10 ECW Flops In WWE That Should Have Been Huge
7. Mike Awesome
A horrendously misused wrestler in both WCW and WWE, Mike Awesome could have been a megastar. At 6’6”, 292lbs, he was an absolute giant, yet shockingly quick on his feet and extremely athletic. He was a big guy who moved like a cruiserweight, but only ECW were able to harness his unique skillset into tangible success, and he floundered as soon as he crossed into the wrestling mainstream.
In WCW, Awesome was drowned by two horrendous gimmicks in ‘That ‘70s Guy’ and ‘The Fat Chick Thrilla.’ He joined WWE as part of the Invasion angle in 2001, winning the Hardcore Championship on his first night in the company, but he never really escaped the division. He teamed with Lance Storm briefly, but was shunted down to Heat and Velocity by the summer, and was released the following year.
Awesome wasn’t much of a talker, but his size and athleticism should have seen him pushed to a higher level. Unfortunately, he just never caught Vince McMahon’s eye, and while he returned for the One Night Stand PPV in 2005, Awesome later admitted that he hated his time with the company, and was happy when he was told of his release.