10 Wrestling Stars WWE Should Never Have Let Get Away
They made a lot of money... for someone else.
WWE likes to position itself as the ultimate recognizer of talent, and to be fair, the company deserves some credit. While men like Chris Jericho, Rey Mysterio, and Eddie Guerrero were labeled career midcarders in WCW, in WWE, they became some of the top names in wrestling. Even earlier, The Undertaker, Mick Foley, and Steve Austin were also seen as lacking the "it factor" by WCW.
Still, WWE's decision-makers shouldn't pat themselves on the back too hard. Over the years - especially the years since WCW and ECW folded and top-level wrestlers have had fewer options for making a living - the company has missed out on some major talent in its own right. Whether these wrestlers were considered "too small" or "unable to work WWE style," myopic viewpoints left them underutilized and left money on the table.
Here are 10 stars WWE let get away:
Just a note - while there have been many talented wrestlers whose skill WWE failed to recognize, this list will focus on wrestlers who had demonstratively more successful careers after leaving the company than they did while they were there. Whether it was the independent scene, Japan, or Mexico, these men proved they could do more than WWE realized.
10. Beretta
Just like Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins before him, Trent Barreta was a Long Island-based independent worker who was signed to WWE at a young age. Even compared to those men, though, Barreta was barely given any chance to succeed. Today, most fans have no memory of his WWE run.
After spending a couple of years in Florida Championship Wrestling, Barreta and partner Caylen Croft - known together as The Dudebusters - were called up to the ECW brand. After a brief run, they were moved to Smackdown, but Croft was soon fired and Barreta was on his own. He spent the next couple of years on Superstars and in NXT before being fired.
After leaving the company, the star was finally able to make a mark. Renaming himself "Beretta," he began working for New Japan, PWG, and other companies, eventually finding a home as part of NJPW's CHAOS stable. With regular partner Rocky Romero, Beretta has been a crucial part of the company's junior heavyweight tag team division. The team, known as Roppongi Vice, are two-time champions.