10 Times WWE Treated Home Town Talent Like Garbage
9. Dino Bravo
Looking at the above photo, you can almost hear Hogan thinking "That's not gonna work for me, brother".
The other wrestler in the picture is Dino Bravo. Bravo was a mediocre worker (Bret Hart memorably described him as a "lethargic boulder" in his autobiography) who nevertheless gained a notable measure of popularity in the mid-80s WWF. Unfortunately, it was this popularity that went against him in 1986.
Booked to face Hulk Hogan in his hometown of Montreal, Bravo was incandescent when the match was cancelled. The reason for the cancellation? The office feared that Hogan would be booed against the home town hero. (Which shows that haphazard booking isn't just a staple of modern WWE).
Bravo had every right to be furious. Working with Hogan was the dream spot at the time; Paul Orndorff famously kept deferring much-needed surgery until his arm was permanently disabled, solely because he was making so much money in an ongoing feud against the Hulkster. By promising Dino Bravo a big money match against the company's golden goose, only to cancel it at the last minute, the WWF had no cause for complaint when Dino walked out of the company in retaliation for the snub.