10 WWE Champions Who Didn't Draw
The captains of a sinking ship...
Just about any wrestler starting out has the dream of being WWE Champion. The belt is among the oldest and most respected in the entire world, and with it comes big paychecks and WrestleMania main events.
Still, not all WWE Champions perform equally once they get the belt. Across eras, men from Bruno Sammartino to The Rock have led WWE to greatness, making a lot of money for themselves and for the company - but not everyone is so successful.
There are those stars who the fans simply didn't want to plunk down cash to see (or to see lose), and as a result, cost WWE money. Some are already well known, while others have accrued an unfairly-positive portrayal over the years. Regardless, these 10 men - at least during one of their reigns - were bad for business.
Just a note before we start: this only comprises WWE Champions, the title that traces its lineage from Sammartino to AJ Styles. While there were undoubtedly many World Heavyweight Champions that didn't draw well during the course of the title's existence, it was primarily viewed as secondary. Likewise, we're also skipping the Universal title - for obvious reasons.
10. Randy Orton
Randy Orton is one of WWE's constant presences. The mainstay first debuted in the company in 2002, first became a world champion in 2004, and has spent the past decade racking up accolades and main events.
Orton is a legitimate superstar, but his run as champion between SummerSlam 2013 to WrestleMania XXX can't be seen as much more than a failure. "The Viper" emerged from SummerSlam as the WWE Champion (and as a heel in the newly-formed Authority) after cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase on Daniel Bryan, but what started as a hot angle soon cooled off.
Through the fall, ratings and PPV buyrates declined with Orton on top - though admittedly, the title was vacant for part of that period. Once Orton got the belt back, though, he was responsible for the lowest Survivor Series buyrate of the pre-Network era - an abysmal event he headlined against The Big Show. The champion - and the title - rarely felt less important than they did during that match.
Ratings picked up in 2014 with the build to WrestleMania, but the Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber events still drew lower than they did in 2013.