10 Times WWE Missed Opportunities To Create Lasting Main Event Superstars

7. Bam Bam Bigelow Vs. Lawrence Taylor (WrestleMania XI)

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WWE.com

Another star-making opportunity came in 1995 at WrestleMania XI when Bam Bam Bigelow headlined the card against NFL football great, Lawrence Taylor.

Coming off several public relations nightmares in recent years, including the indictment of owner Vince McMahon for alleged steroid trafficking (he was eventually acquitted), the WWF could have used all the good press it could get in 1995. While most of it came in the form of mockery or ridicule, LT brought tons of media attention to the WWF, and Bam Bam Bigelow by proxy.

Just as it seemed Bigelow's career was about to take off, a high profile loss to a football player killed his credibility in the eyes of many fans. Bigelow wasn't expected to win but had WWE put him over, Bammer could've remained a main event heel rather than the one-off he became.

After WrestleMania, the company started to rebuild Bigelow as a babyface, but the damage had already been done. Bigelow became one of the rare talents that could say they headlined WrestleMania and left the company in the same year.

Contributor
Contributor

A former stuntman for Paramount Pictures, Matt enjoys sports, water skiing, driving fast, the beach, professional wrestling, technology, and scotch. At the same time, whenever possible. Having attended many famous (and infamous) shows including WrestleMania XV, In Your House: Mind Games, and the 1995 King of the Ring, Matt has been a lifelong professional sports and wrestling fan. Matt's been mentioned in numerous wrestling podcasts including the Steve Austin Show: Unleashed, Talk Is Jericho, and Something To Wrestle With Bruce Prichard. As a former countywide performer, Matt has been referred to as Mr. 300 for his amazing accomplishments in the world of amateur bowling. He is also the only man on record to have pitched back-to-back no hitters in the Veterans Stadium Wiffle Ball League of 2003.