10 Times WWE Lost Their Minds
7. Diesel Holds The Title For A Year
Everyone who's ever watched WWE knows that Vince McMahon is obsessed with big guys. He's famously said that he wants his champion to be someone who turns heads at airports, and that mentality has haunted the company for decades. Even today, guys like Braun Strowman and Baron Corbin are getting pushes they don't deserve at the expense of more talented wrestlers.
In 1994, though, Vince was all about Diesel. The seven-foot-tall former WCW undercard worker had a great look, and so he was groomed to be the top star in the company. While WWE Champion Bret Hart had a bitter feud with a deranged Bob Backlund, Diesel waited in the wings. Backlund scored a hard-fought victory over "The Hitman" at Survivor Series 1994 to claim the belt, and three days later, Diesel absolutely squashed the champion to begin his title reign. So, yeah, they were behind him.
Unfortunately, the numbers weren't as strong as Diesel's push. Business went down severely, to the point where shows with him on top exhibited severe drops from previous years. In one famous story, Diesel - miffed about his pay - asked Gerald Brisco why he was the worst-compensated WWE Champion ever. Brisco replied that it was because he was the worst-drawing WWE Champion ever.
In spite of all of that, Diesel held onto the title for just under a year, eventually losing it back to Hart. It was the longest title reign in four years, and it wouldn't be bested for another 12. The long-term effect on business was devastating, and the company wouldn't bounce back until the Attitude Era.