10 Incredible Wrestlers Fans WROTE-OFF Before They Were Famous

A boots n' tights generic CAW looking rookie straight out of the latest WWE video game? That's what future legend John Cena resembled when he walked out, got in Kurt Angle's face and said he had "ruthless aggression" in the summer of 2002. A slow roll towards immortality began that night, but most giggled at the fact Cena looked like a creation suite template who had 'Shoulderbreaker 4' as his finisher.

WWE cast John as exactly what he was - a rank rookie who wasn't on par with the rest of the roster. He won some matches, but usually in an opportunistic fashion. On the whole, at least until he started rapping later in the year, Cena was someone few fans decided to take seriously. He'd be back in OVW in a heartbeat, some reasoned. In a word (life), nope.

Showing some actual personality with his rap skills was a blessing for Cena. That let him come out of his shell on programming and gave WWE's creative team a reason to book him on shows. The garish mixed colours of his green/red/blue/yellow/orange/purple tights and boots hadn't been cutting it by comparison. This newcomer lacked an edge at first.

Cena found his feet and went on to become one of the biggest stars to ever do it. His 2025 retirement tour is a reminder (ironically) never to give up on those who initially don't seem to have every single puzzle piece in place. Here's that word again: Patience. Even the best need a little bit of it.

Who else did wrestling fans write off? For more WWE, check out 10 WWE Jobbers Who Became World Champion and WWE Royal Rumble 2025: 10 Surprise Entrants We Could See!