10 Totally Ineffective WWE Heel Runs
6. Zeus
Integrating professional wrestling into mainstream celebrity culture has always been one of Vince McMahon Jr.'s biggest goals, though it has rarely been as invasive as it was in 1989.
Hulk Hogan had just starred in the horrendous No Holds Barred movie, in which he went to battle with Zeus, a ruthless monster heel. Instead of keeping the rivalry on the silver screen, McMahon decided to bring it to the ring, and actor Tom Lister Jr. was quickly brought in to feud with 'The Hulkster.'
Lister had the size and the look, but not the skill. He'd never wrestled a match prior to joining WWE, and predictably stunk, though WWE invested a great deal of effort into making him look like a force. This eventually saw him team with Randy Savage to face Hogan and Brutus Beefcake at SummerSlam '89, and while 'Macho Man's' skill helped mask his partner's deficiencies, the villainous duo fell.
Zeus cooled off immediately. He was aligned with Ted DiBiase afterwards, but the feud continued, and eventually concluded inside a Steel Cage that December, with Beefcake and Hogan once again defeating Savage and Zeus. The only thing Zeus got over 'The Hulkster' throughout the feud was a handful of no-sell spots, and Lister left the company shortly aferwards.