10 Wrestlers Too Big To Fail (That Failed Anyway)

4. Sting (WWE: 2014-2020)

Big Show crying
WWE.com

That he was already 55 years old by the time he debuted there meant WWE were never going to get prime, WCW-calibre Sting, though even before injuries forced him into a temporary state of retirement, Vince McMahon somehow contrived to squeeze as little juice as possible from the legend that got away.

Sting was the last big WCW name to cross over to WWE following McMahon's buyout in 2001. He arrived in an incredible Survivor Series 2014 debut, wiping out The Authority, before becoming a needless sacrifice in a long-dead war kept alive only by the pettiest wrestling promoter of all time.

Presented ostensibly as the final fracas in the old WCW vs. WWE war, Sting vs. Triple H at WrestleMania 31 was a farce, as McMahon couldn't suppress his urge to take one last shot at Billionaire Ted's old powerhouse. Sting fell there, then fell again when a serious neck injury seemingly ended his career opposite Seth Rollins at Night of Champions 2015.

Sting eventually left WWE having never worked the long-sought-after Undertaker dream match. A fun late-career special attraction run was sacrificed so that Vince could remind fans that yes, he won the war.

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Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.