10 Wrestlers Who Never Recovered From Their WWE Release
5. Ahmed Johnson
Ahmed Johnson looked like a can’t-miss prospect when he signed for WWE in 1995. A gigantic powerhouse of a man, he claimed the Intercontinental Title within his first year, but struggled to keep-up with his opponents in the ring and proved himself to be rather injury prone. Buff, sloppy in the ring, and with a penchant for rambling, nonsensical promos, Johnson was like the Ultimate Warrior reborn, but his push quickly dried-up.
Once thrust towards the main event, fans saw through Johnson’s lack of sheen and polish, and he floundered in WWE’s midcard prior to joining WCW in 1999. The release was the beginning of the end for Johnson, who was rebranded as “Big T,” but ultimately failed through a lack of meaningful stories and creative direction. WCW released him for weight issues in 2000, and Johnson’s wrestling career was effectively over.
Johnson is widely remembered as one of the 1990’s most over-pushed wrestlers, and a prime example of Vince McMahon’s longstanding obsession with green monster characters. He was slow, clumsy, and awkward in the ring, and while his unearned push didn’t help, his WWE release was the real turning point. He’d gone from one of Vince’s favourite prospects to a complete non-entity, and he’s no longer active in the squared circle.