10 Indie Wrestling Heroes Who Flopped In WWE
5. Colt Cabana
A classic case of WWE signing a buzz-worthy independent wrestler without having a clue what to do with him, Colt Cabana’s run as SmackDown’s Scotty Goldman lasted just a handful of shows. He’d been in developmental for over a year when he debuted in 2008, and while his gimmick retained some of the quirks that made him so popular in Ring of Honor, he’d never pass comedy jobber status as Goldman.
A regular fixture in pointless battle royals and squash matches, Colt was never given anything to sink his teeth into on SmackDown. His “Good as Goldman” web series had a brief run on WWE.com, but he was released from his contract in February 2009, and that was that.
If booked right, Cabana could’ve been a huge hit for the company. Though mostly known for his colourful personality, he’s a highly-talented technical wrestler who’s just as adapt wrestling stone-faced as he is comically. His real talents definitely lie in the latter department, however, and while comedy is always a matter of taste, Colt is charismatic and enthusiastic, and he retains a huge following even today.
Colt’s done alright since leaving WWE, though. He still wrestles on the independents, and his Art of Wrestling podcast has been a huge success. As CM Punk’s best friend, he famously offered-up the podcast as a platform for Punk to air his post-WWE grievances: an act that means he’s likely blacklisted from the company for life.