10 WWE Wrestlers Who Were Better In The Indies
Sami Zayn or El Generico?
Some wrestlers are more than happy to spend their careers working the independent circuit, but for many it's essentially just one long audition for the chance to win a ticket at wrestling's hottest show.
WWE finally decided to widen its net a few years ago and began to scour the indie ranks for its budding talent, no longer content just to sweep up yesterday's NFL hopefuls and the odd reality TV contestant looking for their big break.
That means there are now more internet darlings competing on Raw and SmackDown than ever before, and whilst most of them produce stellar work on a near-weekly basis, you wonder from time to time whether their true potential is really being tapped into.
The reality is that some wrestlers, due to their ring style, are almost inevitably going to shine brighter on the independent circuit than they ever would under the logistical and production-led constraints of WWE programming. That doesn't necessarily imply they have been unsuccessful - just that they had a little something extra before going mainstream.
Were they better off under the slightly less bright lights? Very possibly.
10. Evan Bourne
The early part of Evan Bourne's WWE career had plenty of promise, but you always got the impression that his ceiling was a mid-card title run. Thanks to a combination of injury and a violation of the company's wellness policy, his high point was in fact a nothing spell as tag team champion alongside Kofi Kingston (collectively "Air Boom").
Whilst indie journeyman Matt Sydal is also yet to taste the world title, he is much more a star in his own right than he was ever allowed to be in WWE, where square pegs are often put in round holes. In NJPW's frenetic six-man tag division, the high-flyer is completely let off the leash, whereas under the watchful eye of Vince McMahon, it seemed like he was only permitted to shine so bright.