7 Great Wrestling Heel Runs That Ended Prematurely
6. William Regal (2008)
WWE presumably had big plans in mind for William Regal following his shocking King of the Ring victory in April 2008.
As both the reigning King of the Ring and Raw General Manager, he was billed as the single most powerful entity in the entire company from a storyline standpoint, and was more of a focal point on the flagship show than anyone else.
Triple H, John Cena, and Mr. Kennedy all fell victim to Regal's ruthless reign as Raw's evil authority figure, and it was that kayfabe abuse of power that made every episode of Raw that spring worth watching. From turning out the lights during matches to lashing out at members of the production crew, fans were left to wonder what he would do next.
It has never been confirmed, not even by Regal himself, that he was in line for any sort of WWE Championship push, but that seemed to be the direction they were headed in. Unfortunately, he got himself suspended in violating WWE's Wellness Policy for 60 days, but management could have easily picked back up where they left off with him upon his return to the ring.
Aside from a short-lived run as Intercontinental champion, Regal never quite reached that same level of importance as a wrestler again. Eventually, he settled into another general manager role on NXT.