10 Times WWE Totally Dropped The Ball On Something Hot

Sami Zayn at Elimination Chamber is far from the first time that WWE has dropped the ball.

by Andrew Pollard
WWE Elimination Chamber 2023 Sami Zayn
WWE

With WWE Elimination Chamber 2023 now in the history books, many fans and critics alike have been left pondering just how badly the market leader dropped the ball in not giving Sami Zayn the nod to be the one to bring Roman Reigns' reign of dominance to an end.

How things play out for Sami from here on out remains to be seen, but this wouldn't be the first time that WWE has failed to capitalise on something special.

While WWE has clearly seized the moment countless times over the company's lifespan, there are plentiful notable examples of the promotion having potential gold on their hands, only to opt to let said gold slip through their fingers. Sometimes this potential gold ends up failing due to matters out of WWE's hands - such as Kevin Nash's injuries and Scott Hall's personal battles immediately derailing the WWE version of the nWo - but more often than not these failings have to be placed at the door of WWE, for it has been a conscious decision to veer left when the way to glory was to veer right.

With that in mind, then, here are ten such times that WWE bungled wrestlers and storylines that had the possibility of making for truly memorable, must-see pro wrestling television.

10. Taz's All-Timer Of A Debut

WWE Elimination Chamber 2023 Sami Zayn
WWE.com

When thinking of the greatest debuts in WWE history, names like Kane, Chris Jericho, AJ Styles, the Undertaker, and the Shield are some who immediately spring to mind. Likewise in that conversation, is ECW icon Taz.

He may have had an extra Z added to his name, but make no mistake about it, the person seen at the 2000 Royal Rumble was every bit the badass Taz who had dominated in Extreme Championship Wrestling. A surprise opponent for Kurt Angle at a Rumble PPV which emanated from the legendary Madison Square Garden backyard of the New Yorker, Taz looked like a star, worked like a star, and was reacted to like he was a star during his all-timer of a debut.

Not just did Taz bring an end to Angle's undefeated streak, but he did so in relentless, clinical fashion, choking out the Olympic Hero and immediately establishing himself as an excellent addition to the WWF roster.

Skip ahead one year, and the Human Suplex Machine's involvement at the 2001 Royal Rumble saw him last just 10 seconds in the titular Rumble bout.

So, where did it all go wrong for Taz? With management reportedly not keen on the stiff style of the Red Hook native, the former ECW World Champion found himself working with the likes of Pete Gas and Prince Albert on Heat and Jakked within less than a month. Seriously.

If that wasn't bad enough, Taz would soon turn heel and become embroiled in a feud with the commentary duo of Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler. And with that, any hopes of seeing Taz become a big-time player in the then-WWF were dashed.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main dayjob, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg.