10 WWE Main Eventers Fans Rejected
These are not "The Guys" you're looking for.
Jinder Mahal's sudden ascent as WWE Champion has been met with a swift, venomous backlash. A lifelong enhancement talent, he was plucked from obscurity and named Randy Orton's number one contender on 18 April, then took the title a month later. The company haven't thrust somebody with so little in-ring credibility into the spotlight in a long time, and it is already affecting business, with Backlash ticket sales stalling as soon as the match was announced.
It'll be a while before anyone can realistically deem Mahal's push a success or failure, but the metrics don't look good, even at this early stage. One thing's for sure, though: the online reaction has been largely negative, and huge chunks of the fanbase have already rejected Jinder as a top guy.
This isn't the first time, and it won't be the last. WWE fans don't always share the promotion's idea of who should be pushed, and they're never shy of letting the whole world know about it. The company can't please everyone all the time, but these miscast main eventers either put the audience to sleep, incited their anger, or compelled them to change the channel...
10. Batista (2014)
There was little wrong with Batista's first WWE run, but his second was a different matter entirely. The Guardians Of The Galaxy star returned to the company in January 2014, announcing his participation in the Royal Rumble, then confronting WWE Champion Randy Orton on the go-home episode of Raw.
Batista received a politely warm reception upon returning, but this would change by the end of the week. Entering the Rumble at number 28, he eliminated four other men to win the match for the second time in his career, setting him up for a big title fight at WrestleMania XXX.
There was just one major problem with this: he wasn’t Daniel Bryan. The “Yes!” Movement was at the height of its power, and DB’s huge fanbase were incensed at their hero’s exclusion from the Rumble. Batista was booed out of the building because he’d taken a spot many thought belonged to Bryan, and the “Bootista” meme was born.
The fans’ backlash was so severe that WWE had no choice but to turn Batista heel. ‘The Animal’ himself has since admitted that returning as a babyface was a huge mistake, and ultimately nuked his comeback’s chances of succeeding.