10 Wrestlers Who Had No Business Being In The Ring

7. Jimmy Snuka

The Executioner
WWE

There's a rather strong ethical argument to be made that Jimmy Snuka had no business being in the ring at any point after 1983, given that some several decades later he was belatedly arrested for and charged with third-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter - but the flaws in an imperfect legal system make it less than advisable to state that opinion as a matter of fact.

At an absolute minimum, he had no business being in there at WrestleMania 25.

A broken, shambling figure, he was less a purveyor of escapism in that ring, more an expensive vase teetering atop the edge of a shelf, only without summoning the attendant tension and suspense such a scene would ordinarily generate. One of three substitutes for Mickey Rourke - who in hindsight was sensibly advised not to tar his name with this bleak freak show - Snuka was only there to make Ricky Steamboat's brilliance looked yet more timeless in contrast. Really, the whole scene was testament to Steamboat's genius. He didn't just rescue the match; he saved the vibe.

If Snuka's mainstream career had to end in the ring on the night, that inadvertent story beat - revealing the far better man as the real hero - is as apt a send-off as any, but this appalling and wildly unnecessary anti-spectacle might have ended far worse.

Snuka, ahem, should never have been cleared.

 
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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!