10 Wrestlers Who Jumped Ship (And Ruined Their Careers)
4. Mike Awesome (ECW To WCW)
A pure spectacle performer, Mike Awesome was a 300lb behemoth capable of executing flips and dives like they were nothing. He was never the most charismatic performer, nor could he cut a compelling promo, but he was a special athlete. This could have translated to major mainstream success with the right approach. Alas, WCW decided against emphasising his astonishing in-ring game, hampering the big man with a series of dead-end gimmicks instead.
Awesome's start as the 'Career Killer' was solid enough, but then came 'The Fat Chick Thrilla,' which killed all hope he'd ever be taken seriously. Then came the equally corny 'That '70s Guy' character (inspired, unsurprisingly, by the popular The '70s Show), Awesome's Lava Lamp Lounge chat show, and a host of terrible period outfits. Where did this get him? A dogsh*t feud with Vampiro and the Insane Clown Posse.
Hopes were renewed when Awesome transitioned to WWE as part of the Invasion in 2001, and he even scored the Hardcore Title on his first night. This was as fortunate as he got, though. Awesome soon became an afterthought, and WWE had little interest in repairing the damage done in WCW.