10 Wrestlers Who Could Have Been Franchise Players For WWE
6. Ethan Carter III
Ethan Carter III accomplished very little as WWE’s Derrick Bateman. A lowly NXT contestant, he’s best remembered for a brief romance with Maxine, and few tears were shed when he was released from the company in 2013. Unfortunately for WWE, he has since established himself as one of the most complete wrestlers in North America, and a guy who could be playing a prominent role in Raw or SmackDown’s main event scene at this very moment.
It’s a smaller stage, but EC3 has become the face of TNA. Even when he’s not holding the company’s top belt, EC3 is the rock around which Dixie Carter’s shaky company is built. TNA have their problems, but EC3 is their biggest asset, and a man whose performances have never wavered. Whether on the microphone or in the ring, everything Carter does screams “superstar,” and it’s maddening that WWE couldn’t see these qualities within him.
There’s every chance he’ll end-up back in WWE should TNA’s ongoing legal troubles result in bankruptcy, but there’s no guarantee they’ll use him any better. EC3 exudes star power - a quality that WWE’s current roster sorely lacks - from every pour. He’s great in the ring, even better on the microphone, and one of the best all-round performers in the world, and has now proven his ability to function as a franchise player in a sports entertainment environment.