10 Wrestlers Who Became Backstage Outcasts In WWE

Matt Striker used his real life former profession as a high school teacher to inspire a gimmick that was favourably compared to Shane Douglas' pretentious grammarian Dean persona. Due to an off-hand comment misinterpreted, Striker's push proved just as short as Douglas'.

When Striker transferred between Raw and SmackDown, he commented that "it was kind of like going from college to high school." He clarified that it was not a comment sent to disparage SmackDown but rather a compliment of how relaxed the blue brand was. Nevertheless, it led to Chris Benoit screaming in his face at a bar (even though Striker confirmed he was supportive in private). Yet, it was standing up to a drunken JBL in Wrestler's Court that eventually dispersed the animosity of the SmackDown locker room.

Also going against Striker was his reputation as a loner who socialised with few of his colleagues. He explained:

"I suck socially; I have nothing to talk about. I didn’t want to sit around and commiserate with all the people there [...] I knew a few of the guys from the indies in WWE, but I was really always kinda by myself, and I think people took that to be that I was cocky. It wasn’t. It was just because I was so damn f***ing weird."

Though Striker went on to credit Tommy Dreamer and Edge's friendship for making him "quasi-normal."