10 Potential Megastars That Never Recovered From WWE Burials
3. Shane Douglas
Shortly into his 1995 WWE tenure, Shane Douglas failed a significant in-house company litmus test that not only damaged his reputation with higher ups, but also fractured his relationship with the locker room's most powerful political force.
Earning a shake of disappointment rather than a nod of approval from the 1-2-3 Kid following their match, the rechristened Dean was earmarked for failure from that moment. Consensus amongst the roster at the time was that if you couldn't have a good match with The Kid, you couldn't with anybody. As a member of The Clique, Sean Waltman's say carried more weight than his miniature frame, and Douglas' apparently unacceptable grasp of the basics became the first of several strikes against the former ECW firebrand.
Signed with healthy expectations having over-achieved as Paul Heyman's 'Franchise' during the Philadelphia outfit's most groundbreaking period, Douglas mistakenly advised Vince McMahon that he had a background in teaching. It was 1995, remember, and sure enough, 'The Dean' was born.
It was as if the entire education system had thrown up on him. Vignettes saw him in a classroom setting, or analysing wrestlers with a chalkboard backstage. In the ring, he sported farcically ceremonial academic attire. Precisely none of it resonated with the crowd, and the company seemed content to let him fail as further matches with The Kid and Razor Ramon underwhelmed.