5. Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho was with WCW from 1997 to 1999, a frustrating period where the mismanagement and creative folly led to him being desperate to escape. As an excellent talker and grappler, WCW really should have been trying to utilise the young Jericho, but instead they simply let him exit, the company favouring the older talents such as Kevin Nash and Bill Goldberg. Perturbed, Jericho left WCW in '99, signing with the WWF and relieved to be away. The potential that WCW couldn't see was identified by the WWF who brought the star in with an over the top countdown Y2K style entrance. This debut segment also involved Jericho interrupting The Rock, communicating to the audience that he was a big deal. Fans quickly learned that this was an upper mid card to main event performer, seeing Jericho take part in major spots on a weekly basis. Whether it was in the ring or on the microphone, Jericho proved to be an all round excellent pro wrestler. In the same year that WCW went out of business, Jericho finished 2001 as the Undisputed Champion of the world. WCW's failure to see the potential he had led to the WWF's gain... although he did admittedly fail as a main event champion.