10 Wrestlers Who Jumped Ship (And Ruined Their Careers)
8. Steve Williams (AJPW To WWE)
If not his career, then 'Dr. Death' definitely spoiled his legacy by joining WWE in 1998, and much of that is down to his participation in the Brawl For all.
Williams walked into the company with a reputation as one of the toughest guys in the sport. Positioned as WWE's hand-picked choice to win the tournament, there was talk that the company were so confident in Williams' victory that they paid him the Brawl For All's entire prize pool beforehand. This bred resentment in the locker-room, with hordes of wrestlers desperate to topple the golden goose, and it happened in the second round.
Eventual tournament winner Bart Gunn knocked Williams out when the former AJPW bruiser tore his hamstring, and that was it for him. The hardman image was shattered.
Williams was already a shadow of his former self by the time he reached WWE, his body ravaged through years of wear and tear thanks to All Japan's notoriously destructive Kings Road style, but the company could've still done something with him had Gunn not put him to sleep. Unfortunately, Jumping to WWE proved to be a big mistake, and his career never recovered.