10 Superstars Who Aren't As Big As They Think They Are
That Damn (Quite) Good.
Perception is reality in professional wrestling, and so it should be.
For a medium in which everything is supposed to be inflated beyond reason and rationale, there's nothing wrong with a big lie becoming a pro wrestling truth for the good of the artform. In an ideal world, a performer is exactly as popular, or hated, or tall, or short, or successful, or even as stupid as they're supposed to be because that's when it's most believable. But the world is less than ideal, and that's where this particular industry should be able to flourish in spite of it.
Wrestling done well has the advantage of being able to fake these things. It may be the dirtiest f-word in the business based on years of grief given to those giving their bodies to the show, but the Superstars can be everything the company wants them to be if they're good enough to do it.
Some "fake it til they make it", and again, all power to them for mastering the mechanics of the bizarre industry they've chosen to invest their careers in. Some, unfortunately, believe their own hype to such an extent that reality no longer marries up with the perception they've created. Whilst this can occasionally be great, it has the power to get a little...gross...
10. Randy Orton
Well, you wouldn't want to shake his hand, would you?
Randy Orton's wrestling resume is richly populated with plaudits that reflect a WWE Superstar life largely well-lived, but he remains perhaps the highest profile topliner to never actually be the company's biggest star.
Winning his first World Heavyweight Championship in 2004 was undermined by a loss to Triple H the following month that was allegedly orchestrated to see him claim redemption at 2005's WrestleMania. By the time 'Show Of Shows' rolled around, Orton had been steamrolled flat by abysmal booking.
On that night, Dave Batista took his spot, but SmackDown looked equally clogged with John Cena leap-frogging him as the B-Show's A+ Player. Those two traded roles that summer, whilst Orton remained out in the cold.
Various indiscretions and disciplinary issues over his tumultuous near-20 year WWE tenure haven't helped. Hunter, Batista, Cena and later Edge, Undertaker and Roman Reigns were all permanently preferred to 'The Apex Predator', Royal Rumble victories and 'WrestleMania moments' be damned.
Ironically, 'The Viper' looked the happiest he'd ever been preying on midcard chumps on SmackDown Live in 2018. At long last, he's found his level.