10 Wrestlers Who Gained Nothing From Becoming World Champion
1. Jack Swagger
Few World title reigns have ever been as destructive as Jack Swagger’s, and while Money In The Bank is traditionally used to give a rising star one final push into the main event, Swagger’s successful cash-in effectively ended his career as a top-level player.
A tremendous natural athlete, ‘The All-American American’ lacked the polish and charisma to hold one of WWE’s top championships. He was thrust into a position he wasn’t at all ready for, and it was difficult to take him seriously against celebrated opposition like Chris Jericho and Randy Orton. None of it was his fault, but Jack’s reign was an 82-day shambles, and when Rey Mysterio eventually pinned him for the belt, it felt merciful above all else.
Swagger’s career spiralled into oblivion from there. The World Heavyweight Title run burned the crowd out on him, and he was soon plummeting down the card, forced to settle into a greatly diminished role in the midcard.
His rebranding as ‘A Real American’ briefly restored some relevance in 2013, but Swagger eventually slid further down the ranks, and he was barely being used at all by the time of his 2017 release.