10 Wrestlers Who Could Have Been Main Eventers With Better Gimmicks
2. Ricky Steamboat
Ricky Steamboat was one of the best workers of the 1980s, but even that couldn't stop him from being pigeonholed with a silly gimmick - one based on his race.
When Steamboat joined WWE in 1985, he was given a completely fabricated martial arts background due to his Japanese heritage, along with the Bruce Lee-(who, it should be noted, was Chinese) inspired nickname of "The Dragon." Still - and despite bringing a komodo dragon to the ring - Steamboat found success, winning the Intercontinental Title at WrestleMania III.
Steamboat left the company and became NWA World Heavyweight Champion, but when he returned to WWE, things got even worse. Now known simply as "The Dragon," Steamboat started wearing a ridiculous costume and breathing fire before his matches. That didn't go so well, and after less than a year on the undercard, he went back to WCW.
In 1991, Steamboat was still an incredible athlete and worker, and if used properly, he could have been a major asset in WWE. Instead, the company's loss was the competition's gain.