10 Most Unlikely Main Event Acts In WWE History
Surprises are great, except when they involve Jinder Mahal getting a title shot.
Some wrestlers seem preordained for success.
As soon as Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle stepped into a WWE ring, we knew they were going to be major stars, and so it panned out. Both went on to help define the eras they performed in, with Lesnar still going strong as WWE's Universal Champion today.
Vince McMahon is always going to push performers of a certain ilk, and it's often possible to gauge a wrestler's long-term prospects after their first few months in the company. Naturals like Lesnar and Angle were always going to succeed, but even the likes of The Great Khali, flawed as they are, are almost guaranteed a major push. WWE love an imposing giant, and if you tick that box, you're already halfway to the top.
Some of WWE's pushes aren't quite as obvious, however. Wrestling's cyclical nature means WWE are constantly trying to build new stars, and they'll occasional throw a major surprise into the mix.
It's becoming increasingly common for the company to look beyond their traditional vision of the ideal headliner, and while a handful of these wrestlers actually flourished in the spotlight, their pushes completely defied convention...
10. Papa Shango
Given Charles Wright’s size, it’s not a total surprise that he was regularly put into prominent positions throughout his 11-year WWE career. Debuting as Sir Charles, the 6’6”, 330 lb Wright competed primarily on the house show circuit in 1991, before being repackaged as Papa Shango, a crazed voodoo practitioner, in early 1992.
After establishing himself against enhancement wrestlers, Shango entered a major feud with Hulk Hogan, who was still one of WWE’s biggest stars at the time. Unfortunately, the rivalry started with a noticeable botch as Papa missed his run-in cue at WrestleMania VIII, hitting the ring too late in Hogan’s match with Sid Justice.
After wrapping his feud with Hogan, Shango entered another with the Ultimate Warrior, which was equally poorly received by the WWE faithful. Unfortunately, while neither Hogan nor Warrior were exactly technical wizards in the ring, Shango just wasn’t up to scratch as a performer. His wrestling skills were subpar, the gimmick was goofy and cartoonish, and WWE soon ran it into the ground with spell-casting and other cornball antics.
A misguided main event push, if ever there was one.