag Team titles. Afterward, they feuded with the likes of John Cena, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, and Triple. However, once the Spirit Squad ultimately lost their feud to DX and Ric Flair, it was suddenly over for the team.
The Yeti
With extreme size, The Yeti shocked the world when he entered the ring at Halloween Havoc 1995. To the surprise of everyone, Dressed similar to a mummy, The Yeti dwarfed the likes of The Big Show and Hulk Hogan. He entered the ring and assisted the Big Show in punishing Hulk Hogan with a bear hug. Unfortunately, that would remain as the greatest moment in The Yeti’s wrestling career.
Kharma
With the Diva’s division needing a push, the WWE was able to pick up Kharma. With great size, Kharma immediately made her imposing presence felt by making dominant attacks on Michelle McCool, Maryse, and Alicia Fox. Although Kharma looked like a major problem to the Diva’s division, she surprisingly never took part in an official WWE match until the Men’s Royal Rumble in 2012. Citing pregnancy reasons, Kharma would never wrestle in a singles match in the WWE.
Fandango
After debuting as a ballroom dancer, Fandango made waves after scoring a huge victory over Chris Jericho. Later in his career, he won his first championship in WWE by teaming up with Tyler Breeze to win the NXT Tag Team titles. Unfortunately, outside of that, Fandango was underutilized and was mostly relegated to the lower card after suffering a string of legitimate injuries.
James Ellsworth
Unlike other wrestlers in this list, James Ellsworth started as a jobber. In other words, Ellsworth has always been on the receiving end of a beatdown or a squash match. However, Ellsworth did get a major string of victories after beating former world champion AJ Styles three straight times. Afterward, Ellsworth would continue on to become a jobber.
The Boogeyman
The WWE is no stranger to pushing “supernatural” wrestlers, as they’ve been successful with The Undertaker and Bray Wyatt. However, that wasn’t the case for The Boogeyman. The Boogeyman was known for making the WWE Universe uncomfortable in their seats by eating a handful of worms. Immediately, The Boogeyman made his presence felt by haunting and defeating the likes of JBL, Booker T, and The Miz. However, his feud with Finlay would be the beginning of the end. After seeing his undefeated streak snap against Finlay, The Boogeyman never recovered as he suffered several more squash matches against Mark Henry, Kane, and Big Daddy V.
Ryback
At one point in the WWE, Ryback was the hottest babyface in the company. With a “Feed Me More” gimmick, Ryback looked ripe for a world championship push. Unfortunately, major losses to CM Punk squashed all of that. While Ryback did win the Intercontinental Championship later on, it would be his first and only title reign in the WWE. After losing the title, however, it seemed like WWE didn’t know what to do with him other than making him lose to United States Champion Kalisto on several occasions before leaving WWE.
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