10 Talented Wrestlers Let Down By Lame Gimmicks
3. Wade Barrett (King)
Tiring of his place in the WWE system and likely perplexed by the sheer lack of forward-thinking regarding his on screen character, Wade Barrett decided that enough was enough in May 2016 and left the promotion.
Rewind just 6 years earlier, and it seemed logical that Barrett would become a mainstay at the top of WWE cards for years to come - but the former leader of the Nexus was never given permanent keys to the main event kingdom.
It's ironic, then, that the character which ushered him out the nearest door was based on royalty.
Winning the 2015 King Of The Ring tournament was oddly the worst thing that could have happened to Barrett; immediately handed the garish crown, robe and sceptre combo, the formerly serious mannerisms gave way to horribly ill-placed promo material that turned him into some sort of royal wrestling version of Scrooge McDuck.
Playing the cartoon gimmick didn't appeal to Barrett; that much is clear from watching the almost-embarrassed looks on his face whilst adorned in that silly attire. It's hardly surprising that he was fed up, because Wade's previous 'Bad News' guise was over with the fans.